The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "The City" or "The CBD") is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city laid out in 1837, and includes its fringes. The Melbourne CBD is located in the local government area of the City of Melbourne which also includes some of inner suburbs adjoining the CBD. The contemporary locality of Melbourne includes within its boundaries the Hoddle Grid plus the area of parallel streets just to the north up to Victoria Street including the Queen Victoria Market, but not the Flagstaff Gardens, and the area between Flinders Street and the Yarra River. It includes the grand boulevardes of St Kilda Road, Royal Parade and Victoria Street marking the entrance to Victoria Parade as well as extensive gardens including the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and Jolimont Yard. The Central City is the core of Greater Melbourne's metropolitan area, and is a major financial centre in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. It is home to Melbourne's famed alleyways and arcades and is renowned for its distinct blend of contemporary and Victorian architecture. In recent times, it has been placed alongside New York City and Berlin as one of the world's great street art meccas, and designated a "City of Literature" by UNESCO in its Creative Cities Network.
