M is for Melbourne, A is for Australia

I'm just a not so typical Philly girl.

I decided on my very first international adventure by picking the program furthest from my home. On July 24, I embarked on a 30+ hour flight to Melbourne, Victoria Australia. With a major in Design and Merchandising and a minor in Photography, a lot of people asked me why. Why not go to London? Or Paris? Or somewhere "fashion-y" ?(someone actually said this-no lie)

My answer to all of you curious people is:

Why should I?

Anyway, I'm Jazmine, and I'll be sharing my journey here in Australia with you!

I am currently half way through my exchange program at Swinburne University, and it's even more than I could have asked for.

Sydney is the popular city of choice for most people traveling to Australia but I must say Melbourne is really where the fun stuff happens. This first post will be dedicated to the art inspiration in this beautiful city.

Street Art has a special place in my heart (and it was my theme for one of my projects in Jan's class-- all you D&M students know which class I'm talking about). Melbourne is like a giant Webster's dictionary in the sense that you can find every type of street art under the sun here. IT'S AMAZING! These are the places that I've visited so far with the best street art. While I have bazillions of photos of Melbourne street art, I'll only post my absolute favorites (which is hard because I have so many *sigh*).

Hosier Lane

Hosier Lane is the most well known street art laneway in the Central Business District. It's location is minutes away from Flinders Street Station and it's street art is vibrant and powerful. This laneway is commissioned by the City of Melbourne and gives official permission to create to street artists. On most days, a trip to Hosier Lane will include new pieces, live installations, and tasty coffee(there's a teeny-tiny coffee shop hidden in there). You will most likely never see the same piece twice(that's a good thing, I promise), as new artists come and paint over existing work.

Union Lane

Union Lane is a small laneway squeezed on to the iconic Bourke Street(known for its out of this world shopping) between Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street. It's easy to miss if you aren't paying attention, but if you catch it, you won't be disappointed.

St. Kilda

St Kilda is a neighborhood filled with culture in Melbourne. No pre-planned trips to St. Kilda are needed because it is so easy to stumble upon something to do. Wonderful food, music, a beautiful beach, and detailed street art decorate the streets of St Kilda. 

Ringwood

Ringwood is the eastern suburb of Melbourne where I am living with my host family. It's a hot spot of the eastern suburbs as it is home to the Ringwood train station, Eastland Shopping Center (currently undergoing an urban renewal project), and you guessed it, colorful street art!

Glenferrie

I was lucky enough to find some street art displayed around my campus. Glenferrie is home to cafes(the coffee has stolen my heart), Melbourne based designers, and yummy cheap eats! These are the only things uni-students need!

As you can see it's pretty hard not to be inspired by all these beautiful pieces of work! I'll be posting weekly street art as inspiration for all of us. Hope you guys enjoy.

-JF