1jemma1

Hi,
We are moving out to Melbourne some time this year and was wondering if anybody has any advise on which are the best places for a family to move to. We would ideally like to be not to far from a beach but in commuting distance to the CBD. Our children range from been 21 to 3 so the area would need facilities to suit all ages. Any advise on this would be great.
Also does anyone know any good sites where i could get hold of some subburb profiles beacsue i am really struggling at the moment to find any information on these places.
Thanks
Jemma

Shakmaty

Hi, Melbourne is a massive place so difficult to advise exactly. My general advice to people is don't commit to anywhere before you've seen it and tried to get a feeling for the place. So ideally, take a rental for 3 months to a year, and spend that time seeing as much as possible of Melbourne. Before emigrating, try narrowing your search down with research like you're doing now. The search button on the menu above this page is good. I typed 'Melbourne' and 'suburbs' and got hundreds of threads, such as these:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...bourne+suburbs

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...bourne+suburbs

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...bourne+suburbs

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...bourne+suburbs

Petals

Have a look at realestate.com.au and look at the suburbs that follow the beach.

Going south from Melbourne, South Melbourne, St Kilda, Brighton, Sandringham, Hampton, Black Rock, Beaumaris, Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc, Aspendale, Edithvale, Chelsea, Bon Beach, Carrum, Seaford, Frankston, Mount Eliza, Mornington, Mount Martha.

All suburbs with access to the beach. Beach tends to be pricey as its popular.

Shakmaty

In the Herald Sun this week they ran columns on Melbourne's most livable suburbs. Top of the list was Bentleigh, which is only 5 minutes from beach, with great schools and low crime, and a cool local shopping strip on Centre road.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...6-2862,00.html

Shakmaty

And the final article is here:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...4-2862,00.html

CharleneG

Hi

There is a downloadable book called "The Book Where to Live in Melbourne".
It lists a lot of info about each suburb (some of it quite scary, crime rates should be taken in context).
There will be a link somewhere else on this site to it, hopefully someone else may have it handy as the search function does not seem to be working at the moment.

It gives commuting time into the CBD and tram stop info.
It also lists info about schools in each area.

It's very useful but you do have to pay a small amount for it.

Charlene

Petals

I was totally surprised that East Bentleigh got the gong. Its ok but I would not live there and I don't like the shopping strip. Its not five minutes from the beach unless you are a fast flying bird. Its on Centre road which is traffic traffic.

Elwood is five minutes from the beach as it runs along side it.

The suburbs I mentioned in my other post are the suburbs five mins from the beach as you cross the road to them. Bentleigh is in the middle like Mackinnon and parts of Moorabbin and Caulfield and not near the beach.

The experts based it on talking to people wonder how many they spoke to and it did not include all suburbs. In a week there is no way they could have visited every suburb in Melbourne discussed its good and bad points. We are four million people, ludicrous.

I have lived in Melbourne for over 30 years and have lived in Elwood loved it Caulfield loved it Edithvale loved it and now I live on the Peninsula and its the best of all.

Shakmaty

East Bentleigh is certainly not so desirable as Bentleigh, I'll grant you, but still it is a good place to be and more affordable than nearer to the bay. I live in Elsternwick and it takes me 5 minutes to drive to Elwood beach, about the same distance as Bentleigh is from Brighton beach. If I was walking, a leisurely stroll might take 30 minutes, or longer if I stopped in Elwood village for a coffee.

The earlier articles in the Herald Sun that week shortlisted based on affordability, resouces, crime rate etc, like so many suburb guides do, and I agree with you that this is an imprecise way to do things. An earlier study this year came up with Nillumbuk as the most livable suburb

The only problem I could foresee with living south of Mordialloc would be commute times, other than that Bayside and the Peninsula are beautiful places to live, but then again so much of Melbourne is beautiful that the choice will come down to the individual, and their own individual circimstances. Personally I prefer to live nearer the centre, but the downside is I can't afford to buy a house and am renting, if it is a downside.

flip

How far is not too far from the beach? If half an hour is a reasonable distance then the list goes on!

Petals

I agree with you entirely and it is unfortunate about the prices closer in to the city as this precludes so many people who need to be close to the city but are not that affluent.

We have always lived close to our work 20 mins to half an hour being our limit of travel so we have been very lucky in that respect.

I put the beach side suburbs because when people come from the UK the distances they relate to are not the distances that we relate to here. For instance I don't think that Bright is too far away but if you were in the UK its a long way. So its hard to ascertain from people exactly how far they want to be away from things. Perhaps they should put miles/km

Of course this thread has not discussed the other side of the city Altona, Point Cook etc which tend to be closer in than the southern eastern suburbs.
I am not an expert on them as we have never lived over that side of the city.

Shakmaty

Ain't that the truth. I drove to Sydney earlier this year without thinking twice about it, and I got to go to Adelaide in January and will drive cos again it doesn't feel that far. A stop off in Portland would be nice as well

My first year was in Newport/Williamstown, but we had to move as most of my work was in the South East and travelling the West Gate Bridge each morning was an enormous hassle. Saying that we were happy in the West, but in the older suburbs. The new builds are affordable but, to me, lack character. However, who knows what they'll be like in 10 or 20 years time. Apparently, Williamstown was a rough hole 20 years ago, but now is one of the most desirable places in Melbourne. And even Footscray is cleaning up its image, although the last time I was there about 2 months ago, I did see a needle on the street.

I think another thing people have to be aware of is what they 'think' in England may not be what they 'feel' when they get here. Someone may dream about living near a beach, but then visit somewhere in the hills and fall in love with the place. Likewise, someone may dream about a house in the country but fall in love with a central suburb. That's why I tell people not to commit to anything until they've actually seen the place.