Melbourne Suburbs
#16
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Bloody hell, half a hour drive in peak time you would need to live very close in.
Had to drop my car for service into a Essendon ( inner suburb ) yesterday. Needed it there by 7.30 am, knew this was going to be hellish.
No accidents or roadworks on route, but it took an hour to drive what would be around 15 minutes if you tried it at say 10 pm. Had high hopes for the return at 1.30 pm but the trams had other ideas about that. Wedged between a tram and concrete mixer with parked cars as always partly blocking the left hand lane. Absolute nightmare.
Coming in on the major freeways into Melbourne anywhere near peak, say from 6am, is usually an absolute horror story. Saturday peak just seems to go all day. Weekdays I wont drive unless absolute necessary from 6 to about 10 and from about 2 till gone 6.30 at least.
I dont like trains much either, but in peak if there is one, it will more than likely be a better alternative.
Parking unless provided with an employer would be fun, one obstacle with the trains is the carparks are packed full usually by 6am. Pushbike to train seems to work best, but melbourne weather can be a bit aggressive ( usually wind related ) in winter or the worst days in summer. Some stations have security cages for bike.
Had to drop my car for service into a Essendon ( inner suburb ) yesterday. Needed it there by 7.30 am, knew this was going to be hellish.
No accidents or roadworks on route, but it took an hour to drive what would be around 15 minutes if you tried it at say 10 pm. Had high hopes for the return at 1.30 pm but the trams had other ideas about that. Wedged between a tram and concrete mixer with parked cars as always partly blocking the left hand lane. Absolute nightmare.
Coming in on the major freeways into Melbourne anywhere near peak, say from 6am, is usually an absolute horror story. Saturday peak just seems to go all day. Weekdays I wont drive unless absolute necessary from 6 to about 10 and from about 2 till gone 6.30 at least.
I dont like trains much either, but in peak if there is one, it will more than likely be a better alternative.
Parking unless provided with an employer would be fun, one obstacle with the trains is the carparks are packed full usually by 6am. Pushbike to train seems to work best, but melbourne weather can be a bit aggressive ( usually wind related ) in winter or the worst days in summer. Some stations have security cages for bike.
Many car parks full well after 6am. 730 might be a cutoff in other places : do your research. It's surprising where you can park a car : do your research. And there are many trains in peak hour : not all lines grind to a halt all day every day. Some are worse than others and delays are experienced at certain times on certain lines. Research them.
Last edited by BadgeIsBack; Apr 7th 2017 at 3:57 am.
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2016
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 183
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Bloody hell, half a hour drive in peak time you would need to live very close in.
Had to drop my car for service into a Essendon ( inner suburb ) yesterday. Needed it there by 7.30 am, knew this was going to be hellish.
No accidents or roadworks on route, but it took an hour to drive what would be around 15 minutes if you tried it at say 10 pm. Had high hopes for the return at 1.30 pm but the trams had other ideas about that. Wedged between a tram and concrete mixer with parked cars as always partly blocking the left hand lane. Absolute nightmare.
Coming in on the major freeways into Melbourne anywhere near peak, say from 6am, is usually an absolute horror story. Saturday peak just seems to go all day. Weekdays I wont drive unless absolute necessary from 6 to about 10 and from about 2 till gone 6.30 at least.
I dont like trains much either, but in peak if there is one, it will more than likely be a better alternative.
Parking unless provided with an employer would be fun, one obstacle with the trains is the carparks are packed full usually by 6am. Pushbike to train seems to work best, but melbourne weather can be a bit aggressive ( usually wind related ) in winter or the worst days in summer. Some stations have security cages for bike.
Had to drop my car for service into a Essendon ( inner suburb ) yesterday. Needed it there by 7.30 am, knew this was going to be hellish.
No accidents or roadworks on route, but it took an hour to drive what would be around 15 minutes if you tried it at say 10 pm. Had high hopes for the return at 1.30 pm but the trams had other ideas about that. Wedged between a tram and concrete mixer with parked cars as always partly blocking the left hand lane. Absolute nightmare.
Coming in on the major freeways into Melbourne anywhere near peak, say from 6am, is usually an absolute horror story. Saturday peak just seems to go all day. Weekdays I wont drive unless absolute necessary from 6 to about 10 and from about 2 till gone 6.30 at least.
I dont like trains much either, but in peak if there is one, it will more than likely be a better alternative.
Parking unless provided with an employer would be fun, one obstacle with the trains is the carparks are packed full usually by 6am. Pushbike to train seems to work best, but melbourne weather can be a bit aggressive ( usually wind related ) in winter or the worst days in summer. Some stations have security cages for bike.
#18
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 71
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Bloody hell, half a hour drive in peak time you would need to live very close in.
Had to drop my car for service into a Essendon ( inner suburb ) yesterday. Needed it there by 7.30 am, knew this was going to be hellish.
