AdamS

I've been down Madison Avenue many many times, and while I do agree it's quite the spectacle in terms of shopping and someone what of a tourist trap, i think once you have done it once, you really get over it. Too much traffic hinders how nice it is as well.

Burke Road in Camberwell would have to be considered the lifeline of the suburb containing most of the shops that Camerbwell has to offer such as JB-HiFi, Safeway, EBGames, Borders etc. Burke Road in Camerbwell has something for everyone, with great restauratns like Georges, Sophia's Pizza and Pasta as well as number of Indian, Chinese and other Italian restaurants.

In a nutshell, great for shopping, not so great for traffic, so if you are after a coffee or a feed, then it's great, but traffic on the way home can be a nightmare. Avoid at all costs if driving as trams make it incredibly slow.

Sorrento is just over 1 hour from Melbourne's CBD and a popular holiday destination for many people living in Melbourne. It has some of the best beach spots in all of the Victoria, namely Sorrento front beach, and people flock to the coastal town in the Summer months.

Just one suburb short of Portsea, Sorrento is home to some of the nicest people in Melbourne. There is a real historical culture in Sorrento (and portsea) as a lot of the families have grown up together sailing boats down at the Sorrento Surf Club or playing a round of golf at the Sorrento Golf course (or The Dunes course which is my favourite). Many of the families here know each other and are for the most part extremely friendly. Be prepared to get social with your neighbors down here, it what's Sorrento is all about.

On the main stretch of Sorrento (Ocean Beach Road I think) is the Sorrento Shops. During the weekends, this is really the hub of activity in the whole suburb. Pubs such as the Continental Hotel (The Conty) or the Sorrento Hotel are always busy on weekends as well as people likke them as alternatives to the Portsea Pub. Fish n Chips, Pizza (was once called Joe's Pizza, not sure what it is now) and great ice creameries are all here. There also a few surf shops and ladies clothing shops...but I have to give a good mention to Shell's cafe. It serves the best coffee up there, and I'm always there on a Saturday afternoon having a good brekky. Oh, and you shoudn't miss Buckley's Chance! The best pancakes in the whole of Victoria! My choice is the Buckley's Big Breakfast with a side of Ice Cream. The staff are always very friendly here as well, so well worth the visit.

Overall Sorrento is an amazing place. Fine cafe's, good beaches, good golf, good neighbors. The only downside is the price...it's getting very expensive because Portsea has become ridiculously expensive, and as Sorrento is the next in line, it too has inflated prices. Also, I remember having a lot of NYE down there when i was a lot younger, and while it was fun then, there can be occasionally young hooligans now.

BUT you really can't go wrong in Sorrento. It's one of the most desirable place in all of Victoria to have a holiday house. The only other comparables I would think are Portsea (of course) but also you might like to try Anglesea on the other side of the bay. It's a bit cheaper, and it's quieter as well.

How to describe Richmond...business district? eating district? crime district? I think a little of everything to be honest.

Bridge Road, Swan Street and Victoria Street are the main shopping\restaurant areas of Richmond, all of which are wonderful. Bridge Road has some of the best retails shopping outlets in the area, and is second only to Chapel Street. Swan Street has some funky little bars and pubs, while Victoria Street is like Little Vietnam, with it's superb restaurants, all very cheap. Victoria Gardens is also on Victoria and Burnley Street and has Hoyts Cinemas, Kingpin Bowling and lots of retail shops. Richmond is hard to beat on the eating and shopping front.

Living in Richmond is complemented by this shopping aspect, but moreso by the fact that a lot of young people live here. There are many townhouses and smaller apartment complexes that offer great close to city living. Some cheap, some not so cheap, but needless to say there a lot of students living in Richmond. If you are young and single, then you really can't go wrong with Richmond, especially with the social scene at bars such as Public House, Holiava and The Terminus Hotel.

Also, Richmond as a suburb is likely to boom in terms of property prices in the next 5 years. If you take into account the relative prices at the moment, combined with Victoria Gardens Shopping center and the proximity to the city...this is one suburb to watch out for. One other aspect is there is such scarcity of land in Richmond. With another three or more large commercial office buildings being built in the area, people often want to live near work, and as such will want to live in Richmond....watch the demand for the area shoot up in the next 5 years.

