Footscray
vic 3011

This western suburb has been the inner-city-hood-that-could for years, its hip status constantly overstated. Now, however, Footscray is a fully formed magnet for cool that celebrates its multicultural roots. Its once-empty shopfronts are now filled with Afghan kebab shops and Ethiopian eateries such as Konjo Cafe, and there's the famous Footscray Markets where you can shop for top-quality Asian and African produce from Tuesday to Saturday.

The streets of Footscray are alive and buzzing, whether you are catching a concert in the car park of Castello's Powell Hotel for the launch of burger joint Burger Love or catching a spontaneous hip-hop performance on the lawns of the Footscray Community Arts Centre with food and drinks from its Happy River Cafe. The arts centre grounds are also home to the annual summer Laneway Festival.

Around the corner is Back Alley Sally's, a bar by Laneway founder Jerome Borazio. Sally's is an eclectic warehouse space with metal-trimmed booths, lamps made from stools and tins, and a Slice Girls West pizza joint underneath it for when you get hungry. Still peckish? You should also try the original 8Bit, video-inspired burger bar for an After Burner with chilli sauce, jalapenos and mustard. Or mix booze with sugar at the popular dessert bar, Bad Love Club.

Sources / references: Traveller