Info on Melbourne Suburbs

Doc · 09-06-2011 6:48am #1

One of the questions that comes up here a lot is where to live in Melbourne so as I had a bit of free time in work I thought Id be helpful and try and give you guys a rough guide to some of the inner suburbs of Melbourne that I know about and that you might consider. If anyone else wants to add some other places or additional info on any of the ones I mention please do.

1: St.Kilda

This is the one most of you will probably have heard about as there is quite a large amount of Irish people living here (having said that they are still a small minority of the population of St.Kilda its not as jam full of us as some like to make out).

It kind of has the feel of a European city. You'd be hard pressed to come here and not find things to like about the place. It has something to offer to anyone who moves in or visits. There's always something happening in St Kilda: festivals, the gay and lesbian parade, live music, organic markets, craft and artisan markets, fun and frivolity at Luna Park, swimming at beach, walks along the bay, kitesurfing, coffees to drink, cakes to try, wine to sip, food to eat, shops to explore. The big cafe/shopping hangouts are Fitzroy and Acland streets. It is relatively close to the CBD (city center) you couldn’t really walk it but there are regular trams and busses into the city.

The negatives as I see them are that due to its popularity with backpackers / travelers (particularly in summer due to it being on the beach) rent can be expensive and it can be difficult to find a good place to live. I have meet people who lived in Melbourne for 2 years and never went out anywhere else but St.Kilda. There are some problems with illegal prostitution and the problems that come with drunken people. (The beach isn’t the best either but it is a city beach)

2: Richmond

This is where I actually live and I really like this suburb. It’s got a lot of the things I was particularly interested in when I was looking for somewhere. The transport links in Richmond are very good with five train stations, seven tram lines, and its walking distance from the city centre. It has shopping areas: Bridge Rd for fashion; Victoria St for block after block of seriously cheap but good Vietnamese restaurants, supermarkets and Victoria gardens shopping center, and Swan St for a little bit of everything. It’s got some really cool bars my favorites being the Corner Bar (particularly the upstairs beer garden part) which is a great live music venue and the Vic (which is not particularly special but it is my local and a good bar and place to go before getting food on Victoria St). It is also right next to the MCG stadium.
Rent prices while not as high as St.Kilda can still be high enough but you can find deals. For a 3 bed house near Victoria Street in Richmond we pay $480 a week with bills to pay on top of that.

It has its problems Traffic being one major one as anyone who has had to travel down Hoddle Street during rush hour or when a game is on will tell you. Also drug use particularly in the Victoria street area is high so junkies are not a rarity unfortunately.

3: Fitzroy

Fitzroy is easy walking distance from the city centre, and in my opinion has some of the best cafes and pubs in Melbourne, and a long and interesting shopping strip. It's great for people watching. If I was to try and describe it I would say it’s like a watered down version of Islington in London. Brunswick Street is the main shopping and cafe strip in Fitzroy. I have a couple of friends who live in the area but don’t know exactly how much they pay, but because of its proximity to the CBD rents are in the mid to high range and you will probably either live in a Victorian cottage or a warehouse conversion. The public transport in the area is mostly trams which mean slow crowded journeys during peak hours. My favorite bars in the area are The Napier Hotel (a pub that dose good food) and The Night Cat (a bar where you can dance to live jazz bands).

Negatives: If you don’t like hipsters you may not like Fitzroy (but then again you just may not like Melbourne full stop.) as it’s full of them. It’s not a cheap place either.

4: Collingwood

If Fitzroy is watered down Islington then Collingwood is a watered down Camden. I really like Collingwood. The main shopping street, Smith St is so diverse. The food here varies from good to great with everything from vegetarian to Turkish, Japanese, Vietnamese, Greek, South American, Italian and organic. The people who shop and hang out here range from the long term unemployed to creative professional types. Chopper Read, is a Collingwood man apparently. The bottom end of Smith St in Collingwood has a good number of outlet stores - most, but not all, are sports oriented shops.

There are a good number of bars, in Collingwood. Some of the best pubs are tucked away in side streets my choice is the Union club hotel and to eat out I would pick Jim’s Greek tavern on Johnston St.. It has a lots of little music/comedy venues.

Rent can vary from reasonably cheap for so close to the CBD to high.

Negatives are that it can be a bit of a rough area and if you support Collingwood AFL team every supporter of any other team thinks you’re scum.

