Frankston South or Mornington????

[Guest jonseywife]

Hi all............

The Jones family (Mum, Dad and 4 kids aged 10,12,14 & 15) will hopefully be moving to Oz later this year, if all goes to plan...... !!!!

We need somewhere near everything really ie, schools, shops, cinemas, skateparks and of course the beach.................

Frankston South and Mornington have been mentioned to us but is there any one out there know of these areas or suggest some other places along the coast..............

Any hints & tips would also be welcomed..............

Thanks in advance from the Jones gang

[Carorp]

Hi, Frankston is a bigger town and has everything a bit like Bromley but older and arguably not as nice. Mornington is more like Tunbridge wells has everything but smaller, very friendly and some posher boutiques, eatteries. I think with children you would be happier with them in Mornington than Frankston. But the best thing is to come and see for yourself. We moved from Green Street green in orpington and now live in Mount martha but love Mornington really glad we made the move.

caroline

[Guest lemondrop]

Hi, we live in Frankston South and love it. It is about 5 minutes out of town and alot greener than Frankston central. Mornington is much more "english" with a high street and the beach down the end. There are lots of cafes and aussie pubs and it is more picturesque than Frankston, however the facilities in Frankston for teenagers in my opinion are much better. Frankston is the end of the line for the city bound trains so if you lived in Mornington it would mean catching a bus (or driving) to Frankston (about 15-20 mins). The main shopping centre is much bigger in Frankston with alot more choice for groceries, department stores etc. Plus for the kids there are the multiplex cinemas (none in Mornington), bowling, and Frankston High School (which is zoned) is one of the best performing state high schools around. I love visiting Mornington but prefer living in Frankston South.

[Petals]

I think that South Frankston is equally as nice as Mornigton. Mornington has changed a lot and is no longer as nice as it used to be as redevelopment has gone on around the beach area. This has spoiled the village feel in my opinion. Years ago there were rallies in the street against development but of course the people lost out.

 

South Frankston has a lot of very nice homes and nice Estates a lot of them you get bay views from.

 

I agree with the op that for young people Frankston is definitely easier. For example when they apply for a job in the CBD they are less likely to have people say "isnt that a long way to come".

 

Frankston has a branch of Monash University and a TAFE College.

 

We live in Somerville and we love it and chose it because its easy for transport too we also have the train here and my children were able to take it into the city or Frankston before they had their licences and it was great.

 

I think you have to ask yourself what are you like? Do you like to see people around and about if you want this then the large new estates may not be for you because most couples both work and they are very very quiet during the day. No-one around. However if you buy in an older more estalished area you get a cross section of the community and more of a community feel in my opinion.

[the dougans]

we too are going ton frankston or frankston south as it seems to have more for kids and yea it straight link to city. it is also much cheaper than some suburbs nearby. does anyone no what the crime is like here is it a safe place to be? is there meet ups in frankston?

[Petals]

People who do not live in Frankston tend to have an opinion about Frankston which is totally unfounded. My mum lived in the middle of Frankston right where the action is until she was about 87 and she never experienced any crime and she was very very close to the city centre and the rail station.

 

Frankston is a place that people move to and love and stay. Frankston has a lot of older property which can be cheaper but in good areas and worth renovating. Langwarrin is right next door and very popular place for people to live. South Frankston is hilly and Frankston itself is flat. Tahni Lode Estate is very popular as is Lakewood. I have friends who live in Frankston right up on the hill. and they love it.

 

You can get the train to the city, your children have further education facilities in Frankston, Monash University has a campus there and also there is a very good TAFE Technical and Further Education College. Lots of doctors everything you can think of.

 

I myself live on the Peninsula on the Westernport Side which we love and its not as inhabited as the Port Phillip side. More horsey people and stud farms etc.

 

Lots of Brits have made Frankston home. Most children around here would have a Brit in the family somewhere.

 

Good luck.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

we too are going ton frankston or frankston south as it seems to have more for kids and yea it straight link to city. it is also much cheaper than some suburbs nearby. does anyone no what the crime is like here is it a safe place to be? is there meet ups in frankston?

 

 

Personally, I do not like Frankston, my husband has clients in Frankston and there seems to be a lot of crime. I have witnessed a bottle being smashed over someones head whilst shopping there and must admit it is not a place I would personally let my 3 children go alone at any age.

