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Southbank Sights

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Heather F
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Southbank

  • November 27, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by LenR from Townsville, Australia
Southbank

This is a great area to visit for food, drinks, entertainment and shopping and also a great area to stay in as it is close to the Melbourne downtown business district and to many of the best attractions of the city. In fact, to me, this has become one of Melbourne’s attractions because I am amazed how this has changed from a run-down industrial area to a smart up-market hub.

Formerly an old industrial and warehouse area and part of South Melbourne, Southbank was transformed into a densely populated suburb of high rise buildings beginning in the early 1990s as part of an urban renewal program. The central feature of what is now Southbank is the Southgate Arts and Lesuire Precinct, a retail, eating, and entertainment precinct on the southern bank of the Yarra River.

Southbank is much, much more, however. It is also home to the arts precinct, which includes the Victorian Arts Centre at the eastern end, an entertainment precinct which includes Crown Casino and an office precinct and a hi-density residential precinct which includes some skyscrapers, the tallest of which is the Eureka Tower. All of these areas are worth seeing.

The Southgate Arts & Leisure Precenct, is now Melbourne's main entertainment precinct and it also has upmarket shops and restaurants, trendy cafes, food courts and five-star and four star hotels. I stayed here at the Travelodge Southbank and found it an ideal location for everything I wanted to do. Close by is the spectacular Arts Centre and its modern theatres, as well as the Hamer Hall, a venue for orchestral and other concerts. At Southgate, a huge emphasis is placed on outdoor eating and sidewalk entertainment.

Don’t miss a visit to the Crown Casino complex. This has probably the largest and most dazzling gaming facilities in the Southern Hemisphere. The main gaming floor of the Casino stretches for more than half a kilometer.

The Casino also boasts the largest sports screens in the Southern Hemisphere and more than 40 restaurants, cafes and bars You can catch the latest live shows at The Palms at Crown, a hot new band at "LIVE" or just sit back and enjoy a great selection of free live entertainment at a number of venues.

Southbank stretches along the southern bank of the Yarra River opposite the center of Melbourne. It starts the moment you cross Princes Bridge, and walk down the steps to the river. One of the reasons for the areas success is that it has used the Yarra River as a central feature. The Southbank art and craft market occurs on the promenade every Sunday. The promenade is also home to several buskers and pavement chalk artists.

You can catch a steamboat opposite the Southgate complex for a trip up the Yarra River. This is a very relaxing and interesting 45 minutes or so and it showcases the city’s famous gardens as well as the Australian tennis center and world-renowned Melbourne Cricket Ground.

From journal Marvellous Melbourne

Southbank

  • October 28, 2001
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Heather F from Heywood, Australia
Southbank

Home to the casino, lots of trendy cafes and restaurants and adjoining the Yarra River, Southbank is a great place to sit and watch the world go by. Watch the rowers and cruise boats on the Yarra. Watch the buskers and performers on the promenade.

If you can afford it try a coffee in one of the many cafes.

From journal Melbourne For Free

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