New Farm

Spending time in New Farm is to experience quintessential Brisbane. There's a mixture of upbeat cafes, shops, restaurants, gourmet delis and modern bars packed with creative types, professionals and the occasional colourful character - and then, right next door by the river, you'll find the fourteen hectare, Jacaranda filled New Farm Park that provides the perfect antidote to all the action. New Farm has forged an identity you won't easily find in other cities, and it's all about a free spirited love of life - sharing great food with good friends, investigating thought provoking galleries and exhibitions, or just kicking back and doing not much at all. On the main thoroughfare - Brunswick Street - you'll find a cluster of excellent restaurants, as well as the nationally renowned New Farm Deli and Cafe. And if that's not enough to tempt your taste buds, try the fresh seasonal produce at the Farmers Markets (held on every second and fourth Saturday of the month). Elsewhere, the classy James Street precinct is a sign of how fast things are moving ahead in Brisbane, and just how exhilarating they can be. Featuring fresh fish and produce markets, cookery schools, designer furniture, an art-house cinema and several hip bars and cafes, James Street including Centro on James is a sanctuary for lovers of urban chic. To feed the mind, make sure you visit the Brisbane Powerhouse. The architecture here is raw and textured, with obvious cues taken from the building's industrial past. This provides the perfect backdrop to the stimulating exhibitions, concerts and performances that regularly take place.