st kilda, i love you

I never thought I’d live in St Kilda, I thought it was the Gold Coast of Melbourne with its beach and its tourist population. It’s different actually living here amongst the young families, prostitutes, backpackers and crack heads. I work from home and am often entertained by the passing parade outside my window, one old man likes to wear a suit jacket with tails and sings as he walks.

My street is well populated by cats, I think every house must have one. This is the orange cat that lives next door to us. He always sits in very weird places.

I live minutes from the St Kilda Botanical Gardens which I think are much prettier than the Royal ones. I love the rose garden, the locals who play chess in the afternoon and the 70’s playground which hasn’t been modernised and still has lots of monkey bars and concrete. In Summer I like to take my book to the park and read.

Recently a little walk way was added down near the bay. Look how the council has matched the pathway to the water. It's really lovely attention to detail.

I also love the way that people chuck out their old couches, TVs, books, home wares onto the streetand 5 minutes later someone else has picked it up and taken it home. One man’s trash etc. My neighbours threw out this painting the other morning.

I think people on from the other side of the river often forget about us over here. I've lived in Carlton and I love cobblestone streets and discreet alley ways but there just seems to be more space over here which is something I think I need.