Here’s some new energy

I’m Italian and moved to Australia at the beginning of September 2012 and to the Docklands two weeks later, so I’ve been living here for two months now.

Why did I chose to live in the Docklands with my husband? It is a question I have frequently been asked. And maybe because of that I’m taking a bit of pride in being a Docklander, although a very recent one.

And that is why I just started a page on my blog lavaleandherworld.wordpress.com about Docklands: “The Docklands Spotter”. My intention is to discover and then to write about all the fantastic things you can do in the Docklands! From having a coffee, eating lunch or dinner, doing your grocery shopping or clothes shopping or getting a service you need well done.

So my answer to why I’ve chosen to live in Docklands is for many reasons. Among these is that we wanted to stay quite close to the CBD. We don’t have a car yet and Docklands is so well connected to the CBD and other locations in Melbourne via trams (48, 31, …) and the Southern Cross Station.

It’s also next to the water and you have the feeling to live in a marina and being on holidays all-year round. Depending on where you are, you get a fantastic view of Melbourne skyline. And I think that it is a nice, quiet neighborhood, but also lively, full of people and things to do e.g. at the Hub.

And you are still close to the beaches in Port Melbourne and St Kilda and the rest of the city. The last, but not least, reason is all the services you’d want are at arm reach.

Of course I have not enough experience about living in the Docklands, but I guess it takes time for a neighborhood to build its own soul. And it also takes a lot of new people with new enthusiasm to help experienced Docklanders to bring back an additional energy to spur new activities.

Anyway, I reckon every Docklander should contribute to the community, even with just small gestures, like having a coffee / breakfast / lunch or dinner at least once or twice a month in the Docklands and spread the word.

And I think sharing stories about nice experiences had in the Docklands would also help other people to enjoy them and especially newcomers, usually more eager to integrate in the community and prone to try out new stuff. At least this is my experience!

So I’d be more than happy to go around, try out new places and write about them in my free time.

Valeria Vigliani