The haggard drunks and whores and pimps give the place an edge which I like, reminds me more of back home...and I did enjoy living on spenser street for a year, just behind acland street, near luna park. Been literally 2 minutes walk from the beach was a wicked luxury. Its pleasant and lively. but the best area I have lived in here in Melbourne is Brunswick. Grimier, less pretentious fucks around, and i was often the only white in sight...also noticeably cheaper, in terms of drinking and accomodation, with bigger houses. Now I am in Cremorne, and have been for 6 months, between Richmond and Chapel St/ Prahran. Even though I enjoyed the St Kilda festival in the past, the most vibrant outside event I have been to here was a street festival on Chapel...can't rememeber its name, but there was live hiphop/dance/reggae, allsorts of food and buzzing atmosphere.