Coburg, Victoria?

Moosey2Loosey

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are moving to Melbourne in August. We've been looking at rentals in Richmond, Carlton, Fitzroy etc, but a few houses in Coburg look very nice and are cheaper. Anyone lived there/near?

Cheers.

Skittlebrau

Hi Moosey2Loosey,

I lived in Coburg for a year when I first arrived over here (around 4 and a half years ago now). It's a nice area but I guess it depends what you're looking for.

It's definitely not as 'trendy' as Richmond or Fitzroy which are full of nice little cafes and bars. There's not much of that in Coburg at all, although there is in Brunswick (which is between Coburg and Carlton and where I live now incidentally), which is only 5-10 mins by tram.

Sydney Road is the main shopping street (it's the main route into the city too, where the tram runs). Lots of interesting 'ethnic' shops There's huge Turkish and Lebanese communities in Coburg so there's lots of fantastic kebab shops and bakeries/pastry shops but there's nothing really in the way of bars/pubs (well there's a couple which are filled with pokies but they don't count in my book).

There's a couple of big supermarkets, a library, various footy ovals etc. I lived opposite Pentridge Prison (not a prison anymore, it's been developed into appartments/townhouses) and there's a nice park down the end of that road too.

Coburg is convenient though, especially for working in the city. Transport is good. There's the No. 19 tram and also the Upfield train line. Tram takes around 30 mins, train 20.

So Coburg is fine, if you're looking for something close enough to the city but it's not too exciting. There's definitely a lot more going on in places like Fitzroy, Richmond and Carlton, but as you've seen you pay extra for the privilege.

I'm biased, but I'd also recommend Brunswick and Brunswick East (not Brunswick West though, there's not a lot there). Closer to the city than Coburg, not as expensive as Fitzroy, Carlton and Richmond but is definitely more lively (cafe's, bars, cool shops etc) than Coburg. Northcote is another area that I like a lot which is worth checking out.

If you have any specific questions, fire away.

Zambia

I have been through it a few times it looks fine. I have met people who loved living there.

If you are at the stage that you know you are coming here but just dont know where to base camp till you know where you want to be. Its not a bad spot.

We spent the first few months in Moonee Ponds it was near there, it was lovely rent was really high for a house that was not so great. Feel free to PM me if you have any issues over renting for the first time etc.

Welcome to Melbourne.

Moosey2Loosey

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses. We're hoping to get there in Aug/Sept. My partner is a Kiwi and has been to Melbourne several times and she has family there. We lived in N.Z. for 2 years and we had a few weeks in Brisbane but Melbourne looks a great place to live. Been told the winter is wicked, but it can't be much worse than Dublin, eh?

I did want to ask if there's much hassle involved in buying and registering a car. My partner will use public transport but I reckon I'll need a car/ute, so I'll need to get one fairly quick.

Cheers for any advice!

Zambia

Moosey2Loosey wrote: »

Hi guys,
Been told the winter is wicked, but it can't be much worse than Dublin, eh?

I did want to ask if there's much hassle involved in buying and registering a car. My partner will use public transport but I reckon I'll need a car/ute, so I'll need to get one fairly quick.

Cheers for any advice!

The cold last mon & tues night was really biting. Its a different sort of cold here. However nothing that cannot be handled.

Buying a car is no issue at all , most second hand ones are already holding a bit of rego. So when it expires you get a letter from vicroads.

The issue is getting a cheap "good" run around. You can be in charge of a car a day after you land. Once you have an address.