Melbourne.......
 

Hi, I have decided to move my family from New Zealand to Melbourne and would really appreciate some advice regarding suburbs. I would most likely need to work in the city centre and don't mind some travelling and am happy to use public transport, so I guess a suburb not too far out is needed. I also have two children, one almost 13 and one almost 2 so a good high school and good pre-school also needed, child friendly suburbs are my priority.

I intend to start researching suburbs on the internet but at present have absolutly no idea where start so your help would be gratefully received.

Any other information people can give me about life in Melbourne would also be good, I have (unfortunately) never been there and have made the decision to move there purely on people's advice (the other choice was back to the UK but the job situation over there isn't looking good).

We have lived in Christchurch for over 5 years and although it is without question a very beautiful place to live it just doesn't provide enough for us to stay and that includes the low wages.

Thanks in advance for advice:D

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Hi Mandy

Melbourne is a good choice and there are plenty of nice suburbs to choose from close to the city. However its difficult to give you advice without knowing your rough budget for a rental and then how much you would be willing to pay if or when you do buy a property.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Hi Mike

I guess for a rental we would be looking to pay around $350 - $400 per week (similar to what we pay here in NZ). As for buying I couldn't really say until we are earning over there and have a better idea of budgets. Thanks:D

Re: Melbourne.......
 

http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/m...n-network-map/ metro map and details about fares.

http://bettereducation.com.au/Results/vce.aspx ranking of schools in VIC.

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/findaservice/Home.aspx what schools in which area

http://www.domain.com.au/?mode=rent
http://www.realestate.com.au/rent

http://www.melbourne-suburbs.com.au/ suburb info

http://britvics.org/forum/2937/ VIC forum, not as busy as expats.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Mandy, $400 per week would rent you a house in my area, Mordialloc/Parkdale, 45 mins to the city, walk to the beach.

Is your older child a girl? If so try and rent in the Mentone girls secondary college zone - http://www.mgsc.vic.edu.au/ as this is an excellent girls state school. There are loads of other good schools all over Melbourne but this might give you a starting point.

BB

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Cheers Buzzy-Bee, i'll check out your area. Just found a great website called Cityhobo (I think) giving good advice about suburbs but didn't have Mordialloc, or I couldn't find it. My eldest is a boy, though with his long hair he could probably pass as a girl:p A friend mentioned Essendon to me, though i gather its pretty expensive there. More research tonight if my computer can handle the pressure:rofl:

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Thanks for all these links. I will use them wisely:thumbsup:

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Essendon-Moonee Ponds-Maribyrnong is a great area for living. No doubt, the best one in Northern and Western Suburbs. Essendon is a well known for good schools (Buckley Park, Pentleigh ...), Moonee Ponds has a great deal of shops and coffee bars, while Maribyrnong has heaps of park areas and High Point Shopping Centre. It's only 20 min from the city.
This area is well known as a 'Secret of the West' as it's surrounded by 'troubles': Footscray, St Albans, Broadmeadows, Coburg, Brunswick and Flemington
It is a bit of expensive for renting, but the other things are much more affordable than in Eastern and Southern Suburbs.

If you work in the city, I would strongly recommend it. But, I wouldn't if you travel to inner east or south.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Taylors Lakes in the Northwest is a peaceful suburb.

Here are reviews

http://localvoices.realestate.com.au...lakes/overview

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Brunswick is more expensive than Essendon, Not sure where this fellow got his ideas about Brunswick and Coburg. .... Underbelly Perhaps... trouble with that is half the crims lived in Essendon. Brunswick South Primary School finished top in the State for Education, beating all of the private schools.... which surprised the bloody hell out of me as it is where my Son attended last year. So I dont think those kids would be considered troubled... LOL.


Essendon is a great place though... Pascoe Vale/Oak Park would be more affordable. Considered Niddrie and Airport West if heading for Essendon. Not quite so much public transport around Essendon as some of the other Inner City places. Personally I really like Niddrie.

Lived in this part of Melbourne for 30 years now, So I love it when people from overseas come on and give opinions without actually living there :lol:

Good luck with your hunt... I can understand your confusion as out East over Buzzybees way there is also some fantastic living to be had. As there are in plenty of other parts of Melbourne.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/regions/melbourne/ some suburbs.

http://www.toiletmap.gov.au/default.aspx spend a penny

http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/viewer.htm current road conditions. Can also use Google maps.

I live in God's own green acre of Ringwood. We could be getting the second Costco soon!!!

Re: Melbourne.......
 

I'll just add my two-cent-worth of local knowledge. We live in Montmorency, a small suburb in the northeast, between the large suburbs of Greensborough and Eltham. We are on a direct line to the CBD (35-40 mins on express trains) and only a few minutes drive from some of the major roads (Western Ring Rpad, Eastern Freeway). We have huge shopping centres within 5 minutes drive and a local shopping "village" with everything you couds ask for: small supermarket, independent butchers, greengrocer, deli, hair/beauty salons, newsagent/post office, toyshop, specialty shops, takeaway food...

