The Melbourne Laneway history dates to 1837 when the master plan for the city was laid out by the state of Victoria. As the construction of buildings progressed the laneways between the new buildings were used as delivery entrances and as space for the collection of rubbish and debris. These laneways were not visible to the public.
With time, these buildings were repurposed and remodelled to meet the needs of modernization and the hidden laneways which no longer served any purpose as entryways were given a complete once-over and new life by a team of architects working closely with the officials of the State of Victoria.
These new laneways come in different sizes, some long, some not so long while the narrowest one, Corrs Lane is only wide enough for a single person. This innovative use of space has brought about an enormous change and a lot of opportunities for the communities through various forms of artistic expression, such as street art, open-air galleries etc. while offering its visitors a quintessential experience of learning about the culture, art, and aesthetics of the state.
It is no wonder that visitors from Melbourne hotels feel that their visit to the city is incomplete without doing a visit to these unique laneways.
Table of Contents
Meyers Place
Admire the various murals as you enter Meyers Place. This lane is considered the place where laneway nightlife blossomed with the opening of Meyers Place bar in the early part of the 1990s. This pioneering legacy thrives down this laneway with rooftop bars such as Loop Roof, an oasis to relax in the evenings against a breathtaking view of the Melbourne Skyline. Loop Roof specializes in cocktails and these bars complement the restaurants around which offer an array of food to titillate your taste buds.
Blender Lane
Named after Blender Studios which had been moved since then this laneway features some of the best Street Art in Melbourne which includes the work of undergraduate artists in the city. Apart from street murals that draw the attention of all crossing this lane, there are handicraft shops and a trendy Art Gallery called Dark Horse Experiment worth visiting. Wednesday evenings are the market nights with jewellery, artwork and fashion pieces sold to the soulful rhythm of live music making guests from hotels such as Pan Pacific Melbourne linger on to enjoy the revelry here.
Block Arcade
A visit to this laneway is a must-see to experience this old but regal arcade dating back to 1892 with its glass canopy, attractive mosaic floor and overall finish inspired by Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. A fine example of Victorian architecture that retains its elite status.
Walk through this dazzling arcade to witness an array of retail shops almost 30 of them on two levels with a colourful range of clothing, confectionery, bespoke tailoring, dealers in art, cafes, bakeries, boutiques etc. giving visitors many hours of pleasure.
Tattersalls Lane
As one of the historic laneways in Melbourne Tattersalls has been a silent witness to the rich history of the city from the early days of Chinese Immigration. It connects the Central Business District (CBD) to Chinatown. The famous Shanghai Dumpling House, one of the pioneering dumpling restaurants in Melbourne still exists doing good business along with various other budget-friendly eating places including Indian Restaurants and exciting bars selling unique craft cocktails and delicious hot dogs.
Hardware Lane
An excellent laneway to savour good food and nightlife, Hardware Lane is also one of the longest laneways in the city. No visitor will be disappointed here as it caters to popular international palates with beer and wine in plenty. The alfresco dining is informal and thoroughly enjoyed by locals and visitors.
Hardware Lane is excellent for groups of friends and families to enjoy good food and drink and linger over the sweet delights listening to live jazz music.
Hosier Lane
The most visited and celebrated laneway for Street Art, this cobbled length of laneway is thronged by locals and visitors admiring the vibrant visual feast in the form of murals, delightful stencil work and colourful graffiti. And the expressions of art here keep evolving with many art lovers visiting the laneway often to check out new pieces of work.
Remember to go armed with your camera to capture the colourful canvases of different works of art and capture some instagrammable selfies to share with your wanderlust friends.
Centre Place
A delightful laneway packed with hidden treasures; Centre Place offers a feel of Europe in the heart of Melbourne. Lined with micro boutiques, cafes, jewellery stalls and plenty of fascinating street art you see plenty of visitors spending many hours sipping coffee or cocktails or enjoying a mouthwatering snack in between appreciating the artistic creations and enjoying the ambience of the laneway.
Duckboard Place
This is another laneway loaded with street art though not so densely filled as the work at Hosier Lane and is a hub for local upcoming artists to showcase their work. Therefore, work of different styles and thought-provoking expressions can be seen here some of which are artistic gems.
In addition to art, Duckboard Place is home to a fine array of dining options with Chinese, Indian and Danish restaurants turning out food for hungry art lovers.
Degraves Street
One of the first few laneways of Melbourne, Degraves Street is a vibrant pedestrian walkway connecting the fashion precinct of Melbourne with Flinders Street station. This makes it a hub for socializing, dining, meeting people and people-watching.
Many visitors to Melbourne love the energy and excitement at this bustling street making them browse the intriguing shops and pick a few Knick knacks after spending a few fascinating hours here.
[…] feature most visitors can indulge in Singapore and do often as there are well-paved pedestrian walkways, and plenty of greenery to appreciate and finding your way is not difficult. This indulgence is […]