Flying Banana

I arrived in Melbourne in November and had already made several recce trips to see where would be best to live.

Some friends of mine (Aussies - grown up in Melbourne - currently in the UK for the obligatory Europe experience) sent me the following info on Melbourne:

I'm in Glen Waverley at the moment which is about 25-30 mins on the train to the CBD, close to the freeway (on a bad day run into the city is about 35mins), if you are looking for schools I know the Glen Waverley school zone is the place to rent, very sought after. It's very central for all the neccessary amenities, close enough to the Dandenong ranges for a trip out at the weekend. The area I'm renting in is nice and quiet, decent neighbours and a 3 bed unit (would pass as a decent sized house in the UK) is costing $300pw to rent.

OzzieEagle, regarding travelling in the UK I used to live on the south coast near Brighton and had to travel to Heathrow for work, on a good day 2 1/12 hours, my worst trip was nearly 5 hours! A joke to do 70 kms lol.

ozzieeagle

Thats exactly the kind of information that people should be taking notice of well done. . It's all interesting to me as well, as I know very little about the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. I wouldn't know what is considered good over there or not so good, apart from obviously well renowed places like Wheelers hill. There is as big a divide here re east/west Melbourne, as there is with North and South London, With people basically only going to either side, for through transit purposes or of they happen to have freinds there. For Instance I Didn't know Glen Waverley was quite that close in time wise. But that probably because It's at least 45/50 mins from here In Coburg.

How did Altona, strictly a western suburbs suburb, get mixed up with all those eastern subs places though ? The reason people talk about Altona in that way, is if ones drives down millers road, which is just about the main route into Altona, one goes through, the heart of Melbournes, chemical processing area, Very close to where they had that massive chemical fire, that took 3 days to put out, at Coote Island. It is on Altonas doorstep I will admit, but despite all of that, beleive it or not Altona, is an up and coming suburb, with people willing to pay in the 700,000 plus bracket to get down onto the foreshore. Altona in itself, is a pretty good suburb. People do choose to go there, It isn't rough, has good schools, It's just got Melbournes chemical storage facilites (oil based mostly) about 5k's up the road from it, which one has to pass through to get to it. I guess that would be enough to put people travelling 12,500 miles off though..

Re Footscray, I've been thinking about this, It has a Multi cultural problem, which is quickly diminishing, IE: the people there are really integrating, and they have by all accounts fixed the Drug problem, Unlike the much further out eastern suburb of Springvale, (I stand to be corrected on whats happening in Springvale). As Footscray is so close in, between 5/8 ks from the cbd, has great transport, public and road. Some very good victorian houses, ( big big double story Victorian era houses, along Ballarat road etc, Renovators take note). A decent strip shopping centre, That buying there now, would almost certainly bring in massive capital returns, Easily within 15 years. Again travelling 12,500 miles probably puts it right on the backburner. I would consider a investment property there myself though, So Locally people in Melbourne, would consider Footscray, a great investment. That I'm pretty sure of. (just wish I knew more about the schools down that way, Now that would be a good indicator)

Another interesting point as an Edit, Is the old Waverley park, or the old home of AFL Football, (artic park as it was collequially known) was apparently the demographic centre of Melbourne, Which just goes to show how much further east Melbourne spreads than that. That is one hell of a lot of driving to get to the prettier more asthetic parts of town. Now if ones Puts Asthetic Qualities at the top of their list, Why not the comparatively closer in, and I'll claim them as Northern suburbs lol, Of Eltham, and Warrandyte. You can't get prettier than those places ? A lot of the Medical Professionals live out that way.

Merlot

Thank you to those in Melbourne with their insights, they have been very useful to me in my researching.

M

gogdownunder

I wont bother with the rest of this (ozzieeagle makes sense but its very broad and not in my area) but................

Waverly was never the "home of AFL Football". The 'G was/is the home of football. Aussie rules had been going for nearly a 100 years before the "home" was thought of. Waverley was a stupid mistake. Arctic Park yes, White Elephant, definitely. Demographic centre of Melb? It never happened that way, they got it wrong

As for Warrandyte being a northern suburb, are you trying to reduce the prices by 25% or what? W has never had a N feel, never. Not even NE. How long have you been here?

Anyway I enjoy your posts, mate, no worries

HiddenPaw

Hmm, inclined to think it's largely dependat on the area you work in. I worked for a finance firm, so perhaps inevitable that it was in the CBD. I got offered a job in the outer east as well tho, and husband spent most of his time in Tooronga & Blackburn (altho did a lot in the CBD/St Kilda Rd too).

A lot of companies have their main premises away from the CBD as it is so much cheaper in terms of rent, more space - and I don't mean west, but in the east too. There are loads of industrial/business parks all over the eastern suburbs.

ozzieeagle

Are you trying to tell me that Warrandyte is an eastern suburb ??, cos It's right next door to Eltham, and Eltham is part of aussies posts Northern network

Ok splitting hairs, Eltham = north east east and Warrandye is east north north lol

glad to hear you enjoy my posts though

errm and edit, been here a bit longer than 22 years, I'm getting to an age I dont want to relate lol. Re aussie rules, it's the one thing sadly I havn't been able to relate too, but I blame brilliant brilliant expereinces at Palace for that

fireeater

Ozzieeagle summed up Altona pretty well saying that it is bordered by a hideous chemical plant and industrial estates, but is better nearer the sea. Saying that, there are nice enough areas near Altona to commute from if you work there. Point Cook is further out from Melbourne CBD and seems pretty sleepy even compared to Williamstown. Didn't go to Laverton so can't comment there but again, it's proximity to the industrial estates around Altona would be enough to put many off. All of them have good road access to the freeway and the traffic on this side of town is small compared to the East so commuting to the CBD wouldn't be too lengthy. We live in Williamstown, the Newport end, and it takes Cas 20 minutes to drive to work to Hoppers Crossing.

Carl

syltgirl

Hi,
Just a short note to you - we went to Victoria in Nov 2004 and hired a motorhome and drove down the Great Ocean Road but before we started we stayed at a campsite in Footscray - not a nice place - simiar to Salford in Manchester (as someone also mentioned) - by the way the campsites were fantastic clean,etc) we then visited some friends in Bittern on the Mornington Pennisular and fell in love with the whole area - Meal in Frankston and Fish and Chips or should I say Flake and Chips? in Hastings also a nice place. (Dandenong is also a big place for work)
We do not have the visa yet because of the backlog Lodged 19 March 2004 Medicals August 2004 and still no news...
Our plan is to rent in Frankston as we do like our nights out (currently metro to Manchester) and have a good few beers - so train to Melbourne is ideal then we want to buy - We also took the Ferry to Queensferry and Rosebud and Sorrento also look fantatic.
All we can describe the Mornington Pennisular is - sea (one side the sun rises and the other side it sets), horses and vineyards.
What more do you want???
That was my short note.... Good Luck!!! Syltgirl

matt n ann marie

Sorry to come back to an old thread, we've started to look more at the west of Melbourne lately but aren't getting very far with the job prospects. My husband is a machinist and looking for a job in manufacturing (currently in the aircraft industry). You mentioned in an earlier post how much industry is in the west and wondered if you know if there's much manufacturing. Any info would be very much appreciated, we're hoping to do a reccie in October and need to narrow down our ideas!

Jimbob

I see no evidence of Footscray having fixed its drug problem. Its a pretty grim place especially at night and has a high crime rate - both street crime and property. Property is fairly cheap and you will get a lot more for your money than surrounding suburbs. Large vietnamese population and some great shops/food etc. Footscray market and Little Saigon market are also great for groceries and cheap. I quite like a visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

Yarraville is gentrified and expensive but a nice place to live (ony 15 mins out of the cbd by train). Seddon is going this way and would probably be a good place to buy (1 stop nearer to the cbd). Williamstown is expensive and gets really busy with tourists and daytrippers, larger shopping strip than most of the nearby suburbs. However if you intend to commute by train often Williamstown will involve a change at Newport which makes the journey longer.

Hels

Just to add some other suburbs into the mix....I really like Flemmington, Moonee Ponds, Strathmore, Essendon & Pascoe Vale.

A nice variety of housing, some nice parks, not too far from the CBD, some good shopping close by & good public transport with trams, trains and buses.

hevs

I have to agree re Essendon, on my visit to windy hill i drove round there quite a bit (10 yr old not mastered to Melways yet!!) and it was a nice part of the city, but thats what it felt like, part of the city. If cities are your bag then its really nice and i would prefer to live there than some of the further out commuter burbs.

Ozzie keeps going on about jobs/ living in the city but as HP has already stated a lot of jobs are NOT based in the CBD. HUP has had 2 jobs since being here, both in software, niether of which are even near the CBD. In actual fact we could live somewhere like Mornington or even as far down as Tooradin if we chose to be more rural because we do not need to go near the city (apart from occasional courses etc) during peak hour.

Its all down to personal choice at the end of the day, we like a bit of green and space around us, some prefer the hussle and bussle of city life. I guess it would help when people ask about areas to live if they know what feel that they personally are after

Hels

Yeah, good point. I did say they were close to the CBD tho and as you stated, would be easier to suggest if people were clearer on what kind of environment they saw themselves being happy in.

I also really love the Greensborough, Eltham, Lower Plenty, Yallambie areas. They are Suburbs, however very leafy and green ones.

Hels
xxx

hevs

I have ben to Eltham and it is a beautiful burb. Some burbs IMO arn't but again its horses for courses, some people view there place to live from inside there house, some from the facilities in their burb. Some view it as somewhere near to work, some view it as needing to see green, some even as to being near a good shopping center Its stange but i guess it would be a bit boring if we were all the same

ozzieeagle

My wife wants us to move to those exact same suburbs Hels, One major factor is that Eltham High, is as good as the schools around Carlton, and Parkville. Oh well It's either renovate or move. Moving would also be a nil cost factor dammit.

As for Jobs Hev's, I'm talking very broadly there, about someone who is 'fresh of the boat' Who doesn't have a high in demand skill, having more scope to walk into something unexpected closer in to the city, than further out, So basically I mean when one starts out, that closer in could be better for a lot of people.

Tip for someone that took notice of Hels post, about Essendon, Strathmore, Pascoe Vale etc, Just up the road from those suburbs, is a cheaper but similar option, In Oak Park, and small pockets of Glenroy (around the valley, overlooking Strathmore) Could save yourself 30,000 to 50,000 in those latter two