Melbourne Places » St Kilda Beach

West Beach Reserve St Kilda – great for taking the air on a winter’s day

Melbourne — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 04:22:49 +0000

There is a little known beach between St Kilda Beach and Middle Park Beach called West Beach Reserve. You can get away from the crowds here. For some reason fewer people walk this way.

It is here that the City of Port Phillip are nurturing some of the indigenous plants of the area . This strip between St Kilda Pier and Fraser Street has all the right conditions for these plants to grow. There is Scrub, Grassland and Saltmarsh, everything these indigenous plants need.

Most of the plantings are fairly recent as you can see and it is to be hoped that they take root and find that this piece of beach is where they want to live and multiply.

This one of my favourites. It is a little silvery, springy type of bush and I am keeping watch to see just how it will take and how big it will grow.

Port Phillip City Council have constructed a walkway through the area and it is a very pleasant place to be on a sunny winter morning. The path winds through the vegetation and there are seats so you can take in the view.

On a clear day the view is spectacular but even on an overcast day the colours can be interesting.

Getting there:-
Tram 96,16 or 3 to St Kilda . Then stroll along Beaconsfield Parade towards Port Melbourne.

St Kilda keeps on changing with new apartments for old houses.

Melbourne — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:15:25 +0000

Melbourne is changing! “Well of course,” I hear you say.

I know this happens all the time but it came as a shock to me when I found a place I knew well was to change.

Yesterday I drove past a corner I used to live near. As I waited at the red traffic light I saw this new notice attached to a charming old house.

” Construction begins soon,” ‘they’ say. I always liked this house especially since it was painted black.

This is a corner in St Kilda where Inkerman Street crosses Barkly Street and becomes Grey Street.
You may recognize the corner because of this block.

The old uncared for houses opposite the building have wonderful concrete decorations on the second stories.

The notice of construction suggests more modern sleek units will pop up and the old pretty decorated houses will vanish. In time we will forget they were there and we will forget what we have lost.

I want to remember this Melbourne Place as it is now. That is why I am posting the photos; to keep a record of what was on this corner in 2011.

The corner is a bit of a show place of old houses displaying the frivolous and labour intensive concrete decorations of the past.

I suggest if you go through this area look up and check out the beautiful upper stories of these building. Better still take time at a red light to click a memory-photo.

Strangely, the corner milk-bar/laundry appears to be invincible.

I used to do my laundry here every Sunday morning while I read the papers. It has stayed exactly the same! It even has the same ice cream ads on the windows as it did then. Will it be next to go?

This is the corner of Grey Street, Inkerman and Barkly Streets, St Kilda.

There are some interesting and long-term shops here too;

“The Bitch is Back” features 20th century modern interiors.

“Surround” features contemporary and often cutting-edge-furniture. They have they have some of the most stunning window displays in Melbourne.

“Liquid Snow Tours” at the moment they are collecting used and new warm snow gear for the victims of the Japanese Earthquake.

Several eating places including “Mr Wolf”. – It is a great corner.

To get there by tram:-
Catch the 67 to the corner of Inkerman Street and St Kilda Road
Turn right and wander up Inkerman Street until you get to the corner with Barkly Street. It is an interesting stretch of road.

St Kilda Night Market Thursday 10th March 2011 -O’Donnell Gardens

Melbourne — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 06:02:53 +0000

St Kilda Night Market up-date.
This popular market was put on hold at the end of last year because of problems with the organizers’ negotiations with the Port Phillip City Council. Things have changed and I found on my return to Melbourne from holiday that this wonderful market was again operating. If you don’t know the market or haven’t been see my post on last year’s market - here.

Pictures of last years market in the early evening The Market is from 5 to 10pm

This year the market runs for another three Thursdays – March, 10th, 17th, 24th

My first visit this year will be on Thursday, that is 10th March – I’ll report back.

Getting there:
Trams 96 and 16 to St Kilda – Follow the smell of food. Last year the food was wonderful.

Opening Hours:-
5pm to 10 pm

Hot Honey cafe in Armstrong Street, Middle Park, serves one of my favourite breakfasts.

Melbourne — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:31:11 +0000

One of my favourite breakfasts in Melbourne is at Hot Honey in Armstrong Street, Middle Park. I eat breakfast there about three or four times a year and I always choose the same thing. I never eat anything else.

Recently we were there again and thought we needed to study the menu and move on. We told each other that ordering the same thing every time we walked through the door was boring. We studied the menu. We discussed various options. We looked at the plates on the tables near us. We mentioned to our waiter that we thinking of trying something different and told him what we usually ate.

