Rathdowne Street, the suburb’s main commercial hub, is a real crowd-pleaser, thanks to the old-school milk bars and Italian family restaurants that sit alongside organic grocers and achingly hip wine bars. From cafés, bakeries and delicatessens to bookshops and boutiques – Rathdowne Street has it all in spades.
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of the suburb is given to Princes Park, a major recreation ground that’s also home to the Carlton Football Club and its fiercely loyal fans. From sun up, the park is teeming with various sporting groups and those wanting to get their fitness on. Princes Park is also the perfect setting for leisurely picnics, barbecues and walks among the Moreton Bay figs.
Steeped in Australian history, Carlton North’s modern-day charms are a wide berth from the suburb’s grittier origins as a bluestone quarry and penal stockade. However, Carlton North’s other legacy, the Melbourne General Cemetery, exists to this day as a nationally significant site of beauty and solace. It’s the final resting place of four Prime Ministers and eight Premiers, not to mention heritage Victorian-era chapels and gatehouses.