Most houses are on largeish blocks (average about 600-800sqm) and have a garden. There are plenty of good primary schools (I think there is a Montessori one, or it could be Steiner :unsure:) not far. There are a few independent/catholic primary schools too. Eltham Highschool and St Helena Secondary College both have a good reputation as government secondary schools. There are some private secondary schools along the train line as well.

We are surrounded by tall gum trees, plenty of parks and walking paths along rivers and creeks, and some hilly countryside. We're only about an hour's drive to the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley. We are about 45 minutes from the beach but we're not really beach-goers so we don't mind.

I have 2 young boys and they absolutely love everything about our house/garden/community. We have met lovely people and there is a real sense of community which I never encountered in other suburbs (I have lived in 3 other suburbs closer to the city) or even in the UK where we lived.

We get the best of country living with the city on our doorstep. I bet you can tell I love our little piece of Melbourne :wub: ;)

Feel free to PM me if you want any more info :)

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Sorry for classifying your area as 'troubled'. Bad impression about Brunswick is driven mainly by Brunswick Secondary College, bloody Sydney Road and other narrow streets and lack of good playgrounds for kids.
And you are right, 4 years living in the area is not enough to have opinion about it :rolleyes:

Re: Melbourne.......
 

It's an Urban area... People come from all over Melbourne to Dine and partake in it's nightlife these days..

Brunswick Secondary College has moved into the top 33pct of schools in the State believe it or not. It's also won State Rock Eisteddfod Awards 3 times in the last 6 years. Great school for Drama and the Arts.

http://www.brunswick.vic.edu.au/inde...isteddfod.html

Brunswick has probably changed more than any Suburb in Melbourne over the last 15 years.

The principles address, probably sums up best what has happened.

From the Principal

Thank you for visiting the Brunswick Secondary College school website. I hope it provides you with a glimpse into the diverse talents and achievements of our students and staff, the continually expanding learning choices we offer students and our commitment to adding value to the learning and growth of each child.
The College’s diversity is its great strength. Our school population is genuinely reflective of both the multiculturalism and recent gentrification of the communities of Brunswick and Coburg. We are proud of the diversity of our specialist programs that among many others include a Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program for highly able students, an expansive selection of specialist subjects and a rich array of student leadership opportunities.
Our teaching staff is our greatest asset. The vibrancy of our programs attracts highly qualified and aspiring new teachers to our school.These graduates are fortunate to be mentored by a core of highly experienced staff who have been responsible for the school's substantial improvement and success over recent years.
At Brunswick Secondary College, our vision and direction is guided by the school values of excellence, persistence, responsibility, achievement and teamwork underpinned by the core value of respect. Our mission is for all students to live these values, achieve their full potential and have a successful pathway beyond our school.
VivienneTellefson

Probably best summed up as "Doing an Islington"

Re: Melbourne.......
 

[QUOTE=elice_in_oz;9245099]. I bet you can tell I love our little piece of Melbourne :wub: ;)

QUOTE]

You've sold it to me!! Sounds just like what we'll be looking for when we arrive in May. Will make sure to visit and check it out.:thumbup:

Re: Melbourne.......
 

You're welcome to give me a shout if you want somebody to show you around when you get here!:thumbsup:

You have young children don't you? How old are they?

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Thanks for the kind offer. May well take you up on that!

Yes, our children are 5 and 20 months. 5 year old asked if we're driving to Singapore the other day!! She's had a few wobbles recently knowing that we're leaving soon. I explained to her about keeping in touch with skype and she said "yes, but it's not the same, I can't actually touch the people". Brings a tear to my eye thinking about it..................

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Brunswick is trendy these days and a bit alternative, a lot of arty people living there, environmentally aware and politically 'left-leaning' types. It is an extremely multicultural area. It used to be mainly Italians but now there are a large number of immigrants from Middle Eastern Islamic countries.

The whole underworld link has to do with the past association with the 'Mafia' people like Gangitano and Mick Gatto, and the fact there are a lot of pubs and clubs along Sydney Road, Brunswick that have been frequented by a lot of these characters with several shooting incidents. This does not reflect the general demographics or feel of the area itself.

Sydney road is the longest continuous shopping strip in Australia from memory, Brunswick and Coburg sort of just melt in to one another and have a vaguely similar feel although one is inner suburban and the other is middle.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Still struggling with these suburbs, looked at lots and lots but can't seem to get a feel for any of them. :(

Re: Melbourne.......
 

It is very hard to get a feel for a suburb without visiting. Or from what people say about it. Any chance you could come for a few days from Christchurch and have a look around?

Are you looking to be near the beach, the CBD, the country? How big/small a house do you want? All these factors and more will allow you to eliminate some suburbs from your list (assuming you have a list) and you might be left with only a few to look at. I think you want a rent of up to $400. That alone means that unless you want a 1/2 bedroom unit/flat, you will not be able to rent in the inner suburbs. Take a map of Melbourne and look at suburbs 15km or more from the CBD and it will start you on some places.