He said, “Why don’t you try it with a poached egg? When I eat it that’s the way I have it.”

That decided us. So once again we ordered, ‘House made corn bread with grilled bacon, fresh avocado and tomato salsa and sour cream’ and then we added, “With a poached egg”.

We smiled at each other “That’s different” we both said at once.

Why be adventurous when you know what you want?

House made corn bread etc with a poached egg.

This is an example of what we could have had if we had moved away from the ‘tried and loved’.

‘Beetroot and sunflower loaf topped with smashed roast pumpkin and ricotta and balsamic beetroot reduction’.

For something more spicy; ‘Middle Eastern Eggs: two poached eggs in a rich Napoli sauce with chickpeas, Dukka, and a mint coriander and green chilli salsa’

Anything with poached eggs would be good their poached eggs were cooked, perfectly.

Where:-
Hot Honey
40 Armstrong Street
Middle Park

Phone:-
9696 1900

Hours:-
7.30am to 5.00pm seven days a week.

Getting there:-
96 Tram – you get off at the Mart Cafe where the food is delicious and the atmosphere unique so drag yourself past that and cross Canterbury Road and head into Armstrong Street.

Find out more about Hot Honey from their web site.

Acland Street, St Kilda, buzzes when the rest of Melbourne is on holiday

Melbourne — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:50:17 +0000

Acland Street is a street alive with people and activity. When you’re in Acland Street the vibes are positive and you know that the world is still revolving. Acland Street is a street that brings you alive. That’s how I feel about Acland Street.

My first visit to Acland Street was about 10 years ago. I was a tourist and like so many tourists to Melbourne I made a pilgrimage to St Kilda. The day was perfect, the sea was calm, it was ideal for exploring Acland Street and eating a cake with coffee. The place was alive.

That was the time of the ‘Secret Life of Us’ on TV and St Kilda had an aura of excitement and expectation. It was a place where anything could happen. I still see it like that – alive to possibilities.

Acland Street has changed in those 10 years. I read articles where lovers of the area lament the changes but to me this is part of life – everything evolves.

However some things have stayed the same. The cake shops are still there as they have been for decades and I can’t see that the cakes themselves have changed – the same recipes. Hairroom the hair salon with the wonderful roof – top decoration where once I had my hair styled by a New Zealand hairdresser from Palmerston North has stayed. The book shop still hums but it is now Readings and not Cosmos.

This sculpture is on the roof of Hairroom

Remember to look up! This roof sculpture is opposite Hairroom.

What time does Acland Street wind down? I ‘m not sure but at some time the place quietens and in the early mornings it takes a while to wake up. This photo of the palm trees was taken on the Readings/ANZ corner at 8.ooam

By the mid morning the cafes are full. Some like Vibe and Big Mouth I remember from ten years ago. Others are new. The ice cream shops have multiplied ( and I see there is another about to open) Sheherazade has gone and so has La Porchetta. La Porchetta is a place I miss. The first Pizza I ate in Melbourne came from there. The Vineyard, after a number of battles with council, is still there.

During the quiet and peaceful time in the surrounding suburban street over the Christmas and the New Year break Acland Street has shown that world is still humming. I walked down there to check this out and the vibes can still make me think I am in the centre of the world and there is nowhere else to be.

Acland Street is worth visiting again and again – this is a place to feel alive and to feel that you are part of the pulsating world of action. It give us the chance to rejoice in being a city dweller. And it keeps on keeping on. If one business goes another takes its place – the street stays alive.

Getting there:-
Trams:- 16 and 96 and No. 3 in the weekends

The Beach Bar and Grill at The Stokehouse on St Kilda Beach is a feel good experience.

Melbourne — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:36:48 +0000

Mention the Stokehouse where I live and everyone has an opinion and something to say about it.

The entrance to the Stokehouse.

Its location has to be one of the best in Melbourne. The view from upstairs is spectacular as I discovered during a couple of office Christmas lunches. So good in fact that I wonder sometimes if it is worth asking a prospective employer where they have their Christmas party and grab the job if it is the Stokehouse.

However the view from the downstairs Beach Bar and Grill can be spectacular too. Here you can choose to be part of the beach action and sit outside on the edge of the boardwalk.

A view from the Beach Bar and Grill downstairs at the Sokehouse

A friend and I indulge ourselves at the Beach Bar and Grill a few times a year. It has become our favourite weekend lunch place.

