Fitzroy is Melbourne’s oldest gazetted suburb, sitting immediately north of the CBD across Alexandra Parade. Once a working-class and immigrant neighbourhood, it evolved through the 1980s and 1990s into the city’s creative and countercultural heartland, anchored by two distinct main streets and a dense grid of bluestone laneways and Victorian terraces.
What is Fitzroy known for?
Fitzroy is known for its concentration of independent bars, restaurants, and galleries along Brunswick Street and Smith Street, its intact Victorian and Edwardian terrace-house streetscapes, and a long history as Melbourne’s bohemian and activist hub that continues to attract artists, designers, and musicians. The suburb contains one of the highest densities of street art in Australia, particularly along Johnston Street and the surrounding laneways, and hosts the long-running Rose Street Artists’ Market every weekend.
Best things to do in Fitzroy
The single best use of a day in Fitzroy is to walk the full length of Brunswick Street from Alexandra Parade to Gertrude Street, diverting into side streets to find street murals, vintage stores, and independent bookshops before crossing to Smith Street for the evening bar and live-music circuit.
- Browse the Rose Street Artists’ Market (Saturday and Sunday, 11am–5pm) for locally made jewellery, ceramics, and prints
- Explore the street-art corridor along Johnston Street and Fitzroy’s surrounding laneways
- Visit the Fitzroy Swimming Pool on Alexandra Parade, an Art Deco outdoor pool open in summer
- Shop independent record stores, bookshops, and vintage clothing along Brunswick Street
- Catch live music at the Tote Hotel on Johnston Street, a Melbourne punk and indie institution
Where to eat and drink in Fitzroy
Fitzroy’s dining scene centres on Brunswick Street and Smith Street, offering everything from Vietnamese pho and Ethiopian injera on Johnston Street to modern Australian small-plates restaurants and some of Melbourne’s most lauded specialty coffee roasters. The neighbourhood’s bar density on Smith Street makes it one of the city’s primary evening destinations.
- Breakfast and specialty coffee at Aunty Peg’s roastery cafe on Smith Street
- Wood-fired pizza and natural wine at Ladro on Gertrude Street
- Ethiopian cuisine along Johnston Street’s East African restaurant strip
- Craft beer and live music at the Standard Hotel on Fitzroy Street precincts
- Pub meals and pool tables at the Napier Hotel on Napier Street, a neighbourhood staple since 1865
Where to walk in Fitzroy
The most rewarding walk in Fitzroy runs from the Edinburgh Gardens on Brunswick Street North, south through the main retail strip of Brunswick Street, then east along Gertrude Street to Smith Street, looping back through Johnston Street past street-art walls and the Tote Hotel, covering roughly 3–4 km on flat terrain.
- Edinburgh Gardens: large open park with a rotunda, popular weekend picnic ground
- Gertrude Street: boutique designers, galleries, and cafes in a quieter streetscape
- Fitzroy’s bluestone laneways behind Brunswick Street for back-street murals
How to get to Fitzroy
Fitzroy has no train station but is served directly by multiple tram routes from the Melbourne CBD, with Route 11 (West Preston) running the full length of Brunswick Street and Route 86 (Bundoora) running along Smith Street and Gertrude Street, making the suburb roughly 10–15 minutes from Flinders Street Station by tram.
- Tram Route 11: Collins Street CBD to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
- Tram Route 86: Bourke Street CBD via Gertrude Street and Smith Street
- Tram Route 96: Melbourne CBD via Nicholson Street, Fitzroy
- Cycling via the Capital City Trail along Alexandra Parade
Best time to visit Fitzroy
Fitzroy’s street life peaks on weekends from October through April when the Rose Street Artists’ Market, Edinburgh Gardens picnics, and outdoor dining are all operating at full capacity, though the suburb’s cafe culture and bar scene make it a compelling destination year-round regardless of Melbourne’s variable weather.
