Two views of the same city

This isn’t Bourke Street. This is Hosier Lane, which is further toward Flinders Street station. And because there were no building works, Hosier Lane had more pedestrian space, and was far less crowded.



Bourke Street, 4pm. East side

The few completed buildings were tucked in amongst the rubble
of the rest.  Flat, uniform, narrow grey
shopfronts. Featureless and anonymous, and almost as drab as the building sites.

Melbourne was a building site.  Black-painted or raw pine veneer hoardings took
up half the footpaths, with huge industrial scaffolds crowding in from the
road, making the walkway so narrow that people had to pass each other in single
file.  The pedestrians on the path
competed for space with the electric bicycles of the food delivery people.

Bourke Street, 8pm. West side

The bike shops were gone. 
Instead, the whole street was a row of tiny restaurants.  Tantalising scents wafted out of each.  Here something sesame, there a spicy chilli
that got up her nose, over there a spice she didn’t recognise.  Inside patrons crowded together on stools, so
close they were almost touching.

Quick, fast food. In one store she saw huge bowls noodle
soup.  In another, dumplings.  In a third a rice dish served with something
she couldn’t identify.

There were queues outside every tiny shopfront.  Good-natured couples laughing and talking as they waited to be fed.