It was a real pleasure to stay at Julie's place. The apartment is clean and comfortable, and has been updated with quality fittings and furnishings.
You have everything there to feel at home. The bath gels and body lotion were a nice plus. A quick dip in the pool on a hot afternoon went down well too. The building is charming too, much more fun than an apartment within a modern high rise... it's quirky and arty and it feels like an authentic Melbourne experience.
The AREA of East melbourne is a real treat. You are surrounded by theatres and restaurants and bars and cafes. (If you like meat, we recommend the Argentinian bbq place around the corner in the alley! China town is just down the street so we had awesome handmade dumplings too. We also enjoyed a complimentary full breakfast and coffees at the Petit Bourke located in the bulding)
Another plus to this area is that you're within the free tram zone, so getting around the CBD is great fun and easy (a visit to the Queen vic markets a quick tram ride, and don't forget to wonder down all the little alleys in the CBD for art and hidden places to eat) From the apartment other suburbs and sights are reachable by foot or tram - We walked to Fitzroy from the apartment, it takes about 20 minutes. We visited st Kilda and then Southbank by tram and walked back along the river and up through Federation square.
Communication with Julie was great from the start, she's very helpful, friendly, and available to answer any questions. Check-in and check-out was simple too and well explained.
In short... if you want to enjoy Melbourne, this is great home base to do it from.
:)