Fitzroyalty » Nicholson St

optimism: the business plan

brian — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:13:42 +0000

What makes a business operator decide to open in a location that has housed numerous previous failures? In the case of 350 Nicholson Street Fitzroy, three businesses have failed there since 2009. The Italian Corner lasted only a few months in 2012, and before that there was L’Angolo Italiano and Vessarios.

It’s now another pizza place called Feldman’s. I don’t like seeing businesses fail. I don’t celebrate it. But I do wonder how much research new business tenants do about the history of their new premises.…

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posted in Business by brian

dinner at Bramble and Vine, Nicholson St North Carlton

brian — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:25:21 +0000

Late last year I noticed that a new restaurant had opened on the North Carlton side of Nicholson St in the cafe strip north of Pigdon / Scotchmer streets. It’s mostly a daytime scene, with A Treat of France and Natural Tucker bakeries and Figs and Birdie Num Nums cafes all being popular.

Night time is different. Bar Fred can be packed and draws a younger crowd for beer and excellent pizza, but the strip is not known for good food.…

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posted in Business by brian

dreaming

brian — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:06:24 +0000

I can’t believe another restaurant has opened where L’Angolo Italiano closed last year and Vessarios before that in 2009. It’s a failed location. It has a complete vibe of failure. Why would anyone try opening a new business here knowing what has happened before?

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posted in Business by brian

offshore processing

brian — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:19:31 +0000

Political art by Klara on Nicholson St North Carlton.

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posted in Nicholson St by brian

L’Angolo Italiano on Nicholson St has closed

brian — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:05:31 +0000

Thanks to a reader, who informed me that L’Angolo Italiano restaurant on Nicholson St has closed) its website confirms it). It opened less than two years ago (as shown in the photo below) and, while I kept meaning to try it, I kept forgetting it was there. I suspect that many other locals think the same – when you discuss where to eat out, Nicholson St gets overlooked.

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posted in Business by brian

The FRA, the Hub and the City of Yarra

brian — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:02:55 +0000

The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens gained World Heritage listing in 2004 and the state government is currently seeking submissions on a draft management proposal.

The redevelopment proposal for the Hub on Nicholson St, across the road from the Royal Exhibition Building, has been contested for more than a year.

The building is within the World Heritage Environs Area buffer zone – see the World Heritage Environs Area Strategy Plan Part 1 (1958kb pdf).…

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posted in City of Yarra by brian

Fitzroy history – from slipper factory to vacant office

brian — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 02:13:24 +0000

In earlier days Fitzroy was a centre of garment production, and there was once a slipper factory on Nicholson St. The record for this 1948 photo talks about 294 Nicholson St, but the building is numbered 304 (now as it was then if you look at the full scale original). The building to the far left, around the corner in Rose St, also has ‘Easy Phit’ Slipper Company on the wall, so perhaps the factory covered several buildings.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Dress Me Slowly on Nicholson St has closed

brian — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:12:07 +0000

Vintage clothing shop Dress Me Slowly opened over two years ago on Nicholson St but for the past few weeks the windows have been covered and the clothing displays are gone. It looks like they have closed.

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posted in Business by brian

casualties of a new Fitzroy

brian — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 01:05:23 +0000

This is an excellent piece of audio journalism by Rhiana Whitson about the residents of the Hub on Nicholson St who will soon be homeless as the property is to be redeveloped into apartments.

Latest tracks by Rhiana Whitson…

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posted in Business by brian

Fitzroy history – from home to cafe

brian — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:12:40 +0000

These photos from the 1950s and 1960s show Osborne House at 40 Nicholson St. It began as a home and, with ongoing expansion and development, it became a boarding house by the end of the 19th century, then apparently a newsagent or small shop, and eventually the Garden View cafe. More information is available at On my doorstep.

Courtesy of John L. O’Brien Collection, the University of Melbourne image archive collection (UMAIC) / ID: UMA/I/6756 / photographer: John L.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – corner of Moor and Nicholson streets

brian — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:03:39 +0000

This 1958 photo shows the corner of Nicholson St and Moor St facing east. It looks like what is now the intimate Mon Ami restaurant was once a shop (on the northern side of the corner to the left of the photo). The streetscape on the southern side of the street seems mostly unchanged 50 years later.

Courtesy of John L. O’Brien Collection, the University of Melbourne image archive collection (UMAIC) / ID: UMA/I/6719 / photographer: John L.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Nicholson St art criticism

brian — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 01:12:10 +0000

On the side wall of a terrace house on Nicholson St North Fitzroy.

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posted in Nicholson St by brian

Rap News at the Empress

brian — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:01:23 +0000

I was at the Empress on Thursday night to see MC Hugo + Treats put on a great show including some Rap News. Love it!

