Pakenham centre IS run down - that is what he is saying.

What sort of obscene comments do you get?

+1

It's like someone in Sparkbrook saying that they're still waiting for Birmingham to grow on them.

Much as i'd love to have a place near the CBD unfortunately i cannot afford it....cashed up POM i certainly aint

me and my family are coming to victoria instead of brisbane got 2 kids 3 and 5 can anyone give any of the important info a young family needs to know ie schools,places to live,social side of things,places to go and see,things to do.any advice would be greatly appreciated and in return let me know what you want brought over hp sauce,marmite or choc hob nobs and i will do my best to help ta nick

We're in the same boat kid, we are thinking of buying in watsonia, still affordable for us, but house will have to be a dooer upper, for me i would not like to live in pakenham or in the west, it has took me two years here to deciede where i would (not like to live, but where i could suffer living )

You have my understanding and that approach is quite sensible really. We bought a smaller home on an acre in an established village. Thinking back, it was dirt cheap. It helped that the home is too small for an established family who normally like to move in to acreage and shedding and have 4 bedrooms and a study. It needed a coat of paint in a lot of places and we've spent about 7k in 5 years. 2k on the pergola, and 5k to redo the ensuite.

Nothing like it has ever come up in the 5 years since. It either smaller blocks, or huge 3/5 million dollar homes.

You can get HP in Safeway. Easy as you like!

My mate is emigrating to Melbourne next week i somehow feel sorry for her lol, but she may well like it.

I feel your pain Lee, i was waiting along time in Perth, which never came. Grass greener, shit, bucket

anywhere you move to can end up not being the dream you want it to be if you let it. we live in port melbourne in a beautiful apartment with views of the city and the beach.
However, the daily grind of work can end up taking over life - you forget you could go for a walk on the beach (whatever the weather!) and instead sit inside and watch Grays Anatomy / House / Desperate Housewives and do the ironing / washing / cleaning! You forget driving to work through the grand prix track with palm trees lining the road that you're in Australia and should be 'living the dream'.
The small things need to be appreciated otherwise you could be living in any city in england. ultimately, moving to Australia is an amazing experience but most people will still have to work to earn a living and most people won't be earning the 200k salary they'd like so they could eat out every night, go away every weekend and look out of their beach front apartment.

One thing I never make much of a point about is that we have been busy breeding this last 4 years. That has taken up much of our time. When others have been whisking their kids to much that Melbourne offers, we have been tipping poo off nappies into toilets.

I'm actually quite look forwarding to getting to know this country again. It can only get better!

Forget moving closer to the CBD; I'd be trying to move away from it. Melbourne has some gorgeous outer suburbs. Once you reach the foothills, you're spoiled for choice.

The outer subs of Melbourne are ghost towns and definitely not gorgeous. I'd rather slit my wrists than live there.

Number of Victorian number plates I see here in NSW adorned with the phrase, "The place to be". I find the irony very amusing.

Go to Wagga and you see a plethora of VIC and NSW cars. Almost parity.

Some are, others are better - some of the more established ones.

I would be very picky about the outer burbs.

I went for a run this morning and I couldnt help noting the amount of NSW plates just around the suburb I live.
Works both ways!