Outside at the Stokehouse Beach Bar and Grill

Our recent visit coincided with a sudden cold snap. We planned to sit with our feet on the edge of the boardwalk, a chilled white in our hands and a beatific smile as we watched the passing parade. Instead we sat inside near the open fire. This was good, not as good, but good. If you angle your chair correctly you can see the cold choppy sea and the passersby bundled against the cold and at the same time get the heat from the fire.

If you go for lunch and want a special seat get there at noon when it opens. It fills up quickly. Of course there is no need to eat you can just call in for a drink but be warned The Bar is a popular spot.

I have found the food consistently good. The menu changes often and on this visit we missed the polenta chips which had proved a great hit last time we were there. However the steak sandwich, the special was good; the steak tasty and tender the aioli sauce delicious and the chips were crisp and golden. We washed this down with a carafe of Riesling. I like the size of their carafes.

A lunch special – Steak sandwich with aioli

The Beach Bar and Grill downstairs at the Stokehouse is a good place to check out the bayside ambiance. If you take the location and the pleasure of dining on the edge of the beach into consideration it is good value.

View from the Stokehouse to the St Kilda Pier

Lunch is my favourite time to go but if you go in the evening you can watch the sun set as you relax, eat and sip your wine.

Where:-
The Stokehouse
30 Jack Blvd
St Kilda
Phone 9525 555

Opening Hours:-
Beach Bar and Grill
Noon until late.
Food is served all day.

Getting there:-
Trams:,96,16,3 to Acland Street, then walk to the beach.
Car: There is a public car park opposite. It is pay and display.

St Kilda and Sunday with the Busking Festival at the Sea Baths

Melbourne — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:33:09 +0000

For the next few Sundays life in St Kilda and particularly on Acland Street is going to get more vibrant. St Kilda is in the middle of holding the Busking Festival. The actual location for the buskers is being shared by various street venues.
Fitzroy Street have had their turn and last Sunday, April 18, it was held at the Sea Baths, 18 Jacka Blvd.

That Sunday was the ideal day with the beach and the boardwalk in front of the Sea Baths crowded with people taking advantage of the warm autumn weather. The buskers also entertained patrons at the Beachcomber and Republica restaurants.

Next Sunday and for every Sunday until 23rd of May the buskers will jostle with the usual crowds for space in Acland Street as the street becomes a live stage.

If you are heading to St Kilda for the Esplanade Market or to indulge in the Acland Street cakes remember the festival. The buskers are entertaining from 1.00pm to 4.00pm.

There is a very good human statue, too I found the statue outside Luna Park on Lower Esplanade. As he is a ‘statue’ he may be fixed in that spot and not move with the timetable.

Getting there:-
Trams 16, 3A, and 96 ( the light rail) to the corner of Acland and Carlisle Street

Where:-
Acland Street, St Kilda: 25th April, 2nd May, 9th May, 16th May, 23rd May.

Finding out more:-
www.stkildabuskingfestival.com.au/

The Esplanade Market, St Kilda is worth a visit

Melbourne — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:00:33 +0000

Summertime in Melbourne is market time and markets spring up all over the place – Pre-Christmas I had great success with some Christmas presents at a market set up in the Elwood School grounds.

This flurry of summer markets led me to forget the markets that just keep-on-keeping-on.

The Esplanade Market in St Kilda has been keeping on since 1970. And some of the stall holders have been there for most of that time.

The market runs from Luna Park along The Esplanade to Fitzroy Street. On my first trip to Melbourne, some years ago, I explored it with a family member and was fascinated. I still have a pair of ear rings I bought on that visit.

This time these brooches caught my eye.

The Market advertises itself as a “Makers’ Market Place”. That is the stall holders must be directly involved in the production of the items they are selling. This makes for an interesting mix.

There is Jena Bedson’s pottery that she describes as ‘comic art’.

Much of the merchandise is familiar to me, in that some of the stalls have been there for years. Obviously the ones that stay the distance are quality and offer something the customers want. Calypsoflash who sell pewter jewelery tell me they have been there for 38 years. They now have their own website to display their creative pieces.

These architectural cards are stylish and beautiful.

There is a huge tourist-browsing population and many stall holders cater for them. For example Matt Irwin’s photographs are there and have been since my first visit in the 1990’s. Then I sent my mother a post card depicting a striking black and white photo of one of Melbourne’s trams. She still has it and they are still on sale.

