Lord Mayor Sally Capp now a Carlton local

Carlton locals will now be rubbing shoulders with Lord Mayor Sally Capp who recently moved into the neighbourhood after a three-year-stint in Docklands.

After her landlord wanted the 30th-floor Victoria Harbour rental back, the Lord Mayor and husband Andrew Sutherland were looking for a “different experience” and decided Carlton was the move.

“In Carlton, we are back at ground level and feel that we are getting into the neighbourhood vibe,” the Lord Mayor said.

We are already on our way to becoming regulars for takeaway at a number of local restaurants including Capitano and Sushi Ten and buying fresh produce and sourdough loaves at Masani on weekend mornings.

Since the move, Cr Capp said she had been enjoying walking around the Princes Park track –which she called the “Carlton Tan” – as well as the cemetery.

“We’ve discovered amazing stories through our regular walks in the Melbourne Cemetery,” she said.

“There are both tragic and uplifting tales of the people buried there that make Melbourne’s history very personal.”

Having moved into Carlton during the lockdown, the Lord Mayor was looking forward to neighbourhood institutions like Carlton Baths, La Mama, Melbourne Museum and Imax to open.

She was also keen to sample the diverse range of food offerings the suburb has to offer. “Just down from us there are Japanese, Sri Lankan, Lebanese and Italian restaurants next door to each other; that’s Melbourne for you,” Cr Capp said.

“And of course, Carlton is a university precinct which means lots of young people challenging the status quo and on the quest for knowledge – and pubs when we open again.”

For those looking to indulge in some Carlton vs Docklands rivalry, like any good parent the Lord Mayor didn’t pick favourites.

She said that the she loved the “sky-high” experience at Docklands’ Victoria Harbour and would miss the library, water activities like kayaking and dragon-boating, as well as the gang at the local Docklands eatery Saluministi.

“Living in Carlton is not better, or worse, it’s different,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Where Docklands has water, Carlton has grass, lots of green open parks including Carlton Gardens, Princes Park, Argyle Square and Lincoln Square just to name a few.”

Carlton Inc president Phil Mansour said that it was a positive thing for the suburb to have the Lord Mayor as a local.

“Everyone is excited to see the Lord Mayor super local,” Mr Mansour said.

“I’m sure she’s looking forward to assisting within the precinct first hand.”

During the short time she’s been a local, the Lord Mayor said she’s already identifying with the issues often raised by residents and traders such as cleaning graffiti and preserving heritage.

She also said that Carlton would benefit from the council’s program to transform empty shopfronts into creative spaces and pop-up shops where entrepreneurs and artists could pilot their ideas and performances.

“I can see that council’s shopfront activation program will make a big impact on Carlton’s Lygon St,” the Lord Mayor said.

“It’s a project that is really going to bring the buzz back into our city streets.”

Overall, the Lord Mayor said she and her husband were looking forward to experiencing all that Carlton had to offer.

“My partner Andrew and I are enjoying immersing ourselves into this new neighbourhood and meeting the locals with more to be uncovered and appreciated as the city reopens,” she said.

“And we are regularly back in Docklands to get our water fix.” •

Caption: The Lord Mayor said she had already identified issues such as the need to clean graffiti and preserve heritage.