Fortitude Valley, Brisbane (0-5km)
Vibe: Party time
Location: Inner city, Near QUT/Shillington
Rent: apartment rents are in the mid range to expensive range
OK. Wanna party? Are ya young, young-ish or gay? Wooo Hooo it's Fortitude Valley time. This suburb is NOT suited to families. It is a lively, jumping place 1km east of the city centre. Gone are the days when this was a sleazy drugs and hooker hangout. Now it's nightclub central, with a Chinatown, plenty of shops, bars, cafes, art, grubby streets, a depressing looking mall area, scores of apartments, and some chi chi shopping. In recent years, independent designers and arty types have moved into Fortitude Valley opening up shop and bringing with them young, funky crowds, gays, and cashed up older types. There are three main shopping areas in the Valley: (1) Brunswick St which includes the grubby mall, (2) James Street - which has upmarket shops and cool cafes; and (3) the Emporium Shopping Centre - with ultra expensive shops, but not much soul.
The streets in Fortitude Valley are mostly narrow. Warehouses have been turned into apartments, or they have been knocked down to make way for apartments. They're not cheap. The nicer areas to live include the streets around James St. Public transport here is excellent with numerous train and bus services. Train services to the city centre are frequent and you can catch the train to the airport from the Fortitude Valley train station.
The area was named after a ship called the Fortitude. When migrants on that ship stepped on land, they settled into slums in the valley. (More information below and to your left >>>)
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BRUNSWICK
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