LOCATION SPOTLIGHT: U.S.A. FINDS ITS HOME IN MELBOURNE

Just like Los Angeles, Melbourne is home to wide, palm tree-lined boulevards, beaches, and a mix of art deco and modern architecture.

With its grand period buildings and gritty alleyways, you could be mistaken in thinking you’re walking the streets of New York whilst in downtown Melbourne.

Urban cities like Chicago and Detroit? Small towns in America’s Midwest? Melbourne and regional Victoria can do those too.

From the East Coast to West Coast, let’s discover some of USA’s iconic locations that can be found in Melbourne, Australia.

“Melbourne is a very cosmopolitan city with an incredible diversity of architecture, infrastructure, vegetation and vistas. Wherever your production is set in the US, you’ll find the look you need in Melbourne.”

Nicci Dillon, Melbourne-based Location Manager

Los Angeles

Wide, palm tree-lined streets, art deco and contemporary architecture, and beaches reminiscent of Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica and Venice Beach.

O’Donnell Gardens, St Kilda, Melbourne. Image: Visit Victoria.

St Kilda Beach and Foreshore. Image: Visit Victoria.

Palais Theatre, St Kilda. Photo: Fiona Wood.

Moorabool Street, Geelong. Photo by Pam Hutchinson.

Bay Street, Port Melbourne. Photo by J.C. Strouts.

The producers of NBCUniversal Television’s La Brea, which is currently filming in Melbourne, saw similarities in the city’s streetscapes to Los Angeles.

In the bayside suburb of Port Melbourne, its main street transformed into a Los Angeles suburb near Beverly Hills for the series’ key stunt sequence which sees a massive sinkhole open up on a busy road.

“La Brea bounces from modern day Los Angeles to 10,000 BC and back again. For the Los Angeles scenes, Melbourne is doubling for the Hollywood Hills, Wilshire Boulevard, Silver Lake and more.”
J.C. Strouts, Location Supervisor, La Brea

Echoes of LA’s Echo Park, with its man-made lake and the downtown city skyline in the background.

Melbourne City skyline view from Albert Park. Image: Visit Victoria.

Sprawling white LA mansions with clean lines and cool Californian vibes.

New York City

Manhattan-style stoops and streetscapes in all kinds of weather.

Exterior of Regent Theatre, Melbourne. Image: Visit Victoria.

Collins Street, Melbourne. Image: Visit Victoria.

Lakes and parks with city buildings visible through the trees à la NYC’s Central Park.

Grand period buildings with New York-style awnings in the city’s colours of brown and beige.

Exterior of The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne. Image: Visit Victoria.

Spring Street, Melbourne. Photo by Daniel May.

Gritty, cobblestone laneways and narrow streets with elegant buildings.

Niagara Lane, Melbourne. Photo by Daniel May.

Streetscape Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Image: Visit Victoria.

Urban USA

Downtown with a mix of period and modern architecture, similar to San Francisco.

Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. Photo by Pia Emery.

Chapel Street, Prahran. Image: Visit Victoria.

Large red-brick buildings, apartment blocks and warehouse conversions.

Esplanade West, Port Melbourne. Photo by James Romeril.

Streets and spaces reminiscent of cities like Detroit and Chicago.

Brick Lane Cafe, Guilford Lane. Image: Visit Victoria.

Suburban USA

American-style homes with weatherboards, shutters and green lawns stretching down to the pavement.

Open suburban streetscapes with roads lined with wide footpaths and a variety of trees.

Caroline Springs. Photo by Andrew Perry.

America’s Midwest

Venture into the outskirts of Melbourne and regional Victoria and you’ll find small towns, streetscapes and houses surrounded by trees that change colour through the seasons – all within close proximity to downtown Melbourne.

Mulberry Hill Mansion, Langwarrin South. Photo by John Harris.

For more versatile and accessible Melbourne and regional Victorian locations that can double for the USA, visit film.vic.gov.au/choose-victoria/locations

Interested in bringing your next project to Victoria? Contact:
Joe Brinkmann
Manager, Production Attraction & Support, Film Victoria [email protected]

Featured Image Credit: Catani Gardens, St Kilda. Image: Visit Victoria.

Find out more about:

Film Victoria