4 is enough for me for now I might add more tomorrow…

Doc · 10-06-2011 1:10am

5: South Melbourne

South Melbourne is a quiet leafy suburb witch s close to Albert Park Lake which is used by many for exercise... and sadly once a year by petrol heads for the Melbourne Grand Prix which can be heard from the other side of the city. Rents can be quite high in South Melbourne. There are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants in South Melbourne and most are on Clarendon St, which is the continuation of Spencer St in the city. There is also a very good market (south Melbourne market) on Coventry St which has a great dim sum place in it. It’s very close to the CBD with good tram links in and out. There are quite a lot of toffs who live in the area and walk their miniature dogs around stopping to drink lattes after their pilates classes. It’s not as lively a suburb as the others mentioned in terms of pubs and clubs but that can be a good thing in terms of noise. Oh there are also some really good fish and chip places there and it’s reasonably close to the beach.

6: Prahran

Prahran is a suburb that is often overlooked by people who arrive here but is really worth a look. It’s an arty, creative place with good access to public transport some great cafes (Borsch, Vodka and Tears is my fave) good bars and a good market too. The type of people who live in Prahran are the young, vintage clothes enthusiasts, arty professionals, gays, students, and suits. Chapel street is the main shopping area where you can find everything from bakeries to craft stores, to vintage clothes. Greville Street is the place for alternative style seekers. It also has Prahran Market which is a foodie heaven and a bit of a yuppie magnet. None of my friends actually live in Prahran but I’m told that the rents are in the mid range.

the dee · 11-06-2011 5:12am

Brunswick:

Some info on my home suburb and favourite place in Melbourne.

Brunswick is to the North of the CBD, just North of Carlton and Parkville. It is on the Upfield train line and number 19 tram. It is based around the shopping strip of Sydney Road which extends north into Coburg and then all the way to Sydney! It is a very multi-cultural area with old established Mediterranean families and more recent Middle-Eastern immigrants with a good mix of income levels. It is also a live music and arts hub, with some great live music bars, cafes and shops. It's great for food with all nationalities having their own restaurants on the main strip, from Lebanese and Afghani, to Japanese and Italian.

Being close to Melbourne Uni means there are a lot of studenty young people around and some of the bars can be a bit horrific on the weekends, but there is a cool, young urban vibe to the place and always something going on.

Accommodation-wise, there's not much for backpackers, a few hotels and motels down near Royal Parade. Rent can be high for a cute little house but share-houses and apartments can be reasonable. Popularity and gentrification mean that property prices are pretty high and blocks are getting smaller. You are very close to the city and to other popular suburbs like Coburg, Northcote, Carlton and Fitzroy. There are good parks and you're close to the zoo and to CERES (environmental park).

I love Brunswick and am a bit sad that I will probably never be able to afford to buy a house here

the dee · 11-06-2011 5:24am

Northcote:

A hip young suburb to the North of the CBD, north of Clifton Hill (very swanky) and East of Brunswick (see my post above). On the Epping train line and the 86 tram route. Connected to Brunswick by the 508 bus.

Northcote's main strip is High Street, which extends north to the quieter and posher Thornbury and on into the more working-class Preston. It is populated with cute cafes, interesting and unusual boutiques and good live music pubs. Prices can be a bit high. The locals are mostly young professionals and creative types, and, I've been told, there is a high percentage of gay and lesbian couples making their homes here.

My favourite spots are The Local Shop - for beautifully designed, locally made items, The Wesley Ann - an old church, now a wine bar and live music venue and Northcote Town Hall - which regularly holds craft markets.

Accommodation - Very expensive to buy here again. Rent can be high. House-sharing is popular.

Make the man some eggs woman · 11-06-2011 5:30am

9. Flemington

With its famous Irish bar and also a racecourse. It houses a large proportion of Melbournes africans so you'll feel right at home.

The rows of soviet style junkie infested flats makes you feel like your living in 1980's ballymun but with celtic tiger rents.

It has a noticeable absence of Asians because nothing scares the Asians away more than blacks and Irish crap.