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Fitzroy history – 1950s flooding on Nicholson St

brian — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:09:01 +0000

The text accompanying this 1950s photo says it depicts Nicholson St looking north from Cecil St. None of the landmarks are familiar, so it’s difficult to determine if the caption is accurate, but it is fascinating. Was anyone loving here at the time?

Courtesy the Fitzroy local history collection / ID: 20680 / photographer: Tom Farnan / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1950s

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posted in Cecil St by brian

Fitzroy history – the Pumphouse hotel on Nicholson St

brian — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 01:18:27 +0000

A reader recently emailed me this photo and asked me if I could identify the building, which he had found in his family’s collection. He believes that his mother in law lived there immediately after the end of the second world war. I recognised it as the Pumphouse hotel on Nicholson St, but at the time it was called St Andrew’s hotel.

Courtesy of a private donor / photographer: unknown / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1945

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – the Hub on Nicholson St

brian — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:09:50 +0000

Enjoy this view while you can. The boarding house known as the Hub on Nicholson St may soon be demolished and replaced with 51 residential units. According to the Fitzroy Residents’ Association, the plans don’t include car parking or even clothes lines for the residences. The demolition application was disputed by the City of Yarra, which also failed to respond within the required 60 days, and the applicant planned to take the case to VCAT in November.…

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posted in City of Yarra by brian

dinner at Bistro Flor, Nicholson St North Carlton

brian — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 13:09:01 +0000

Bistro Flor on Nicholson St North Carlton has been on my list of dinner destinations for months, and when I finally went for the first time last week I was very impressed. My dinner companion had eaten there before and provided a sound recommendation that I am glad to pass on. It used to be a wine bar called Flor but expanded to become a cosy local bistro about 2008.

We began with ordering one of my favourite Victorian wines from the impressive list: the Point Leo Road lagrein (from the Mornington Peninsula) which, at $50, was well priced.…

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posted in Business by brian

Fitzroy history – the Royal terraces on Nicholson St

brian — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 14:05:10 +0000

The origins of the Royal Terraces on the corner of Nicholson and Gertrude streets are well documented by Heritage Victoria and the National Trust.

Courtesy of SLV / ID: pb000413 / artist: Charles Troedel / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain / c1864

Courtesy of SLV / ID: H876 / photographer: Charles Nettleton / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain / c1868

Courtesy of SLV / ID: H2008.11/2248 / photographer: Mark Strizic / copyright: used under the fair dealings provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 / c1950-1959

Today they remain one of the best preserved examples of early Victorian architecture.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – looking south on Nicholson St

brian — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:05:26 +0000

I like this photo of Nicholson St because of how sparse it is compared to the street now – no tram barriers, no painted lane lines and no overhead wires (the tram line must not have been electrified yet). The view is from just south of Bell St facing south south-west towards Carlton Gardens.

Courtesy of Fitzroy local history collection / ID: 19102 / photographer: unknown / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain / c1927

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – from printer to hospitality supplier

brian — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:04:22 +0000

In 1948 this twin set building was the location of Shovelton and Storey printers. It’s now the location of Hotel Agencies, suppliers of various goods to hotels and restaurants.

Courtesy of Fitzroy local history collection / ID: 8752 / photographer: unknown / copyright: expired – image is in the public domain / c1948

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

delicious quiche at A Treat of France, Nicholson St North Carlton

brian — Wed, 05 May 2010 14:01:25 +0000

Newish cafe A Treat of France, on the busy North Carlton side of Nicholson St, has a stark minimalist interior but a stunning front window full of amazing looking treats. On passing recently I could not resist trying a chicken and mushroom quiche for lunch. The pastry is short and the filling delicate and silky, more like the egg custard in desserts than in most quiches. The flavour was impressive and the coffee is reasonable too.…

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posted in Coffee by brian

a drink at Fireflies wine bar, North Fitzroy

brian — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:05:37 +0000

I don’t know the history of this impressive building on Nicholson St, North Fitzroy. In recent years it has contained a variety of hospitality businesses. Until mid 2009 it was a Mexican restaurant I never got around to trying. It’s now the Fireflies bar and restaurant, where I had a crisp viognier with a friend recently. She raved about the food, and I’ll be back soon to try it!

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posted in Business by brian

new restaurant and wine bar on Nicholson St

brian — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:01:51 +0000

A new pizzeria / Italian restaurant and wine bar, L’Angolo, is opening today on Nicholson St in the space formerly occupied by Vessarios. I’ll be stopping in soon for pizza and vino!

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posted in Business by brian

$10,000 art competition for Fitzroy / North Fitzroy residents closes on 8 November

brian — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:14:59 +0000

Since reading a vague story about an art competition open to Fitzroy and North Fitzroy artists I have been chasing more details and finally have the information available to report on it. The following is adapted from copy supplied to me by the competition organisers.