No accidents or roadworks on route, but it took an hour to drive what would be around 15 minutes if you tried it at say 10 pm. Had high hopes for the return at 1.30 pm but the trams had other ideas about that. Wedged between a tram and concrete mixer with parked cars as always partly blocking the left hand lane. Absolute nightmare.
Coming in on the major freeways into Melbourne anywhere near peak, say from 6am, is usually an absolute horror story. Saturday peak just seems to go all day. Weekdays I wont drive unless absolute necessary from 6 to about 10 and from about 2 till gone 6.30 at least.
I dont like trains much either, but in peak if there is one, it will more than likely be a better alternative.
Parking unless provided with an employer would be fun, one obstacle with the trains is the carparks are packed full usually by 6am. Pushbike to train seems to work best, but melbourne weather can be a bit aggressive ( usually wind related ) in winter or the worst days in summer. Some stations have security cages for bike.
Had to drop my car for service into a Essendon ( inner suburb ) yesterday. Needed it there by 7.30 am, knew this was going to be hellish.
No accidents or roadworks on route, but it took an hour to drive what would be around 15 minutes if you tried it at say 10 pm. Had high hopes for the return at 1.30 pm but the trams had other ideas about that. Wedged between a tram and concrete mixer with parked cars as always partly blocking the left hand lane. Absolute nightmare.
Coming in on the major freeways into Melbourne anywhere near peak, say from 6am, is usually an absolute horror story. Saturday peak just seems to go all day. Weekdays I wont drive unless absolute necessary from 6 to about 10 and from about 2 till gone 6.30 at least.
I dont like trains much either, but in peak if there is one, it will more than likely be a better alternative.
Parking unless provided with an employer would be fun, one obstacle with the trains is the carparks are packed full usually by 6am. Pushbike to train seems to work best, but melbourne weather can be a bit aggressive ( usually wind related ) in winter or the worst days in summer. Some stations have security cages for bike.
Sounds like I may as well stay in London! Seriously the way you have just described I wouldn't be any better off! Why on earth do British people move there?
#19
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Traffic in a city of 5 million should be no surprise to anyone, no issues go away because you swing to the other side of the planet.
Melbourne has experienced fast growth so problems associated with housing and transport develop. That s what happens, anywhere not just in Melbourne. Immigration here is very diverse, as multicultural as you can get, Brits are only a small part of it. Never thought of it before but in 2 years in Melbourne have met a brit, cant think of one! Plenty on forum obviously.
People move for relationships, ' better life ' real or imagined, a job opportunity, just wanting to try another country, to a bit of australia that will offer a very different lifestyle, tropical beach in qld, that sort of thing.
Reasons change too, it used to be financial, great exchange rate, cheaper housing, some wanted to escape the issues of the world, that of course does not happen.
But less traffic, australia has that in buckets, just not in melbourne or sydney or peak in brisbane. Canberra and Adelaide spring to mind, much easier, still cities.
Job opportunites are relative to population too, might be more in syd, melb at first sight, but more people applying for them. I know for us, our business was 10 times easier in QLD, due to less competition. So much so I commute, but find the odd opportunity in Melbourne, but the vast amount of people competing for anything is tiresome.
Dont overlook the smaller places if you want that relaxed, easier life
#20
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
As I said before, my suburb, St Kilda East was on your list. I sometimes drive in...if I do, I leave by 7am and it takes 15 mins or less. I drove today, my train line is suspended due to flooding as it always is when there is more than 3 nanometres of rain! Despite the crappy weather, still 15 mins later I'm parked in the multi-storey car park in the CBD. If I had written this post last week I could've told you it was only $10 for daily parking too...but it went up to $13 over the weekend!
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2016
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 183
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Melbourne's (and for that matter, Sydney's) transport problems are nothing new. They reflect a combination of physical geography and a history of pretty terrible urban planning and chronic under investment in public transport. The big difference between Melbourne and London is that in London zones 1 & 2, it isn't that difficult to make cross town trips, using a combination of Underground, National Rail and bus. In Melbourne, things are much more on the spoke and hub model. As populations and ways of working and living have changed, the public transport in Melbourne hasn't been updated. So the city is reliant on the car for a lot of its transport.
I've lived in Sydney, Melbourne and London. I'd never live in Sydney again (and get annoyed by the traffic whenever I am there and have to leave the CBD). I've thoroughly enjoyed living in Melbourne (I do think it is a nice place to live) and think it has much to recommend it over Sydney as a city in which mostly to work, and live a bit (ie, after work and weekends). Sydney is a great city if you can live beachside or harbourside, and have a lot of leisure time! But to have to commute in Sydney is wretched and past the harbour and beach, I think it is a pretty disagreeable place and choked by traffic even worse than in Melbourne. I loved living in London and would live there again in a heartbeat, but that's not currently part of the future plans (I'm moving to Vancouver for the next part of my life).
#22
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Well it would depend if your be all and all criteria was traffic!