A few negative aspects of the suburb are the crime and the traffic. Often you will see "smack heads" walking in the back streets, and while it's not considered to be a major issue, it is present. Also, traffic can be a bit annoying at peak hour, especially on the major roads with Tram lines.

BUT overall, Richmond is a fantastic suburb, especially if you are looking to buy an investment property in. Consider yourself lucky if you live here!!

Canterbury is considered to be one of the best suburbs in all of Victoria. Home to some very expensive homes, Canterbury holds some of the most beautiful homes in Melbourne, mostly situated in Alexandra Avenue, Monomeath Avenue and Victoria Avenue...The golden mile of Canterbury.

Most of the people living in Canterbury are large families, or elderly retired folk as it is such an expensive suburb. The reason for it's pricey nature is quite simply location. It's very close to Melbourne CBD, close to schools in Kew (Xavier College and Trinity College) and Burke Road is just around the corner which has some fantastic shopping, restaurants and cafe's. Safeway is on Burke Road and is quite handy...in fact I think it is the most lucrative Safeway in all of Victoria.

The only problem with Canterbury that I can think or are the nosy neighbors. As a lot of the people in the area are elderly, so expect to get a lot letters complaining about noise, car parks on the nature strips etc.

Apart from that however, it's a great family friendly suburb, and with house prices increasing every year and not looking to go down, it's one of the best suburbs in all of Victoria.

I have lived in Templestowe most of my life, and it's the one place I will always call home. I think the best part about Templestowe is the peace and tranquility (cliche i know). Some people think Templestowe is out in the sticks, but I disagree. There aren't cows and farm animals on every block...in fact there are large family style homes, very family friendly streets and a park on every corner.

Shopping is actually quite good as well. The Pines shopping center on the corner of Reynolds and Blackburn road has been renvated a lot over the past couple of years...and I'm always up there eating Nando's or getting a DVD up at VideoEzy (yay they have Blu Ray now!!). Also, Doncaster Shopping town is now almost complete, and that is only a 5 minutes drive away. It's getting a David Jones, already has a JB-HIFI and a fantastic food court with China Bar and a lot of boutique shops.

There is so much to be said about Templestowe...from the great parks, to large family style homes...but one of the best parts of Templestowe is the value for money. Many people see it as a great alternative to Toorak, Brighton or Canterbury. The reason for this is you get amazing value for money in Templestowe. You can buy a 3 million dollar mansion in Templestowe, 120 Squares, Tennis court, indoor pool etc...while 3 Million dollars in Canterbury will buy you a 45 square home, with a small backyard. Templestowe is also accessed by the eastern freeway, so being close to city becomes irrelevant when you can be in the city in 20 minutes.

This is a suburb I can't recommend enough. It's the place I call home, and I recommend you call it home too.

Lynwood Parade in Templestowe is a VERY steep and VERY hilly road that connects Lower Templestowe to Templestowe.

It comprises mostly medium sized houses with both brick and rendered frontages. There is a high proportion of Italians and Greek families living here, and virtually everyone here keeps their front yards in check which is great. It is also home to Lynwood Parade Reserve which is a nice park for the kids to play in on a Sunday afternoon.

It also is very close to shopping, with the Macedon Square shops being just down the road. There is also the Manningham road shops just around the corner with McDonald's, Red Rooster, Golden Dragon Chinese and Doctors surgery.

There are two major issues with this street however.

1. It is a big-time thoroughfare! It connects two main roads essentially, and at peak hour, there is always a steady flow of traffic. To top it all off though, as it is quite a steep and hilly road, people tend to speed a lot.

2. This street is also prone to flooding. A few years back it was flooded very badly because it's so steep. I'm not sure if the problem has been fixed, but it's something I would take into account.

Overall though, not too bad.

High Street in Doncaster connects the Eastern Freeway to Templestowe and Lower Templestowe. It's a main road, 4 lanes across...and based on that description, you might think it to be incredibly undesirable....NOT TRUE!

Upon closer inspection, this would have to be one of the best in it's class. Visually, it's very appealing. The houses over the past couple of years have really been done up and "modernised" and most if not all keep their yards very well maintained. Also, the road itself was repaved recently, and it makes a huge difference. Drive down it and you will see...although don't get stung by the speed cameras...they are always parked on this street.