The developers of the ROI apartments on Nicholson St in North Fitzroy invite artists to submit paintings in competition for a $10,000 cash prize known as the ROI Art Prize. The competition is open to any artist residing, or represented by a gallery or dealer, in the Fitzroy or Fitzroy North community.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – opium den on Nicholson St

brian — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:06:27 +0000

In a recent previous post I mentioned how opium was a legal and unremarkable commodity in the late nineteenth century. Once it was made illegal, it became much harder to obtain but the illegal trade seems to have been of relatively little importance, judging by the fine given to the Nicholson St offender whose case is described in this article in The Argus, Wednesday 13 September, 1922, p11.

According to the Official year book of the Commonwealth of Australia, Issue 9, No 21, 1928, p541 (embedded below), the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (the predecessor of the ABS) reports that the average weekly Victorian wage for a man in 1922 was 91s.4d (with 20 shillings to the pound this is a bit less than £5 pounds a week).…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

Fitzroy history – Nicholson St bombing in 1898

brian — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:10:50 +0000

My new favourite online historical resource is the archive of the Victorian Government Gazette hosted by the State Library of Victoria. You can search it and by using ‘Fitzroy’ as a keyword I have found many fascinating stories. In Gazette 54, Friday, June 10th 1898 (download full issue – 3mb PDF) is a curious story about a bomb exploding on the balcony of 144 Nicholson St.

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

French Lettuce on Nicholson St

brian — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:10:02 +0000

The French Lettuce patisserie on Nicholson St has been on my mind for a long time, ever since it was judged to make the best vanilla slice in Melbourne (I don’t remember the source of this). I have also been told that their savoury pastries are highly regarded so I went recently to find out. My long macchiato was watery and poorly made and my delicious looking sausage roll was tasty but the flaky pastry was ruined by being warmed in a microwave rather than an oven or grill.…

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posted in Carlton by brian

Vessarios restaurant has closed

brian — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:20:32 +0000

Vessarios Greek restaurant on Nicholson St has closed. I never tried it, partly because I kept forgetting it was there but mostly because of its reputation for slow service. Read Smells Like (2007) and Tikiwanderer (2008). I am amused by the fact that their website at www.vessarios.com.au still exists and says ‘coming soon’. Maybe not.

A screen capture of the Vessarios website on Sunday 21 June 2009
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posted in Deadpool by brian

Dress Me Slowly on Nicholson St

brian — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:12:04 +0000

As I predicted last year, Phibs’ art on the walls of the former Cafe 328 on the corner of Nicholson St and Leicester St has been painted over. The new tenant is Dress Me Slowly, a vintage and retro clothing shop. I hope they do well there. Jesska at Thousand Threads has also posted about them and she’s already been in to check out their stock.

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posted in Business by brian

breakfast at Fagito on Nicholson St

brian — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:08:09 +0000

Fagito is a new breakfast and lunch cafe on Nicholson St on the corner of Henry St (opposite Casa Farro). I noticed it while out on a walk one evening and went back the next morning for breakfast. They have been open for about three months now and have a basic breakfast selection and many choices of hot or cold food for lunch. The coffee was only average but my big breakfast was delicious!

Two fried eggs, lots of bacon, excellent sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms on toast (hidden under the enormous pile) costs only $9.50.…

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posted in Business by brian

Fitzroy history – the Cairo flats on Nicholson St

brian — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:11:48 +0000

The Cairo apartment building on Nicholson St is one of Melbourne’s art deco treasures. In exploring the historical photo archives I found two images of the building when relatively new, and thought these would make an interesting comparison to how it looks now.

The original photos are from a Fitzroy municipal rating study, which states that the multiple unit dwelling project would transform the city. Set in extensive and well-kept lawns and gardens, the flats front to Nicholson Street.…

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posted in Fitzroy by brian

dinner at Mon Ami on Nicholson St

brian — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:11:03 +0000

Mon Ami is a 16 seat brasserie on the corner of Nicholson St and Moor St on the western edge of Fitzroy. It has a traditional French menu and it specialises in duck. I have been meaning to eat there for a long time, and was treated to a special dinner there last Friday night when my girlfriend made a booking and told me she was taking me out for a surprise dinner. As we began walking in the right direction to go to Mon Ami I became convinced that it was our destination, and I was so pleased when I realised for certain!…

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posted in Business by brian

goodbye cafe 328

brian — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:05:41 +0000

Goodbye cafe 328. You have been closed for a while now. While I never came and ate at your place on the corner of Nicholson St and Leicester St because you looked a bit sad and scruffy, I now worry that whatever replaces you will paint over the groovy mural by Phibs and colleagues. Nicholson St is perhaps the least loved side of Fitzroy. I hope something new and exciting finds a good home here.

I also love this little figure on the side door of the building.…

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posted in Business by brian