Emilia Rossi, a Docklands advocate

By Melissa Chung

Being a digital consultant, lifestyle blogger, fashion jewellery designer as well as an online wedding marketplace owner, Emilia Rossi perfectly balances her work and life in Docklands.

After moving to Melbourne from Canberra in 2012, Ms Rossi spent three weeks living in the CBD and decided to settle in Docklands.

“The lifestyle in Docklands is just perfect. I’m able to walk out from my apartment building and I have literally the water’s edge at my doorstep,” she said.

Ms Rossi spends most of her time working in Docklands – she works at home, chills at the park and has interviews in cozy cafes.

She appreciates the convenience of Docklands that she does not need a car to travel around.

“Everything is in walking distance. I have everything I need except a tennis court,” she said.

Ms Rossi’s personal blog, which is rated as the top five Melbourne lifestyle blogs by Culture Trip, shares some of her Docklands living experiences. She believes it is her responsibility to write about Docklands.

“I always jokingly say that I’m a Docklands advocate. I don’t think there’s a real voice, beside obviously a publication. A lot people that live here don’t actually write about how good this place is. So I think it’s kind of my responsibility,” she said.

When asked about apartment living in Docklands, Ms Rossi said she loved to live in a place where all her stuff was secured.

Some people might have storage problems in regards to apartment living, however, minimalist Ms Rossi adapted to this kind of living with ease.

“Some people have a lot of junk, so living in the apartment is not for everyone. Every item that we have we use – like only one beautiful leather jacket or two gorgeous handbags,” she said.

Ms Rossi also has a love-hate relationship with Docklands. On one hand, she appreciates how the City of Melbourne is making Docklands more liveable, for example, by adding benches in the green areas.

On the other hand, she criticises how some of the new development has made Docklands disconnected. “They don’t have areas where people can mingle together,” she said.

After all, Ms Rossi enjoys living in Docklands where she describes her current life as a dream – working with things that she loves in a place that she feels comfortable in.

“I always like a place that has a view. I have to have a view of water. I have to have green areas but also have a bit of concrete. Docklands just has the perfect combination,” she said.