Heidelberg: there are 3 heidelbergs. Heidelberg, Heidelberg heights and Heidelberg west. Heidelberg is perfectly pleasant but not exciting. Quiet area with all the basic ammenities - all the supermarket brands including a fancy one (Leos), train station, number of takeaway options, nice parks. Roughness = none to mild. Heidelberg west however is about 30% public housing. So has lots of the problems that go with it. Drugs addicts, mental health issues, youth crime, dumped rubbish in public areas etc. Roughness = mid to high, depends how unlucky you get with your neighbours. Heidelberg heights is in between. Housing prices reflected accordingly in the 3 heidelbergs.
Broadmeadows: Yep rough.
Edit: I used to work in the industrial area so maybe my view is tainted.
Altona: hidden gem. Used to be a bit rough but being quietly gentrified, downside to be aware of is some parts can be smelly. The beach seems to be a seaweed prone area and if lots washes up can get smelly as it rots.
I wouldn’t say the gentrification is quiet. Altona is very expensive suburb now and extremely bougie if you look at the shops and things running around there.
Yes true. Everyone in the west knows about it. I was thinking more that it’s not at inner north status yet, lots of people still consider it undesirable because location is west of Melbourne.
Brunswick/Brunswick East is great. I loved living in the area. I got gentrified out, though. You can absolutely live there without a car. The trams down Nicholson and Lygon are so frequent that I never bothered with timetables.
Almost everything is $500+ per week now though, which is crazy.
I live in Brunswick and highly recommend. There’s some nice apartments below $500pw but that’s becoming rarer. My place (2bed) is still below that threshold, even though they raised the rent by $10pw.
But it is definitely one of those suburbs that doesn’t require a car; I walk for groceries and the GP, and everything else can be accessed via tram or train. I’ve lived all across Melbourne and this is, by far, my favourite abode.
I don’t live in Altona but visit it. I don’t think its too rough but I don’t wander round at strange hours. Gets super busy during summer with people from everywhere coming to the beach. Also the west end of the beach has sandbars and seaweed and can get a bit stinky (like rotting seaweed) and muddy when its hot or after a bit downpour. But if you can handle that its not a bad joint.
There’s a train line that drops you at useful places. The express trains on the Werribee line skip it but there’s still plenty of services. There’s a few bus services connecting you to different western suburbs too. It’s obviously no Richmond but pretty good considering it’s further out
Haha I just saw Thornburywitch’s opinion about public transport so YMMV! Agreed that near the beach/stations is better. There used to be some decently priced apartments but I haven’t looked for a while
I can only speak for Broady because I grew up there and my mum still lives there. It’s fine. A little dirty looking but there’s heaps of facilities there now that weren’t there when i was growing up like cinemas, Bunnings, the hospital and the library. There all in the one little hub. The housing commission flats are a little seedy but mainly it’s dv problems (not minimising that). The only problem my mum has is there’s not many bakeries and the butchers are mainly halal which means finding the Christmas pork a bit of a chore. She doesn’t drive but she’s lucky enough that she’s close enough to the shopping centre to walk. Broadmeadows is a pretty big suburb so if you can find somewhere close to the shops it would be ideal. As far as crime goes if you belong to a gang you might have problems but apart from that it’s pretty safe. I’m happy to answer any questions you have.
For most of these suburbs, it VERY much depends on which area within the suburb. some of these comments may be out of date as demographics are changing rapidly.
Altona - nice near the beach, very nice indeed and priced accordingly. Once you get inland, very polluted by industry and a LOT of social housing exists. Not a kind suburb weatherwise as very hot in summer and quite windswept in winter. Very little public transport.
Broadmeadows - bad reputation from inception for crime and poverty, used to have lots of industry too. Now in a growth corridor and a lot of infill is happening. Public transport is shit away from the railway line. My sister lives in Jacana, which used to be part of Broady, and the housing stock is pretty run down all through that area. Was developed as a dormitory suburb for all the heavy industry workers, so build quality tended to be the cheapest possible at the time. Which actually is better quality than some of the developments going up nowadays. Broady had a really nasty reputation for crime which may be out of date now.
Flemington - bits are nice, but the rest is pretty shit. Good public transport and good shops and services. Near the Showgrounds and racetrack can get crowded in party season. Some bits flood prone. Quite close to city, so services are pretty good. Tends to be crowded and blocks and houses/flats are small or very expensive indeed. Heidelberg - exxy and nice but very hilly. Public transport is patchy - buses and train. Good views out over the valley to the Dandenongs. Heidelberg Heights aka Bellfield, though, is another industrial suburb with a lot of social housing and historical high crime rates. Also contains the worst shopping mall in Melbourne. Was developed for the 1956 olympics as the athletes village so houses are small and poky by current standards, but the blocks are fairly big. Inner North - a lot more fashionable than it used to be, but again depends on which bit. Generally, good services and good public transport. You really don’t need a car in that area.
Hope this helps.
I lived in Flemington in the late 90’s / early 00’s, and it was fine. The PT access was good (where I was), and no issues you wouldn’t experience anywhere else. I’m sure it’s been gentrified since then, though, so things may have changed.
(Without posting where I live now, sorry)
Could people please tell me about these areas and how rough they potentially are?
Altona
Broadmeadows
Flemington
Heidelberg
Also how are the suburbs in the inner north?
Thanks.
