editorial

After a few years in the doldrums, this eclectic Melbourne suburb is once again reaching hip heights.
<figure id="attachment_139696" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-139696" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-139696 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Fitzroy-2.jpg" alt="The StandardX hotel’s entrance; Toddy Shop co-owners Michael Mabuti and Mischa Tropp." width="1200" height="800" srcset="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Fitzroy-2.jpg 1200w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Fitzroy-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Fitzroy-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Fitzroy-2-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-139696" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: The StandardX hotel’s entrance; Toddy Shop co-owners Michael Mabuti and Mischa Tropp. (Photos: Courtesy of The StandardX Melbourne; Hayden Dibb)</figcaption></figure>
Not long ago, Brunswick Street was struggling. A wave of rising rents followed by Melbourne’s long pandemic-induced lockdown saw a growing number of storefronts displaying FOR LEASE signs. But on my recent visit, the graffitied main drag through inner-city Fitzroy was buzzing again, with lunchtime crowds ducking into <a href="https://marioscafe.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marios Café</a> for plates of spaghetti carbonara or lining up outside <a href="https://www.nicos.melbourne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nico’s Sandwich Deli</a> for truffle mushroom melts. Nearby, the paint was drying on the <a href="https://www.puntersclubfitzroy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punters Club</a>, a legendary live music venue from the late ’80s to the early aughties that has been resuscitated by a trio of new owners, including Jet bassist Mark Wilson. Clearly, the winds of change are blowing — and it has a lot to do with a single launch.
Around the corner on Rose Street, <a href="https://www.standardx.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The StandardX Melbourne</a> (from US$150 a night) debuted in August. It’s a world-first for this stylish yet affordable spin-off of the original Standard Hotels, established by André Balazs in 1999. As the brand guff likes to spout, “StandardX boldly selects locations thrumming with cultural pulses to welcome guests into the creative energy of experimental art, music and fashion scenes.”
It certainly came to the right place in Melbourne. Although many of the original residents who made Fitzroy what it was — artistic, bohemian, kind of scruffy — have been priced out of the market, the suburb retains an edgy charm. That’s reflected in the hotel’s interior design by Hecker Guthrie, which is somehow both restrained and spirited. Neutral tones are offset by lush clusters of greenery. Polished surfaces are softened by draped linen and artist Sarah Smalltown’s oversize macramé. The 125 rooms are sleek and understated, with windows that open for watching the neighborhood’s comings and goings.
<figure id="attachment_139697" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-139697" style="width: 1202px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-139697 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Fitzroy-1.jpg" alt="Red and white anchovies at Carnation Canteen; Justin Dingle-Garciyya at BANG, The StandardX’s all-day restaurant. " width="1202" height="800" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-139697" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Red and white anchovies at Carnation Canteen; Justin Dingle-Garciyya at BANG, The StandardX’s all-day restaurant. (Photos: Courtesy of Carnation Canteen; courtesy of The StandardX Melbourne)</figcaption></figure>
Word is that between The StandardX’s arrival and the imminent opening of an architect-designed showroom for the luxury appliance maker Fisher &amp; Paykel, the outlook for local businesses is buoyant. This bodes well for StandardX guests, who never need leave the area. Retailers along Fitzroy’s four principal streets — Brunswick, Gertrude, Johnston and Smith — sell just about everything, from antique furniture to avant-garde fragrances. Bars and restaurants number in the dozens. Gertrude Street is home to an eclectic selection of Australian designers. New is the flagship store for Melbourne label <a href="https://friendswithfrank.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friends With Frank</a>  — think timeless, casual designs — and <a href="https://nz.kowtowclothing.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kowtow</a>, the first overseas outlet for the ethical womenswear brand from New Zealand.
“Fitzroy is so vibrant, it’s perfect for our new home in Australia,” Kowtow founder Gosia Piatek told me. “I like how Gertrude Street is interwoven with eateries, bars, design shops, galleries, and clothing boutiques. Anything goes — the style is personal and things are not cookie-cutter.
Duck into George Street and you’ll discover <a href="https://hausofdizzy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dizzyland</a>, the first bricks-and-mortar store for Kristy Dickinson’s statement-making costume jewelry line, Haus of Dizzy. A few blocks north on Johnston Street is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shop.gal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shop Gal</a>, where Tara Whalley displays her own brightly printed wares and those of other small Australian makers.
In the back streets, petite wine bar <a href="http://carnationcanteen.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carnation Canteen</a>, opened by architect-turned-chef Audrey Shaw, has fast become a favorite for aperitivo. A short stroll away, home-style Keralan food is dished out in cozy surrounds at <a href="https://www.marthandenhotel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toddy Shop</a>. As I worked my way through a tangy coconut prawn curry, chef and co-owner Mischa Tropp confirmed what others are saying about Fitzroy: “It’s definitely started to pick up. The vibe is back!”
<figure id="attachment_139698" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-139698" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-139698 size-full" src="https://staging.destinasian.com/wp-content/uploads/Fitzroy-3.jpg" alt="Tara Whalley at her store Shop Gal; inside Kowtow." width="1200" height="800" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-139698" class="wp-caption-text">Left to right: Tara Whalley at her store Shop Gal; inside Kowtow. (Photos: Courtesy of Shop Gal; Rory Gardiner)</figcaption></figure>
This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://subscription.destinasian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">October/November 2024</a> print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“A Fresh Look at Fitzroy”).

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