The location of the street is hard to beat as well. It connects directly to the eastern freeway so it's a breeze to get into the city. It also connects to Doncaster road which leads directly up to the new and improved Doncaster Shoppingtown, which now has a JB Hi-Fi (im soooo happy about that), an Apple Store and soon to have massive cinemas!

Directly on High street is The Village Shops which has a nice cafe\restaurant called Brunelli. It's not a major shopping village, but is very convenient for bread and milk etc. Finally, just up the road on Manningham Road you have great access to Safeway, Baker's Delight, McDonald's, Red Rooster and Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant...THE BEST CHINESE IN THE AREA!

And to top it all off, if you are hurt (touch wood) you are within walking distance to Manningham Medical and Doctors Surgery.

The only negatives would be that it can be a little noisy, but the houses are set back a little bit on their blocks, so it's not a problem for most. While it is a main road, traffic does flow pretty well.

Overall, taking into account it's a major road, it's very good. I would live here, and I would not be deterred by the fact that it is a main road because it has so much going for it!!

Doncaster Road in Balwyn North is the main heartline that connects Kew to Doncaster and the Eastern Freeway.

It is as you would expect a main 4 laneway road to be, very busy at peak hours of the day. Visually, nothing special. Most of the houses along here are all brick facades, although some have been renovated\torn down. It still has a long way to go in terms up competing with some of the more secluded streets in Balwyn North. It is however very close to the entrance of the Eastern Freeway, a big plus for commuters.

Doncaster Road in Balwyn North does have some other benefits though, the obvious being so close to Greythorn Shops. Surprisingly, Greythorn shops has quite a lot...dry cleaners, hair dressers, wine and beer cellars. I'm still devastated that Nick's Chicken Shop isn't there anymore though, I always loved NIck's Chips after school on the bus.

As it is a main road, living here would be slightly annoying. It's very noisy, and parking and reversing onto a main road from your driveway is always difficult. More often than not you can always see people waiting in their cars, trying to reverse out of their own driveway...something I would not like to do.

NOTE: THERE ARE ALWAYS SPEED CAMERAS ALONG THIS ROAD, so slow down!

This is a gorgeous Street. The first thing you will notice is the tree canopy overhead. The next thing you notice are the old style MASSIVE homes. I could go on and on about the great architecture in this street, but you must visit to see for yourself. One of the great things about Tennyson St though is that there are a few "pulldowns". I get the feeling there is a bit of money to be made in this street over the next 10-15 years through reno's and redevelopment.

On street parking is not a problem, and one of the best parts about this street is its proximity to the always amazing St Kilda Public Gardens. This is primarily the reason why there are such stunning homes here, as St Kilda Public Gardens makes your lifestyle that much better.

If you can afford it, then buy in this street!

Deakin St is one of the better streets in the area. It's just far enough away from all the hub-ub of Fitzroy Street so you don't get all the young hooligans walking and parking in the street, yet close enough to Fitzroy street to enjoy all it has to offer as well such as the restaurants, bars and clubs. It's also very close to the beach, and has a nice park that you can visit with the kids on the weekends.

King Street in Templestowe extends from Williamsons Rd to Tuckers road, and is a little bit of a speedway. While the speed limit is 70 in some places, I often see people speed down the hill from Williamsons Rd to ramp up for the hill leading up past Ruffey Lake Park. While this is not the ideal place to live (I actually don't think there are many houses in the Templestowe end), it has great greenery being right next to Ruffey Lake Park, and is close to schools.

HOWEVER, there are a number of BEAUTIFUL streets surrounding. Like many major roads, this one is in a great area, but just not the best to live on.

AJ

I stayed here on the weekend at Cottages by the Sea on Flinders Street, and it was fantastic! The location was right next to the beach, literally 3 minutes walk, and the street is wide enough not be bothered by neighbors on the other side of the road. It is also the main street leading into town, and is also good in terms of location for walking to the shops. Overall for a street that leads in the main queenscliff town, it has a relatively welcome environment. Great ocean breeze as well!

There do seem to be a lot of elderly people living in the street as well, so I don't recommend this for your people, but if you are looking for a quiet street in a great sleep town, Flinders street is quite nice.