These magnets were doing good business – I bought 3 for $10.00. They were delighting children who were spending $3.50 to go home with something cute and useful. The stall holder creates the whole magnet from the painted design to the finished article.

The market is vibrant and most of the stall holders friendly. They will talk about their crafts and discuss in detail how they make the items. If you are a craft person you can find inspiration – a sort of “Wow, I could do that!” But many crafts are time-consuming and for these people making and selling their wares a way of life.

Getting there:-

Trams 16, 3A and 79 to stop 31

Tram 96 to stop 138

Times:-

Sundays ( all year round) 10.00am to 5.00pm.

St Kilda Beach Night Market – Thursdays

Melbourne — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:22:50 +0000

The St Kilda Beach Night Market has become an annual event on the St Kilda calendar.

I love night markets. The first one I explored was in Yogyakarta in Indonesia. There was magic in the air with the music and colours but I felt uneasy being in such a crowded place with so many dark corners. That evening was fun with fascinating things to buy and no harm came to us. The memory of the light–filled night and all the buzz has given me a strange nostalgia for outdoor evening markets so I turn up every year at the St Kilda Beach Night Market.

It is held in O’Donnell Gardens where a shady corner is not threatening – it is part of the evening ambiance. Of course with summer and daylight saving it is a long time before it is dark and there are any shadows to create murky corners.
The Market starts at 5.10pm. Last Thursday the first one for the year and stalls opened on time and the cooks fired up the food.

The market is held on Thursdays and last Thursday was rather grey and overcast with rain later. The market prides itself on opening rain or fine. It was just bad luck that last Thursday brought some rain. If you planned to go and it looks like rain – still go everyone else will be there.

Woxwaste shows ingenious ways to use waste – the waste paper baskets are wonderful. There is something rather satisfying about putting our rubbish in a container made from rubbish.

It’s an eclectic market that shows off the St Kilda area and Melbourne’s diversity of cultures This mixture makes for a friendly warm and comfortable browse, and nosh. There is music too.

The food is interesting and unpretentious the stalls fascinating and the crowd interesting. Remember the music.

I will be back this Thursday to try the Argentinean barbecue.

Getting there:-

Trams 16 and 79 to stop 31

Tram 96 to stop 138

Times-:

From 5.10pm

December – 17th, 21st, and 28th

January – 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

February – 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th

Cafe Racer, St Kilda Beach

Melbourne — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:28:55 +0000

Weekend biking around the Eastern Bays is a Melbourne tradition. On Saturday and Sunday mornings hordes of bikers, in the very best lycra and helmets, form packs and peddle furiously along Beach Road to Marine Parade in St Kilda and then on to Port Melbourne.

Those of us who drive have to keep a keen eye for them. One of my nightmares is that I will park and open my car door into a bunch of cyclists. And the cyclists may well have nightmares of somebody doing just that and knocking them under a passing vehicle.

For the lycra clad the place to stop for a breather is Café Racer, 15 Marine Parade, St Kilda. In the weekend Café Racer is all about bikes, cycling and breakfasts. If you ever wanted to learn what cycling is about pop along for a chat. The place is heaving with people to talk to. Perhaps you should wear lycra, too.

Café Racer is also open during the week when it presents another face to the world. The clientele is different. There are few bikers, more locals, beach walkers and people who sit for hours with their laptops. My favourite place to sit is on the bench looking through the window, across Marine Parade and out to the sea while I read the morning papers. They have the best selection of papers and magazines – lovely glossies like Vogue and Gourmet.

There is Black Board menu that leans toward organic and free range. The food is interesting and good. Their bacon and egg rolls are the best I have had. Lightly toasted, they are slightly crisp on top with a soft bread roll. $6.50. The eggs are soft-cooked and for those of us who are used to chomping through a firm piece of yellow it comes as a delicious shock. If you order one just watch the yoke doesn’t dribble down your chin. You are given a knife and fork to make eating easy. They also have muffins etc from Phillippas . I am not a fan of Phillips cakes and muffins so I am never tempted with my morning coffee.

The coffee is the best. Better than any of the coffee I’ve had along the beach front.

Café Racer is open from 6.30am to 6,00pm seven days a week, 15 Marine Parade St Kilda.
It’s an easy walk from Acland Street. Just wander down to the beach and it is a couple of blocks towards Elwood.

Trams to St Kilda the number 96 to the end of Acland Street or the 16 that takes you to the corner of Acland and Carlisle Streets