Frankston South has some stunning properties and we have two friends who both live on Somme Avenue, don't get me wrong their houses are gorgeous and one of these was a world famous person in the 90's, the houses are worth between 2 - 3 million and have views to die for over the bay. Here is a house that is currently on the market on their street: http://www.realestateview.com.au/1261805

Frankston South is next to Mt Eliza and the properties at the top of Olivers Hill are beautiful, would I live there then probably not as my children would want to go in to Frankston for their entertainment. Mt Eliza on the other hand, yes I would it is beautiful.

 

In regards to crime rate, Frankston has always been known to have a higher crime rate than most other suburbs in and out of Melbourne.

If you look on google you will find information about the crime rate, I have known quite a few people who have left Frankston because of the crime and have said they were embarrased to say they once lived there.

 

Here is some info: Frankston Victoria Suburb City 2003/2004 Local Centre Highest

It states " The Frankston railway line has one of the highest crime rates on the metropolitan rail network.

The number of criminal offenses recorded in Frankston (postcode 3199) from Victoria Police statistics for the 2003/2004 financial year are 7,164. This is an increase from 6,785 in 2001/2002. This is almost double the offenses of a large city such as Geelong. Much more than other infamous suburbs such as Footscray (4,495 for 2003/2004) and slightly more than Dandenong (7,016 for 2003/2004). This is the highest suburb on the Victoria Police list for offences per postcode."

 

There have been quite a few stabbings in the area which you can find details on if you search google.

 

Now I am not saying that Frankston is worse than some of the bad towns in the UK but compared to some of the gorgeous places in Victoria I think people should come and see for themselves before choosing ANY suburb.

Frankston are doing all they can to get on top of the situation and have installed CCTV's around the city: Frankston’s three-pronged attack against anti-social behaviour - Crime - News | Frankston Standard Leader so hopefully with all the work the council are putting in to the area it may turn around.

Here is a police statement:

"POLICE are mounting extra patrols to combat a surge in violent crimes and antisocial behaviour in and around Frankston.

Frankston crime investigation unit head Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Fyffe said: "We've already got extra vehicles and now we'll be adding the brawler van, which won't be doing any other jobs. He said police were called to several incidents of violent crime two weekends ago.

At least five men bashed and stabbed two men after chasing them through streets near the Frankston railway station about 1.50am on Saturday, July 19.

Less than four hours later, a woman, 40, was found bruised and bleeding on the steps of a boarding house behind the Kittens nightclub.

"Every now and then we have these things," Senior Sergeant Fyffe said.

"About 2 days ago, a young bloke was walking up to people and king-hitting them. We've charged him with six or seven assaults. Violent crime is not happening in Frankston every weekend, but it does happen. If it does start up we'll be there to stop it."

Senior Sergeant Fyffe said police would search for

knives and other dangerous weapons.

"Some may use them at work and go out without getting changed. Others feel the need for protection and some are just looking for trouble."

Senior Sergeant Fyffe said there was no evidence of an "arms race" in Frankston, but the type of weapons being carried had "escalated".

"We've see people bring swords and so on."

He said young people should realise that carrying a weapon introduced "a new element" into a situation."

 

I am sorry if I have upset anyone who lives there and as said these are MY own personal views and friends who have lived and live there.

 

Kate

[Guest lemondrop]

Hi Dougans......oh my goodness....Frankston is not that bad....keep an open mind!!!! Yes there is crime and yes the crime rate is higher than alot of other suburbs but Frankston covers a large area and as in all towns there are " pockets" of crime. Stay away from Frankston North which is where most of the problems are. As for the centre of Frankston on a Saturday night, I think that any large town with nightclubs, pubs, restaurants, cinemas etc where all the young people hang out is going to have a few punch ups but as long as the kids are sensible and stay in the main areas of town, I think they would be unlikely to get into trouble. There are well lit taxi ranks and night buses so try not to be put off. Mount Eliza is lovely (although a bit snobby if you ask me!!) so the best thing to do is to rent a car and have a lovely day out along the peninsula. It should be possible to buy a 3 bedroom home in a nice area for around $300K-$400K, anything below that will probably be a not so nice area and anything above will probably be bigger block/ closer to the beach/ nicer area. Have fun!!

[the dougans]

thanks everyone for your help. i have heard positive things about frankston south to live by someone in sandringham so well see it is more in our price range so well see thanks

[Guest libbyrobinson]

Hi everyone, very new to this.

We are supposed to be moving to Melbourne soon. (Husband is Australian, daughter has dual-nationality we just have to sell house and business first!) We live in Oldham near Manchester UK and have seen our fair share of violence, youth problems, vandalism and crime and were a bit surprised to hear about so-called problems in Frankston. Surely it can't be as bad as where we live now?

