Young professional moving to Melbourne seeks advice

**JackAlexei** · 08-09-2011, 06:51 PM

Hi All,

I’m moving to Melbourne in a few weeks with work yet as i have never been to the city i don’t know where i should live. i am a 25 year old male looking to live in the city but i don’t know where the best locations are. Luckily my company will be providing me with accommodation - i just need to let them where! Can anyone give me some advice??

...as a little background I’m looking to be in a lively part of town, close to restaurants and easy access to the city centre. Preferably towards the east as I will be commuting out of town to Mount Waverley everyday. i don’t mind up to an hours commute though for a better location.

If I can be near the water that would also be a bonus but I’m really just looking for a part of town with a good atmosphere and good reputation, so hopefully a nicer part of the city.

Any ideas???

Cheers, Jack

**2and3** · 08-09-2011, 07:32 PM

No idea sorry. Just wondering if they were willing to pay whatever as surely some parts are going to be more expensive then others?? As in if in London and you said 'sloane square please' would they pay for that?

**MM2Melb** · 08-09-2011, 07:36 PM

How about South Yarra? Really nice and lively and a bit of a "hub" station to get back to Richmond for the commute out to Mount Waverley. Otherwise Richmond could be an option, lots of young people/ singles/share houses but not as smart an area/and restaurants etc more spread out rather than centred together. Unless you are going to drive, I don't think it is feasible to live on the beach but South Yarra/Prahran are in that direction and nearish to St Kilda.
This might help:
metlinkmelbourne.com.au/maps-stations-stops/metropolitan-maps/metropolitan-train-network-map/

**Petals** · 08-09-2011, 08:02 PM

Fitzroy is a good area and close in to the city popular with younger people.

**JackAlexei** · 09-09-2011, 10:13 AM

2and3 - of course i have a budget and can only get somewhere reasonable. i wasnt looking for th sloane square of melbourne but i can afford to be flexible. cheers for the concern though.

mm2melb - thanks for the advice. i will have a car so my commute will be by road (unless its loads more convenient to use public transport). i will check out the link! :)

petals - thanks, ill check it out!

**JoandJon** · 09-09-2011, 11:48 AM

If you've got a car then you might want to avoid the city centre and look for somewhere that's an easy trip in to the CBD on the train/tram. Gives you the best of both worlds - easy trips in and out for socialising/going out, but still a bit more space and parking is easier :)

Malvern, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Richmond.... So many nice places around!

**JackAlexei** · 09-09-2011, 01:02 PM

Cheers Jo&Jon!

im getting a few recommendations to live in St Kilda. I must admit the brit inside me is loving the idea of being close to a (warm) coast line!

does anyone have any opinions on St Kilda??

J

**Ken** · 09-09-2011, 01:17 PM

I visited St Kilda during a recce a few years back. I'd highly recommend it for a single person (I'm not so sure about for a family). It's got very good tram links into the CBD (some of which start in St Kilda so you can be sure of getting a seat) and some very nice new apartment blocks have gone up there in recent years too - you know the sort with a concierge, gym and often pools too. We were there in mid winter so it wasn't really warm but the weather was still better than anything you'd get in an english spring or autumn and about half the time in summer!

**MM2Melb** · 09-09-2011, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by JackAlexei

Cheers Jo&Jon!

im getting a few recommendations to live in St Kilda. I must admit the brit inside me is loving the idea of being close to a (warm) coast line!

does anyone have any opinions on St Kilda??

J

You will get different views but in lots of ways St Kilda would be ideal (apart from the commute, you would be reliant on car and the area is not connected to the city or elsewhere by train (replaced by light rail which is a bit slow).

It is lively with great restaurants/cafés/bars etc, the beach is a nice setting (although nothing compared to great ocean road etc), lots of young people (especially backpackers) Downside is some social problems (eg junkies and it always was the home of Melbourne prostitution). Depends how sensitive you are but you might either love it or hate it as a place to live.

**JoandJon** · 09-09-2011, 02:57 PM

St Kilda is vibrant - great to visit, but I personally wouldn't want to live there (i'm a mountains girl though!). Maybe look at Elwood instead - it's just next door. But even then you'd probably have a biatch of a drive to Mt Waverley across all the cross-traffic (in my opinion only).

If you love the idea of the beach then maybe slightly further out would be good. Brighton's lovely, pricey and full of poncy rich gits with snobby kids (again in my opinion only - sorry if I've offended any Brighton-ites here!).

Lots of places have loads of restaurants and are easy to get into the city from. Box Hill and Blackburn are great - loads of asian restaurants (yum cha!!!) and maybe 30mins on the train into the city. It's also an easy drive down to the beach, and about the same time to get to the Dandenong Ranges or Yarra Valley.

So many options!!