Brunswick Street is a popular street in Melbourne, Australia, running north-south through its inner suburbs. It is well-liked for its restaurants, cafes, art galleries and eclectic, often unique shops. The street forms a large part of Melbourne’s cafe culture due to its Italian immigrants settling here and bringing with them their espresso coffee machines. The rest, as they say, is history.
Shops appeared on Brunswick Street as early as the 1840s and bit by bit, the street metamorphosed into the lively area it is today. Part of its charm is its differences, from high-end boutiques to second-hand shops, antique bookstores and tarot card stalls, there is a little bit of everything for everybody here. Brunswick Street has an amazing variety of restaurants too, from tasty Greek souvlaki and Lebanese hummus to fragrant Chinese dumplings and seriously delicious Thai green chicken curry. The street’s nightlife is lively, with plenty of pubs, wine bars and clubs and salsa and jazz venues. The Melbourne Fringe Festival held every year spills into Brunswick Street with its animated array of music, cabaret, dance and comedy acts. For additional outdoor amusement, St Kilda beach is a short tram ride away.
Brunswick Street is a short drive away from Melbourne Airport. Designated taxi ranks are located on the ground floor in front of each terminal. The airport buses operate from the airport to Southern Cross Station in the city.
Brunswick Street was named after Captain Brunswick Smythe who shared its origins with Benjamin Baxter, who owned land in Newtown that is now Brunswick South. Baxter's lot was Lot 49, which was adjacent to Lot 48. In 1839 Baxter subdivided his lot into quarters thus creating roads between the subdivisions which subsequently became Brunswick Street and Gertrude Street.