I've read loads of things, googled everything I can think of and still can't decide if people are over-reacting or if I am going to be moving out of the frying pan into the fire. This is a very hard decision for me to move to the other side of the world and I would appreciate any reassurance anyone can give me about areas to live around the suburbs or Melbourne but particularly on the peninsula. We will not have a big budget for property and lovely as Sorrento looks, we just won't be able to afford to live there. Please could someone give me a boost, particularly as it is raining here again and our car has just got vandalised AGAIN!!!!

Thanks

Libby:arghh:

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Hi Libby, welcome to PIO.

I will be honest and say personally I am not a great fan of Frankston especially the Frankston North area, BUT to be honest I think it is because we are spoilt in Melbourne with so many beautiful suburbs and some are a lot nicer than Frankston. If I had only seen Frankston after living in Manchester ourselves I would have probably thought yes this is a nice area. The crime is not as bad as the UK but yes there is crime around and probably a little more than other surrounding suburbs. I suppose because the housing is cheaper there it does attract some undesirables. Mt Eliza is a lovely suburb that borders Frankston. You also have Mornington which is a lovely area and a place where a lot of expats choose to settle.

You don't want to be going down as far as Sorrento, especially if you are looking at working in or close to the city as the commute would be too much. If you want to pm me a budget or even post on here I can give you some ideas of suburbs in your price range.

Hope this helps a little

Kate

[Petals]

South Frankston is fine there is nothing wrong with it apart from the price of real estate which is very expensive if you want something with a pool and four bedrooms.

 

I have been looking for rentals this morning and must say there is not much quality property around for rent. None at all where I live unless people want to live on 8 acres.

[Guest libbyrobinson]

Thanks for the reply, Mount Eliza looks good and I've looked a property there, most of it expensive. Our budget will be about $400,000 but we are going to rent first to see exactly where we want to settle. The only problem being is that our daughter will be at school and I want to minimise the number of times she gets moved about. Ideally, we'd decide on an area before we moved so that she could get straight into school as soon as possible. How did you work out the school situation when you moved? Aaaaaaaaah, so many things to think about. Sometimes I think we are never going to get there. Any replies, gratefully received. :wacko:

[the dougans]

. think we try go there.

Thanks for the reply, Mount Eliza looks good and I've looked a property there, most of it expensive. Our budget will be about $400,000 but we are going to rent first to see exactly where we want to settle. The only problem being is that our daughter will be at school and I want to minimise the number of times she gets moved about. Ideally, we'd decide on an area before we moved so that she could get straight into school as soon as possible. How did you work out the school situation when you moved? Aaaaaaaaah, so many things to think about. Sometimes I think we are never going to get there. Any replies, gratefully received. :wacko:

have you looked in to suburbs just bit from coast like pakenham and berwick ?they really within our budget of 230,000 to 400,000. brand new estates esp in pakenham you get way more for your money and it less than hour from city and direct train line good luck

[Petals]

If transport to the city is going to be a necessity I would look at the Metlink site and work out how long it actually is going to take, how much it costs etc. Pakenham is a long way out and I would be pleased if I could get to the city in under an hour with wings I believe.

 

Home - Metlink - Your guide to public transport in Melbourne and Victoria

 

South Cranbourne has some new nice estates just being put in and my daughter's friend is renting in one of them at the moment and she is very happy with it as her children can go to the primary school across the road. Botanic Ridge is the estate she is in.

 

Just a thought from me though and only my opinion, these new estates have lovely houses, affordable but they are souless in that coming from the UK where you are used to lots of interaction this is not the case in these estates. No local pub or shops are built in these estates, one has to travel to the shopping centre and any entertainment venue you go to. If it is was me I would be looking to rent in a more established area with a cross section of the community and less stress on schools and the like.

 

Areas such as Langwarrin, Aspendale Gardens, Carrum, Ringwood, Bayswater, Nunawading, Mitcham, Frankston Ballam Park area, Lakewood in Frankston all areas with good facilities which are needed when people migrate.

 

I have read many threads where Mum is stuck with the children in one of these new estates and never sees a soul, they are all out at work paying the hefty mortgage

 

Once people live here they find their own niche not someone elses.

[Guest eye_sea]

Hi Libby

We moved to the Peninsula from Burnley in Jan 2008. Frankston is not as bad as areas like Burnley and Oldham but like anywhere in the world it does have its problems. We looked at areas between Frankston and Mt Martha when we first arrived and ended up settling in Mt Martha. Mt Eliza is very nice but very expensive and is a bit snobby in my mind. Frankston South is good but property prices there are getting higher with the high school being so popular. Mornington is nice but again just be aware of where you look. If you see 3/4 bedroom properties for under $300,000 then its propbably because they are in a not very nice area (avoid Robertsons Drive and the streets going off there). Having said that there are some very nice areas of Mornington.