Instead at looking at lots which will only get confusing, pick a few that fit most of your criteria and see if you can come over and have a look.

Good luck :fingerscrossed:

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Thanks, i've got the map. I've just been looking at Croydon, any opinions on there? I initially wanted to be closer to the city centre but am finding the prices too expensive. We have heard some good stuff about Lilydale but don't really want to be that far out. Croydon seems a little closer and more realistically priced. Thanks

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Sorry, all I know about Croydon is that it doesn't look very attractive when driving through to Lilydale and beyond (nice areas those) :unsure: And there was a scandal about a doctor infecting his female patients with hep C recently :sneaky: Not very nice I know so I'll shut up about what I don't know well :o

Croydon is 45 mins from the city by train. Have you had a look at the Eltham area. It is more pleasant (to my mind) as it has a more rural feel to it whilst still being 45 mins from the city. Some areas of Greensborough and Watsonia are also very nice.
This house in Watsonia is in a really nice street near a large forest reserve full of kangaroos, but only a few minutes walk from the high street. I know this because we tried to buy a house in this very street!
This house is almost on the reserve and looks OK to me.
Here's another one in Watsonia. Bathtub is a scary colour :eek: but house looks decent enough.
You can get this house in Eltham for $300. Kitchen is drab but if it is functional, does it matter?
This one looks nicer and is in a nice large street, in a hilly part of town.

These are just examples of what you can get around my area.

Can I ask why you chose the area around Croydon? Anything in particular that attracted you to that side of the city?

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Hi, thanks for those Links. Unfortunately only got to look at a couple of those houses because i was too late and they are no longer listed. I will check out Watsonia, hadn't heard of that one before. No not looked at Eltham yet either. No particular reason why were looking at Croydon other than it was a little closer than Lilydale and the houses we checked out looked OK. That was as far as we got though i'm thinking of giving it a miss now after your advice:unsure:

We are now wondering if it would be worth paying a bit extra rent to live closer to the city if it would balance with the cost of travelling into the city for work plus the time it would take. We have decided to fly over in a couple of months to check it out for ourselves, only way to be sure i think. It will be a couple of mad days checking out everything we possibly can. When we moved to NZ we had the luxury of having a nice little pot of cash, not huge but enough to have some time to find our feet. This time round thats not the case (NZ economy has pretty much eaten up everything) so we have to get things right right from the start. :)

Re: Melbourne.......
 

I'd take Eltham over Croydon or Watsonia any day although house prices would be higher in Eltham.

Watsonia is probably a slightly better suburb than Croydon and quite affordable.

I've heard bad things about Croydon with regards to drug use, crime problems and antisocial youth, but it has the cheapest housing of all those areas so that's the trade off.

Eltham is a very nice area though. Leafy and attractive, native bushland and countryside nearby, almost a semi rural feel but still close to Melbourne.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

We are just about to move up to "The Hills" or the Dandenong Ranges (please dont confuse it with Dandenong!!!) We will be in Selby which is fairly rural and the only transport is Puffing Billy :D However its a 3 min drive from Belgrave. Belgrave is, to me, like a market town in the UK. It has a high street with shops, banks, pubs, a small cinema, real estate agents etc. It is the start of the train line into the city and I'm pretty sure its about 50 mins to the CBD, but would need to check. As we dont work in the CBD its no issue to us. To drive in will take about 40 mins as long as its not peak hour. There are good primary schools and secodary in the area, both state and private. Its extremely pretty and some of the scenery is breathtaking as you can see the city skyline in places.

We have lived here for nearly 8 years and this is our 3rd move. The first house was in a tiny "hamlet"called Harkaway, but the house was too small when number 3 made an appearence ;) We then moved to Berwick, but its doing my head in here, to may new estates, to much traffic and not enough infrastructure, IMHO. At least in the established suburbs it is what it is, and in the hills they cant build any big roads or any estates...BUT again its down to personal preference :)

Re: Melbourne.......
 

I would look at the Metlink site and follow the train lines out from the city.

http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/

For me I have to live near the sea so I like the bayside suburbs and there are a lot.

Glen Waverley is a popular suburb as the train line is particularly good to the city. Also has good schools. Its not near the beach but its a handy suburb and good starting point.

I would go for the more established suburbs, older property perhaps not so glam but the services are all there and there is not such a drain on them as there are in the newer areas. Also internet access is better.

There are many reasonable suburbs commutable to the CBD.

I am sure that once you look at a rental you will be able to decide whether the street is a good one or not by the houses roundabout it.

Happy hunting.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

To match the requirements of your original post, I would generally agree with any suggestions for NE suburbs in the 10-15k range from the CBD.

Good luck with the move.

Re: Melbourne.......
 

I think we will DEFINITELY give Croydon and wide berth. Thanks:thumbup:

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Mmmmmm this area sounds nice, will look it up. Thanks

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Ha ha, i love that saying, don't here it much over here:p

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Brilliant thanks. Really looking forward to coming over and having a look around:D

Re: Melbourne.......
 

Thanks:thumbup: