Life in the Fab Lanes

Once home to humble workers’ cottages, Melbourne’s elaborate network of quaint laneways is now a treasure trove of bustling bars, boutiques, cafes and galleries. Arwen Summers and a trio of experts serve up a list of essential stops on any tour

Visitors to Melbourne happily flock to the bright lights and beautiful shops of Crown Casino and the Docklands with good reason. But away from the water, in the centre of town are the quaint laneways that make Melbourne a place to explore on a microcosmic level.

These modest alleys first appeared as Melbourne’s settlers subdivided the blocks created in the grand grid division of the city in 1837. As Melbourne grew in the mid-19th century, the lanes were home to tiny workers’ cottages and rowdy pubs.

The city residents gradually disappeared as the suburbs lured people away from the centre of town. But since the 1990s, the trend has been reversed. Now the people are back in the city – living in loft apartments, working in tiny studios, enjoying a meal in laneway cafes and having a drink in hidden bars where history jostles for space with a potent mix of creativity, cocktails, art, fashion and liberal doses of energy-kicking espresso.

While many laneways aren’t much to look at, don’t let appearances fool you – take a stroll down a few of the unassuming lanes to find some of Melbourne’s most unexpected delights.

But every good explorer needs a map, so here are some top spots to start you off among the boutiques, bars, cafes and galleries strewn throughout the area. Keep your eyes open along the way and you’ll no doubt add to this list of must-see laneway destinations.

1 Below the thundering tracks of Flinders Street station is the Campbell Arcade, where a collection of distinctive shops nestles amongst the period features and salmon-pink tiles. Here you’ll find the Cat’s Meow, a tiny boutique stocking womenswear and accessories by local designers.

“Everything’s a little bit quirky, but not so out-there that you wouldn’t wear it,” says co-owner Kylie Golsby-Smith. “We use a lot of natural fibres – wool, linen, cotton, which is a big drawing card for our customers.”

This is the place to pick up some idiosyncratically Melbourne fashions that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

Shop 9, Campbell Arcade, Degraves Street Subway, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9654 3011

2 While every second bar in Melbourne describes itself as “relaxed and full of design types”, Hell’s Kitchen actually is. Located in Centre Place, one of the archetypal Melbourne laneways, Hell’s is a long-time favourite with designers, students and artists, giving it a nicely eccentric vibe. The tables to nab at Hell’s are those by the floor-to-ceiling windows, where you can keep an eye on all the action going on below.

Tuck into a toasted pide or ciabatta for AUD9.50 (SGD12) during the day or let the afternoon slide into the evening with a Hell’s Bells at AUD14 (SGD18), a combination of house-infused chilli vodka, Chambord and a squeeze of fresh orange. 20 Centre Place, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9654 5755

3 An art ambush might be the right term to describe the Citylights Projects. There you are, strolling down a laneway, when you suddenly find yourself up close and personal with colour and light, graffiti and stencil art.

Wall-mounted lightboxes in Hosier Lane and Centre Place present art to more than 200,000 people a week, and the public nature of the exhibitions has encouraged masses of street artists to add their own works to the mix. Graffiti and street art by both local and international artists now cover the walls of these laneways, creating a giant outdoor gallery. For those who prefer the white walls of a more traditional art space, Citylights also runs Until Never Gallery. Until Never Gallery, 2nd floor, 3-5 Hosier Lane, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9663 0442, Citylights Hosier Lane and Centre Place

4 Stepping into Claude Maus is a little like stepping into an art installation – you’re not looking at clothes in a store, you’re suddenly part of a larger design aesthetic.

Ostensibly a clothing store for men and women, this heritage-listed space has been transformed into a gallery of chic, with terrifyingly beautiful interior design and clothes that the young and hip seem to pull off with ease.

Huge wall hangings evoke ship rigging and life on the ocean, while Frank Stella-inspired minimalist lines on another wall suggest an African safari. Friendly staff will help you put together a polished outfit in suitably muted tones. 19 Manchester Lane. Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9654 9844

5 The original is the best, or so they say, and Segovia was the pioneering cafe in the wild west of Block Place, a narrow alley now teeming with idling shoppers sipping lattes. Although the lustre has faded somewhat from its brass fittings, Segovia is still one of Melbourne’s best people-watching places – and the coffee’s decent too.

Cram yourself into one of the tiny laneway tables and watch all of Melbourne stroll past, or grab a more spacious booth inside and try one of the pizzas on offer (AUD16, SGD21) to quell those shopping-induced hunger pangs. Don’t forget to check out Block Arcade as well, which is attached to Block Place. 33 Block Place, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9650 2373

6 Hear Now is a music store with a difference. No downloading kiosks, no slash-down CD stock – this is all about vinyl, baby. Such a love for wax means Hear Now stocks not only new records, but also an extensive range of secondhand vinyl.

As for the selection, it runs the whole gamut of electronic styles – from nu-rave to old rave, minimal to maximal, cosmic disco, retro pop, hip hop, drum and bass, reggae and more. The boys will also sort you out for DJ equipment, T-shirts from independent designers, hard-to-find DVDs and will probably happily point you in the direction of their excellent podcast, where you can hear guest mixes from the likes of Optimo and The Juan Maclean. 2 Somerset Place, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9642 5744, www.hearnow.net.au

7 A cursory glance down Rankins Lane may not reveal much, but head down this seemingly unremarkable alley and you’ll find McCulloch Gallery, an open space filled with a huge range of works, from emerging Australian artists to street art via mixed media and more.

“I wanted a place that was affordable and in the heart of the CBD”, says gallery director Alex McCulloch. “I think that’s why so many young businesses choose laneways to work from, which has led to an exciting laneway culture in Melbourne.”

September will see the opening of Collectors’ Choice 3 at the gallery, an exhibition featuring works by some of Australia’s most famous artists (including the controversial Bill Henson). 8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9670 7850

8 Like a life-saving lighthouse guiding storm-tossed sailors to their salvation, the glowing Coopers beer sign outside Sister Bella is a beacon for thirsty travellers in darkly dank Sniders Lane. Venture up the narrow stairs to the cosy charms of this café-cum-bar: one part pokey op-shop, one part shabby share house and two parts laneway cool.

The clientele is mixed in age and occupation, and thankfully the collective taste for skinny jeans seems to be less pronounced here than it is in other hipster hangouts nearby.

Beer is plentiful, as is the range of other beverages. With AUD7 (SGD9) pizzas on offer night and day, all Sister Bella would have to do is provide a few beds and some would never leave. Sniders Lane (off Drewery Lane), Melbourne

9 Channel a little bit of faded glamour at De Mille Decorative Arts – a shrine to Art-Deco chic and a testament to owner Daryl Mills’ dedication to 20th-century collectibles. Mills has spent 35 years amassing a formidable collection of desirable objects, from vintage luggage to jewellery, furniture, crockery, fashion and a range of difficult-to-classify bibelots, like vintage cosmetics containers.

“The secret of my success is being really selective. I only go for top quality condition and design,” says Mills. The tiny shop is so full of objects that it’s reminiscent of Where’s Wally – you may spend hours searching for that elusive striped sweater, or more appropriately, that silk-lined pair of vintage gloves. 7 Crossley Street, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9663 9666

10 With tongue firmly in cheek, Double Happiness is doing the “Reds” proud behind a nondescript shopfront in a Melbourne lane. This petite bar is adorned with Chinese Communist propaganda posters to get you in the mood for the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (AUD15/ SGD20) or The Great Leap Forward (AUD14/SGD18).

Comrades drink to the health of Chairman Mao by an open fire in winter, and the name Double Happiness is a nod to the Chinese character for happiness, doubled, which is often seen on posters in homes and shops. With such a promising name, you’re almost sure to leave more cheerful than when you arrived (nothing to do with the drinks, of course). 21 Liverpool Street, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9650 4488

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN MELBOURNE’S LANEWAYS?

James Cameron, menswear co-designer, with brother Scottie, of the James Cameron label “Jungle Juice in Centre Place tops my list, because you can always get a good bagel there – the bagels and the chili con carne with corn chips are why you simply have to go.” James Cameron, Level 1, 18 Oliver Lane, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9662 2506
Jeremy Jankie, manager of Bennetts Lane jazz club “I like Basement Discs in Block Place. It’s got the best selection of independent and jazz records you’ll find anywhere in Melbourne, and if they don’t have it, they’ll get it for you.” Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, 25 Bennetts Lane, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9663 2856
Teage Ezard, executive chef of ezard and Gingerboy restaurants “I like Golden Monkey in Hardware Lane. I love the feel of the place and their fantastic cocktails – they’ve got one called the Flaming Golden Monkey which is great.” ezard, 187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, tel +61 (0)3 9639 6811 Gingerboy, 27-29 Crossley Street, tel +61 (0)3 9662 4200