As I said before, my suburb, St Kilda East was on your list. I sometimes drive in...if I do, I leave by 7am and it takes 15 mins or less. I drove today, my train line is suspended due to flooding as it always is when there is more than 3 nanometres of rain! Despite the crappy weather, still 15 mins later I'm parked in the multi-storey car park in the CBD. If I had written this post last week I could've told you it was only $10 for daily parking too...but it went up to $13 over the weekend!
As I said before, my suburb, St Kilda East was on your list. I sometimes drive in...if I do, I leave by 7am and it takes 15 mins or less. I drove today, my train line is suspended due to flooding as it always is when there is more than 3 nanometres of rain! Despite the crappy weather, still 15 mins later I'm parked in the multi-storey car park in the CBD. If I had written this post last week I could've told you it was only $10 for daily parking too...but it went up to $13 over the weekend!
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#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Well, it's all about the pros and cons. Melbourne has better weather than London, and assuming you can afford decent real estate, you can have a nice garden all year round (I'm able to grow veggies all year 'round). For a city its size, it also has a decent cultural life, and the countryside is in quite close proximity so it's more straightforward to get out of than, say, Sydney.
Melbourne's (and for that matter, Sydney's) transport problems are nothing new. They reflect a combination of physical geography and a history of pretty terrible urban planning and chronic under investment in public transport. The big difference between Melbourne and London is that in London zones 1 & 2, it isn't that difficult to make cross town trips, using a combination of Underground, National Rail and bus. In Melbourne, things are much more on the spoke and hub model. As populations and ways of working and living have changed, the public transport in Melbourne hasn't been updated. So the city is reliant on the car for a lot of its transport.
I've lived in Sydney, Melbourne and London. I'd never live in Sydney again (and get annoyed by the traffic whenever I am there and have to leave the CBD). I've thoroughly enjoyed living in Melbourne (I do think it is a nice place to live) and think it has much to recommend it over Sydney as a city in which mostly to work, and live a bit (ie, after work and weekends). Sydney is a great city if you can live beachside or harbourside, and have a lot of leisure time! But to have to commute in Sydney is wretched and past the harbour and beach, I think it is a pretty disagreeable place and choked by traffic even worse than in Melbourne. I loved living in London and would live there again in a heartbeat, but that's not currently part of the future plans (I'm moving to Vancouver for the next part of my life).
Melbourne's (and for that matter, Sydney's) transport problems are nothing new. They reflect a combination of physical geography and a history of pretty terrible urban planning and chronic under investment in public transport. The big difference between Melbourne and London is that in London zones 1 & 2, it isn't that difficult to make cross town trips, using a combination of Underground, National Rail and bus. In Melbourne, things are much more on the spoke and hub model. As populations and ways of working and living have changed, the public transport in Melbourne hasn't been updated. So the city is reliant on the car for a lot of its transport.
I've lived in Sydney, Melbourne and London. I'd never live in Sydney again (and get annoyed by the traffic whenever I am there and have to leave the CBD). I've thoroughly enjoyed living in Melbourne (I do think it is a nice place to live) and think it has much to recommend it over Sydney as a city in which mostly to work, and live a bit (ie, after work and weekends). Sydney is a great city if you can live beachside or harbourside, and have a lot of leisure time! But to have to commute in Sydney is wretched and past the harbour and beach, I think it is a pretty disagreeable place and choked by traffic even worse than in Melbourne. I loved living in London and would live there again in a heartbeat, but that's not currently part of the future plans (I'm moving to Vancouver for the next part of my life).
For example, I would never drive into London. But I do in Melbourne, and on a weekday. It still feels like it is your city and not owned by tourists. There is still only one 1 CBD. The inner burbs - take your pick.
You just need to learn the ropes : and manage it the best you can.
#25
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
It is, ta. It never rains like this over on the Williamstown line of course. (I think I got this and hundreds of other old Melbourne photos at one time on Pinterest).
#26
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2016
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 183
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Simply, it's relative. To us Londoners, Melbourne seems quite manageable.
For example, I would never drive into London. But I do in Melbourne, and on a weekday. It still feels like it is your city and not owned by tourists. There is still only one 1 CBD. The inner burbs - take your pick.
You just need to learn the ropes : and manage it the best you can.
For example, I would never drive into London. But I do in Melbourne, and on a weekday. It still feels like it is your city and not owned by tourists. There is still only one 1 CBD. The inner burbs - take your pick.
You just need to learn the ropes : and manage it the best you can.
You're absolutely right - it's all about learning the ropes and managing things. I definitely agree that once one is living here, Melbourne really does feel like one's own city.
#27
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
Hi everyone, I'm just wondering if you know of the beachside suburbs? Not Brighton or McMansion millionaires row suburbs, but maybe as far down to Torquay on the left and Frankston on the right. (Looking at map and haven't a clue about the areas). Lol.
Thanks
Thanks
#28
Victorian Evangelist
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: Melbourne Suburbs
That's a very big area. What were you hoping to learn?