Our 2 kids go to Mt Eliza Secondary college (mainly chosen because they have cousins there!). They are happy there and have got good friends and seem to be doing really well. We both work in Frankston so are lucky that we can drop the kids at school on the way but there are good bus routes from Mt Martha as well. How old is your daughter?

I have just completed a teaching course and while doing teaching rounds saw kids come and go from primary schools a fair bit so I don't think there would be a problem you getting your daughter into a school. They are used to people coming to the area all the time. I wouldn't worry too much about getting her into a school straight away. Kids start school later here so your daughter will probably be ahead anyway and won't suffer from being out of school for a few weeks.

Ian (my Hubby) works for Westpac Bank so if you need to know anything about mortgages etc just ask.

Good luck with it all, I remeber the feelings of confusion and panic all to well!!:wacko:

It will all sort itself out though.

All the best

Cath & Ian

[Guest lee02gsp]

Hi Cath,

Have found your post really interesting, we arrive in Mornington at the beginning of August. I was really very worried about our 7yr old missing too much school. Husband is an IT Manager with no job yet, having to worry about finding work, primary schools, toddler groups as well as a nice area to rent is mind blowing.

Great to hear from someone who has the T-shirt and saw light at the end of her tunnel.

I was a pre-school & afterschool assitant in the UK so would hopeful be looking for something similar in Australia if poss.

Take care Leeann

[olly]

Hi there,

I know the Peninsula quite well, as have had family scattered around there for 25 years. It is a large area though, so depending on work etc, you would be commuting - quite often from Frankston to CBD.

 

If I were going to live in Frankston which is quite a large area, I would prefer Frankston South, but a nice part of Frankston where my nephew lives is the Lakewood Estate, which is quite nice and there are some good houses there, his house was about $380,000 two years ago and is lovely, with a pool and near good schools. On realestate.com.au they will usually say 'lakewood estate' on the Frankston part of houses for sale. Frankston North is a no, no, and some parts of Carrum Downs as well.

I have had family at Mt. Eliza and Mt. Martha, very nice, very bushy, but has got expensive, but there are some good properties still to be had. Mornington is nice with the beach/Main St shops but as someone else mentioned it isn't as nice as it used to be, but lovely all the same, I spend lots of time at the cafe's down there (look at my avatar!). You could also check out Rosebud (well priced) and Dromana, but distance again??

 

 

Sorrento/Portsea is some of the most expensive property in outer Melbourne, and it is quite a long commute to the city. My personal opionion (and I'm not being rude)) is that it is quite 'exclusive' down there and if you are not part of that set, you could be on the outer. I go down there for the views and beach.

 

For a 'country feel', as Petals said, some parts of Somerville are nice. There are lots of Brits on the peninsula. My sister used to teach at Karingal High School and back then in the late 70's the whole estate was just about Brit. It is a bit old and tired now, but some people are buying houses there and freshening them up. My tax agent bought a big house there quite reasonably a few years years ago, with pool, and a great home office to run her business.

 

Tough decisions, good luck. Frankson South or Mornington - there's not much between them at all.

[Petals]

I agree with Olly, Ballam Park opposite Karingal is ok area too in Frankston and there are a lot of houses that have views over the Bay. Also the Whistlestop Estate of Skye Road some houses in there look right over the Bay too. Not spoken about estates but known with local knowledge. :wink:. Ballam Park has a huge play area too and its popular with young famiies. We used to take out kids there years ago of course.

 

My friend lives in Lakewood and it a very nice area and they have a lovey home. That whole estate is lovely and trees around make it very nice as compared to the new estates with no room for them.

 

Back of Tahnee Lodge is good too, Tahnee Lodge is popular in Frankston lovely homes but unfortunately they will soon be looking over the Peninsula Bypass as it will go through there. Vic Roads has owned land around there for a long long time and its leased. The land opposite Bayside Christian College is leased from Vic Roads and I wonder if its going to miss the school.

 

For facilities I do not think you can go past Frankston as it has everything, not short of doctors, unlike some places on the Peninsula where residents cannot get on a doctors list.

 

Mornington is lovely on the beach side but I am not a fan of the other side. Too much development too far from everything. Also when the west wind blows it blows and if there are no trees or houses to shield its very very strong.