Doc · 20-06-2011 6:38am

10: Elwood

Elwood is right next to St.Kilda so it gets a lot of the overflow of people wanting to live in St.Kilda and is expencive The main shopping strip is on Ormond Rd. There is a good number of cafes and bars. If you like St Kilda but find it a bit noisey or full on, then Elwood is a quieter bet. Its not that big and its still resonably close to the city center. Public transport is mostly limited to buses.

the dee · 26-06-2011 2:33am

11: Carlton

Carlton is a nice area, close to the city, Melbourne University, Fitzroy for the shops and bars. It's got nice shops and restaurants, cinema, parks and museums are close by. I remember rental prices being expensive when we were looking, but that was about 2 years ago. You might be able to get more for your money if you look further out. (see my Brunswick & Northcote posts above) Carlton also has a history of organised crime related activity, been quiet the last few years now AFAIK.

I don't have much experience of South Yarra but have absorbed the Northside attitude of thinking that it's a bit swanky, overpriced and populated by shallow yuppies. Am I far off the mark?

jackbhoy · 26-06-2011 4:28am

Just moved to Brunswick from South Yarra, where we had short term rental.

12: South Yarra

South Yarra is nice enough, some good cafes and parks (Fawkner/Botanic Gardens) close by, close enough to CBD as well. It is very poser/pretenious type area though, lots of SUVs, expensive/overpriced shops and people trying very hard to be cool.

Carlton is nice but most apartments we looked at were very expensive for what you get. It's beside Melbourne Uni and RMIT so tonnes of student housing and studio apartments there. Unless you plan on selling drugs or opening a brothel while living there I wouldn't be too concerned about the organized crime

universe777 · 26-06-2011 5:45am

Southbank, Docklands & Port Melbourne not listed?

Doc · 11-11-2011 1:37am

13: Southbank

Just south across the river from the CBD Southbank is easy walking distance from the city centre, It’s full of high rise apartment buildings and some older lower apartment buildings. Many of the newer apartment buildings will have there own gyms in the building and some will even have pools. It’s and expensive place to live. It’s right next to the Botanic Gardens and all the art galleries. The place is built for professionals on the go for whom staying at home is not high on the agenda but access to bars, restaurants and work is. There are only a few smaller supermarkets in the area but with South Melbourne right next to it you can easily go to south Melbourne Market. If your apartment doesn’t come with its own parking then its going to incredibly difficult to find a spot. Crown casino and its shops and other entertainment is located in Southbank. To me it’s a bit of a soul-less place all modern and clad in steel and glass. But if you’re lucky you can get great views of the city from your windy balcony on the 14th floor.

toodleytoo · 16-01-2013 3:25pm

Sorry to bring up an old thread but I'm just wondering what Hawthorn would be like to live in? It seems like it's close enough to Richmond, which area would have cheaper rent?

Ozeire · 16-01-2013 10:45pm

I work in Hawthron and really is a nice area . Plus you can be in the city in 15mins from it . So yeah i think it would be worth a look

massdebater · 16-01-2013 11:14pm

Forgot about this thread. My lease is up mid February so I'm on the lookout for somewhere new to live too. I'm in St Kilda at the minute but rent is too damn high for what you get - I'd rather live a bit further out to get cheaper rent and a bigger place. I kind of want a change of scenery too without moving too far (I work in Clayton so northside isn't really an option). I'd like somewhere that has a bit of life to it too (bars/restaurants/supermarkets etc) - no point in getting cheaper rent if you always have to head towards the city for a bit of civilisation.

Was looking at Oakleigh, Hawthorn/Hawthorn East and Brighton/Brighton East areas but to be honest I don't know much about any of them. Any info on these suburbs would be cool - or any of the south/east suburbs?

jackbhoy · 17-01-2013 2:46am

massdebater wrote: »

Forgot about this thread. My lease is up mid February so I'm on the lookout for somewhere new to live too. I'm in St Kilda at the minute but rent is too damn high for what you get - I'd rather live a bit further out to get cheaper rent and a bigger place. I kind of want a change of scenery too without moving too far (I work in Clayton so northside isn't really an option). I'd like somewhere that has a bit of life to it too (bars/restaurants/supermarkets etc) - no point in getting cheaper rent if you always have to head towards the city for a bit of civilisation.

Was looking at Oakleigh, Hawthorn/Hawthorn East and Brighton/Brighton East areas but to be honest I don't know much about any of them. Any info on these suburbs would be cool - or any of the south/east suburbs?

Out of those Hawthorn would probably match criteria you listed best.

Brighton is very posh area and it has a much higher population of older/retired people. Been out there a few times and didn't like the snobbish vibe around the place.

Have you considered Elsternwick? We checked it out as a potential area for us a couple of years ago and really like it.

Info on Melbourne Suburbs

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