Heidelberg: there are 3 heidelbergs. Heidelberg, Heidelberg heights and Heidelberg west. Heidelberg is perfectly pleasant but not exciting. Quiet area with all the basic ammenities - all the supermarket brands including a fancy one (Leos), train station, number of takeaway options, nice parks. Roughness = none to mild. Heidelberg west however is about 30% public housing. So has lots of the problems that go with it. Drugs addicts, mental health issues, youth crime, dumped rubbish in public areas etc. Roughness = mid to high, depends how unlucky you get with your neighbours. Heidelberg heights is in between. Housing prices reflected accordingly in the 3 heidelbergs.
Broadmeadows: Yep rough. Edit: I used to work in the industrial area so maybe my view is tainted.
Altona: hidden gem. Used to be a bit rough but being quietly gentrified, downside to be aware of is some parts can be smelly. The beach seems to be a seaweed prone area and if lots washes up can get smelly as it rots.
I wouldn’t say the gentrification is quiet. Altona is very expensive suburb now and extremely bougie if you look at the shops and things running around there.
Yes true. Everyone in the west knows about it. I was thinking more that it’s not at inner north status yet, lots of people still consider it undesirable because location is west of Melbourne.
Brunswick/Brunswick East is great. I loved living in the area. I got gentrified out, though. You can absolutely live there without a car. The trams down Nicholson and Lygon are so frequent that I never bothered with timetables.
Almost everything is $500+ per week now though, which is crazy.
I lived in Brunswick East from 1982 to 2019. Loved it. Just near the Lomond/3RRR. Then moved to Thornbury which is different but still suits me.
I live in Brunswick and highly recommend. There’s some nice apartments below $500pw but that’s becoming rarer. My place (2bed) is still below that threshold, even though they raised the rent by $10pw.
But it is definitely one of those suburbs that doesn’t require a car; I walk for groceries and the GP, and everything else can be accessed via tram or train. I’ve lived all across Melbourne and this is, by far, my favourite abode.
I don’t live in Altona but visit it. I don’t think its too rough but I don’t wander round at strange hours. Gets super busy during summer with people from everywhere coming to the beach. Also the west end of the beach has sandbars and seaweed and can get a bit stinky (like rotting seaweed) and muddy when its hot or after a bit downpour. But if you can handle that its not a bad joint.
Thanks. Is it pretty car dependent or does it have accessible basics?
There’s a train line that drops you at useful places. The express trains on the Werribee line skip it but there’s still plenty of services. There’s a few bus services connecting you to different western suburbs too. It’s obviously no Richmond but pretty good considering it’s further out
Haha I just saw Thornburywitch’s opinion about public transport so YMMV! Agreed that near the beach/stations is better. There used to be some decently priced apartments but I haven’t looked for a while
I can only speak for Broady because I grew up there and my mum still lives there. It’s fine. A little dirty looking but there’s heaps of facilities there now that weren’t there when i was growing up like cinemas, Bunnings, the hospital and the library. There all in the one little hub. The housing commission flats are a little seedy but mainly it’s dv problems (not minimising that). The only problem my mum has is there’s not many bakeries and the butchers are mainly halal which means finding the Christmas pork a bit of a chore. She doesn’t drive but she’s lucky enough that she’s close enough to the shopping centre to walk. Broadmeadows is a pretty big suburb so if you can find somewhere close to the shops it would be ideal. As far as crime goes if you belong to a gang you might have problems but apart from that it’s pretty safe. I’m happy to answer any questions you have.
For most of these suburbs, it VERY much depends on which area within the suburb. some of these comments may be out of date as demographics are changing rapidly. Altona - nice near the beach, very nice indeed and priced accordingly. Once you get inland, very polluted by industry and a LOT of social housing exists. Not a kind suburb weatherwise as very hot in summer and quite windswept in winter. Very little public transport. Broadmeadows - bad reputation from inception for crime and poverty, used to have lots of industry too. Now in a growth corridor and a lot of infill is happening. Public transport is shit away from the railway line. My sister lives in Jacana, which used to be part of Broady, and the housing stock is pretty run down all through that area. Was developed as a dormitory suburb for all the heavy industry workers, so build quality tended to be the cheapest possible at the time. Which actually is better quality than some of the developments going up nowadays. Broady had a really nasty reputation for crime which may be out of date now. Flemington - bits are nice, but the rest is pretty shit. Good public transport and good shops and services. Near the Showgrounds and racetrack can get crowded in party season. Some bits flood prone. Quite close to city, so services are pretty good. Tends to be crowded and blocks and houses/flats are small or very expensive indeed.
Heidelberg - exxy and nice but very hilly. Public transport is patchy - buses and train. Good views out over the valley to the Dandenongs. Heidelberg Heights aka Bellfield, though, is another industrial suburb with a lot of social housing and historical high crime rates. Also contains the worst shopping mall in Melbourne. Was developed for the 1956 olympics as the athletes village so houses are small and poky by current standards, but the blocks are fairly big.
Inner North - a lot more fashionable than it used to be, but again depends on which bit. Generally, good services and good public transport. You really don’t need a car in that area.
Hope this helps.
Northcote sucks. Especially on high street or anywhere near northcote plaza. thornbury is a bit better.
Noted!
I lived in Flemington in the late 90’s / early 00’s, and it was fine. The PT access was good (where I was), and no issues you wouldn’t experience anywhere else. I’m sure it’s been gentrified since then, though, so things may have changed.