AJ

Most people in Melbourne will have a love hate relationship with Chapel St. The reason being is because everyone in Melbourne at some stage has been shopping on Chapel, and for that reason alone, it can be great. On the other hand, every person in Melbourne has had at least one seedy night out at a dodgy nightclub in Chapel St...and had the pleasure of walking it at 3:00am when every drunk man and drunk dog is out on the streets looking for food and fights. It can be really nasty.

But, the reason I'm giving it 4/5 is because of the good memories I have of Chapel St. Sure it can be dirty and disgusting, but on the other side it can glamorous, fun and sexy. There is the Jam Factory cinemas, complete with Borders Books (I love Borders Books!), and there is also Amigos Mexican restaurant which I highly recommend, and TGI Fridays. There ARE a few good nightspots on Chapel St, mostly up toward the Windsor end like Mother's Milk and Blue Bar...and there is always Tryst Bar(just off Chapel St). Tryst is one of my favorite nightspots in Melbourne. Not pretentious, and always fun.

So, if you are visiting Melbourne, come to Chapel St. It's an icon of Melbourne, and won't disappoint.

AJ

Ever driven down a certain street and thought to yourself "I'd really like to live here on day"? Well this is the best way I can describe this little hidden gem in the heart of Templestowe. As soon as I drove down this little secluded street, I thought what a beautiful place to live.

The reason I call it a hidden gem is because it really is hidden, and i suspect that is the way the residents want it kept...hidden. It's a little street off the main "Forest Court" and you would drive straight past it if you didn't know it was there. The houses are all quite large, and the street is amazingly clean.

If you live in Templestowe, I urge you to go for a drive down "Forest Place". It's one of the most loveable little streets around...and while the photos look nice, it really doesn't do it justice.

This is a great street located in the best part of Templestowe. The houses here are extremely secluded and anyone living here would be extremely lucky. Houses are normally quite expensive in this area anyways, and Robhill Rise would be one of the more expensive streets, purely because of how secluded it is.

I have been here a couple of times during the summer months and I think it is absolutely amazing! I had a few casual beers down at the sea baths, took a stroll up past luna park, and it was simply gorgeous. I highly recommend this strip to all visitors, especially in the summer months. It would be fantastic to live around this area as well.

Swanston Street in Melbourne, like any street in the Melbourne CBD, has it's good parts, and not so good parts.

During the day, walking from Flinders Street Station at one end, right down to Latrobe Street, can give you a fantastic taste of Melbourne city life. From beautiful architecture, to fantastic shopping and more, Swanston St in Melbourne has many highlights. You will often see street acts in between Little Collins Street and Bourke Street which are always entertaining, and all too often you will find some amazing chinese\vietnamese cuisine up around chinatown. Also keep an eye out for the Horse and Carriage that frequent Swanston St, as they can be quite romantic :)

On the flip side, Swanston Street in Melbourne at night goes downhill. There are a lot of homeless people hanging around between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane. Late at night all the revelers from the clubs, seem to congregate around the McDonalds, KFC and Hungry Jacks, and as such can be quite dangerous and rowdy from midnight to 5 am. Something to avoid if you don't need the late night feed.

Overall, Swanston Street is the pinnacle of the Melbourne CBD, and I guess that is why is has become Swanston "Walk". It's a must for tourists, shoppers and those who want a taste of Melbourne city life...just try and avoid it at 3:00am in the morning :)

Bourke Street in Melbourne spans the good portion of the Melbourne CBD, and has many faces. On one hand, it can feel a little dingy and dirty from Exhibition Street to Swanston Street with what seems like "gangs" hanging around the corner at Hungry Jacks, but from swanston down to King Street where it turns from Shopping beautiful architectural buildings.

The shopping in Myer and David Jones is fantastic, and we recently just had the christmas parade, and the christmad windows which were fantastic this year.

I would love to give this street a better rating, but to be honest, some areas (around the Hungry Jack's) really let it down.

Beach Street in Port Melbourne seems to have it all. Great beach lifestyle, amazing views of the ocean, popular culture, eateries, bars, clubs etc etc. I suspect Beach Street may be a little noisy to live on, but to be honest, i think it would be worth it to live so close to the beach. I have a some great pics to upload, which i think will sell you on just how great it is :)

I highly recommend this street to anyone living in Melbourne.

AJ