On our second day in Melbourne we participated in the city greeter program and quickly learned about the layout of the city and the surrounding districts or neighbourhoods. Our greeter, humorously mentioned, that Melbourne could have been named Batmania or something akin, after one of the first European settlers to the Yarra River. Hmmm. The lure of a city called Batmania might have deterred our visit.
Bohemian Chic IPNO Lux Apartments are located in Collingwood. By catching tram 86 from just outside Southern Cross Station (where the Sky buses arrive from the airport) a new visitor can arrive at a Smith Street stop (that is, Smith and Peel) in approximately 20 minutes. The apartment we stayed in for six days was located just below Smith Street on the corner of Oxford and Stanley. The immediate neighbourhood is quite attractive with long red brick buildings with a great coffee shop on the opposite corner. Smith Street, itself, is an odd mixture of new and old. There are a few nice restaurants, but a number of shops are old and dilapidated. We tended to walk about 300 metres to a parallel street (Brunswick) and through a fun neighbourhood where the shops and restaurants were more chic and plentiful.
The apartment is exactly as indicated on the AirBnb website: modern, open, and very tastefully decorated. Huge windows look onto Oxford Street. The kitchen was well-appointed. The bedrooms were equipped with extremely comfortable king-sized beds. In terms of noise the apartment was fine. However, the bedrooms are backed onto a walkway/hallway and you can hear people going up and down the stairs. For a very light sleeper, who goes to bed early, this might disturb you. Nonetheless, the window of noise was narrow and we had good sleeps.
Krina, the owner or manager, is very helpful. She texted me a couple times, checking on our stay. She also has a small desk with maps. Wifi is strong, the television has a good range of channels.
All in all, it’s a great apartment. Given the prices of two-bedroom hotels in the city, this is an economical choice. Given the luxury of the apartment it’s also an upscale choice. It is a short tram ride to the Central Business District (CBD). I would recommend this place!