Deancm_MKII

And expect to be paying upwards of $700/week.

Deancm_MKII

Unless you head down to Lygon street.

Kiwijack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Agn4y7rv8g

2008 was a bad fly year ! Not been too bad since.

hevs

It just depends what people like. And not many people can afford to buy in Sth Yarra!
Narre and Claytons are not shit holes! They are older and not nearly as posh as the ones you mention before, however they have some character and most people can afford to shop there...

And Berwick is certainly NOT a shit hole...

So? Unless you live in the city or on the beach, there are no high streets and everywheres a shit hole? OOookkaayyyy

Deancm_MKII

I think most Aussies would disagree with you. Actually, Narre Warren and Clayton are younger suburbs than most of the ones I mentioned before. I remember when Narre Warren and Berwick was all paddocks.

There is no need to buy/live in Sth Yarra to go to the shops.

Berwick has always been considered a posh outer eastern suburb.

Phlanger

You're probably right - Narre's a dump. I worked there for a year, never again.

Its not a dump by UK standards mind, its cleanish, reasonably low crime, presentable houses, etc, but by Melbourne standards its a characterless shithole dominated by a faceless, sprawling shopping centre, no high street, no heart and no reason to be in the place other than to shop. Full of chavs to boot.

Berwick used to be quite genteel by all accounts, but these days its an adjunct of Narre. The centre's quite decent, but overall its just part of the Casey sprawl. Posh no more.

Its interesting though - we probably tend to view these places through UK eyes - at least for the first couple of years. Someone drove me through Dandenong when I first came out - just to show me how 'awful' it was. I'd just come from a community development job in Glasgow - it was all I could do not to laugh in their face.

Shitholes? Maybe - maybe not - all in the eye of the beholder I suppose and depends on what you were used to before you came out.

Deancm_MKII

I think you're right. Looking through UK or Aussie eyes makes a difference. I've lived in Australia since I was 11 so I view it with Aussie eyes and I agree, Berwick has been tarnished by it's proximity to Narre.

BadgeIsBack

I agree with parts you all say.

My view is that Berwick is the stand-out suburb in the SE as evidenced by the demographics even on the train. See for yourself! I know people who live in Beaconsfield or edge of Narre but insist on going to Berwick stn. They all cling on to the notion of Berwick.

There are posh pockets of Berwick which will remain so.

The only downside is that Bwick has become part of a larger SE sprawl in Casey and there might be some sort of decline - how you choose to measure this is by the by.

I personally believe that Narre is in decline, or will be in decline and that the fast food and Fountain Gate culture tarnishes it - even though there are pockets that were fine 10 years ago. There are hoons and bogans around there - or FG attracts them from elsewhere. The fact of the matter is that the demographics would indicate that it is probably headed south.

I think that Berwick's reputation is still seen as a nice town by the genteel people of the city! People may not realise it is now part of the SE expansion corridor - which it is becoming part of - make no mistake.

It's all relative. It's nothing other than demographics.

Phlanger

True Badge. You can measure these things by the numbers by looking at ABS quickstats or SEIFA indices - but the immeasurable things probably matter as much to the housing market.

Berwick's holding its own for now (going to Berwick from Narre used to make me think of going from Milton Keynes to Stony Stratford) - and you're right, for that part of Melbourne it's still seen as the prestige location.

Not that it has much competition....

BadgeIsBack

And just the feel of the places....there would be people in Narre feeling like the people in the UK feel who want to move to quieter, more pleasant locations..

Yes.

And then there are places which pretend to be Berwick but are not.

hevs

ok...some perspetive. I would choose not to live in Narre...To sprawly for me and I dont like it. However the old part (shops) has a nice community feel and people are friendly, that said I wouldnt want to be down there on a friday night. This doesnt, however IMO make it a shithole. I came form a nice market town in the UK BTW, not a slum

Now...I'm not so subjective about HP, Doveton, Dande....IMO they ARE shitholes

Berwick Its self...OLD Berwick is still doing very nicely, a lot of properties are very expensive and the people who can afford those houses shop in and around Berwick, to me it shows in the town, definately!

The sprawl, like Badge says, that is called Berwick as far as the eye can see is doing Berwick no favours, it taking away the charecter that defined it. Thats why my house is on the market NOT because its a shit hole...I just want somewhere with more character

hevs

I've been here 7 years mate, do you seriously think I dont know any Aussies? Some of them actually live quite near to these shit holes! Gasp..... Guess what, not a commadore in sight

BadgeIsBack

Agree.

I would hesitate to recommend Berwick to people from out of town because they have a tendency to migrate to the cheaper places, or getting the value, and not seek out the places with character. Of course this may not bother them but it might eventually. I know of one family, who 5 years on, are starting to realise this.

We're staying put because although we are part of the SE we feel divorced from it, sort of out of sight, out of mind(!) But we got lucky with location.

Deancm_MKII

The ones in the know wouldn't be seen dead there and the ones that are seen wish they can get out (but can't afford to).

Commodore's are so passe. Even the bogans hate them now. The new bogan drives a Beemer or Audi.

Deancm_MKII

Whenever in Narre Warren just think of Kath & Kim...

Agreed!

Housing is bloody expensive everywhere in Melbourne now with the median house price c$630,000.

Ah... You've seen the light.