Whether you want to relax in green, sprawling gardens, see one of Queensland’s biggest sports teams play, or sip a coffee and watch the world go by, the inner north is where you want to be.
HIGHLIGHTS
You’ll find a bit of a different history lesson in Brisbane’s northern inner-city suburbs.
Spring Hill will take you on a visual tour of Brisbane’s history, with streets lined with heritage-listed buildings, and Brisbane’s oldest building, the 1828 convict-built Windmill Tower, rising above the rooftops. This impressive structure was first seen as a mistake, due to its often windless location, and became hated by any convict who was ordered to work the treadmill to keep the mill arms moving on a still day.
Milton’s Park Road is known as Brisbane’s first café strip and is a bustling hub of cafes and restaurants. Where else in Brisbane could you get a metre-long pizza, except for the buzzing Arrivederci Pizza?
For a delve into Australia’s beer culture, take a tour and discover the 135-year history of the XXXX Brewery and Alehouse, one of Australia’s iconic beers. You can even go on a craft beer walking tour on Caxton Street – book a tour for eight people and sample the best craft brews the city has to offer.
Caxton Street is where the nightlife happens. A bright strip of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, weekends will find Caxton Street busy with all types of party-goers. The best picks here are Statler & Waldorf, a fantastic ‘gastro-pub’, and Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, packed with great live music and nostalgia.
Coffee isn’t left behind, either, and for a different experience, pop by the aptly-named Bunker Coffee. Nestled within an air raid shelter that was built during World War II, this hole-in-the-wall cafe serves artisanal coffee in one of the most unique settings in Australia.
If you’re a sports fan, you’ll want to head to the Suncorp Stadium. This 52,500-capacity stadium hosts rugby and football (soccer) home games, and is home ground to Queensland’s biggest sporting teams, the Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Roar, and Queensland Reds. The venue also hosts some of the biggest names in music and packs out the stands for national and international acts.
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
If you feel at home in the water, you’ll feel at home in Spring Hill. Here you’ll find the heritage-listed Spring Hill Baths, originally built in 1886, which holds the title as Brisbane’s first in-ground swimming pool. They offer swimming classes for all ages, and fun and inclusive fitness classes. The Olympic-standard Centenary Pool is another heritage-listed venue and offers swimming classes, diving boards, and gym facilities.
The Spring Hill Medical Centre offers a wide range of health services, including women’s health, immunisations, and mental health care, with GPs on hand to prepare and manage ongoing mental health care plans.
If you want to work up a sweat in a welcoming community environment, PCYC Lang Park in Milton offers high-quality and affordable gym facilities and has something for anyone wanting to keep in shape. Along with fitness class packages at good prices, they offer a wide range of martial arts and are available for basketball, boxing, and even wrestling classes.
FREE & FRUGAL
It doesn’t get much better in Spring Hill than being out and about in the Roma Street Parklands. This lush and sprawling garden is beautiful by day, where you can enjoy a free guided tour. At night time, you’ll see it lit up in bold, bright colours.
For something a little less relaxing, Spring Hill is also home to Brisbane’s first parkour park. Here you’ll find blocks, walls, and rails, all built with parkour training in mind. It’s open-air and free to the public, and you can take a class by getting in touch with the Brisbane Parkour Training Hub on Facebook.
All this exercise got you hungry? Grab an $8 banh mi from Mrs Luu’s in Milton, and wash it down with a $5.30 pint at the International Hotel, during their 4.30pm-5.30pm happy hour.
For a cheap weekend brekky, head to Soul Bistro in Milton for $7 poached eggs, or get your eggs benedict cravings satisfied for $9.
The post Spring Hill, Kelvin Grove and Milton appeared first on Insider Guides | Study in Australia.