Jason Spencer

Great views across the bay and back to Melbourne. More affordable than Mount Martha and Mt Eliza. Close to great tourist attractions and wineries.

Templestowe is one of Melbourne's hidden gems in terms of providing lots of space at realistic prices within reasonable reach of the Melbourne CBD.

Blocks range from the standard quarter acre up to the large acre blocks providing a great lifestyle for families with kids. Yes there are the million dollar mansions but you will also find reasonably priced quarter acre properties in close proximity.

The people - a mix of Italian, Greek, Asian and Australian cultures provide a friendly tolerant environment (great mix of restaurants and take away) which highlights all the benefits that multiculturalism can bring.

Schools - there are some great primary schools, no private schools within the area with many kids commuting to Kew by bus.

Parks - spoilt with some of the largest and best facilities in Melbourne from the huge Ruffey Lake Park with it's great walking trails and playgrounds and Westerfolds Park which runs alongside the Yarra River.

Shopping - the Westfield Doncaster Shoppingtown is arguably Australia's best shopping centre with it's recent expansion, this is only a 5 minute drive. You also have the Pines Shopping Centre nearby. Numerous supermarkets also.

Downsides - only a few, lack of trains to the area mean you need to catch a bus to Shoppingtown then connect to Box Hill. Also lack of footpaths in some areas.

Canterbury has become Melbourne's second most prestigious suburb behind Toorak and with house prices more than doubling in recent times if you can afford to get into the market you will not lose.

In a nutshell Canterbury is a very leafy suburb, small (which enhances it's exclusivity) and surrounded by some of Melbourne's very best schools. Names like Carey, Xavier, Camberwell Grammer, MLC and Genezzano are all around the corner or just off nearby Barkers Road.

Burke Road and Maling Road provide great spots to dine, shop and just generally walk around on a weekend.

You will also find many parks to take the kids. I've also found that because the suburb is so small neighbours look out for one another more than most places.

I would definitely recommend Canterbury to anybody.

Maleela Avenue is a very wide street with some beautiful, older style 1930’s homes. It’s a concrete road which gives it an old world feel (rather than modern asphalt) and there are a number of new homes being built. Many of the older homes in the street will no doubt be demolished to make way for the developers realizing the huge jump in property prices (display homes selling for $1.5 mill+). Close to Whitehorse Road and the Balwyn shops. With the tram at the end of the road.

Chatfield Ave is a small street with no more than 20 homes. Downward slope crossing Oakdale Avenue. Many non-descript houses with the main feature being it's proximity to Belmore Park, Camberwell Grammar school and Mont Albert Road/Burke Road.

Barkers Road, once home to some of the most beautiful properties in Melbourne's inner east has become a mini freeway over the past 5 years. A journey from Burke Road, Canterbury to Kew covers no more than 4 kms but can take anywhere up to 30 minutes in peak hour. Schools go back every year around Feb 1 (after Australia Day) and the commute increases from 5 minutes to 30.

Speed limits of 40km/h have been introduced given the many private schools like Carey, MLC and Xavier which has further increased the bottleneck. Gotta love how a few speeding fools ruin it for the rest of us! For sane drivers, 60km'h is fine.

I don't know why people would want to live on Barkers, it is very busy, I cant imagine trying to drive out my house onto this road in peak hour and the noise must be an issue.

Stanhope Grove is how many of the locals travel between Canterbury and the shops at Camberwell/Burke Road. (or keep going to connect to RIversdale and Toorak Roads). Given this, you are guaranteed considerable traffic, however on the positive side it is home to some of the cities finest homes. (on larger blocks) with great parks nearby.

We've lived in Allenby Road for about 6 years now. The location was what brought us to the area, it is so close to the city and great shopping down the road at Camberwell Junction. Although we can walk it we find more often than not we drive (too much shopping to walk back with!).

Property prices have skyrocketed which is fantastic and I put this down to two things. The proximity to private schools and the sheer lack of real estate in Canterbury. Many well paid professionals want to send their kids to private schools and so they need to live nearby. Canterbury is also a relatively small suburb so there is a shortage of houses for sale.

Shopping is really very good. Burke Road provides all of the supermarket requirements such as Safeway (which is big, but busy - make sure you go either Saturday afternoon after 2pm, or before noon weekdays), and we are getting a new Coles out the back of Borders Books \ Georges Restaurant. In addition you have Target, Country Road, a number of book stores, a great newsagency that is open late and a few large pharmacies. Bocaccios is a fantastic deli\supermarket which is up Burke Road towards Doncaster Road (almost Balwyn).

Cafes and Restaurants are numerous. Some of my favourites include Orsinis opposite the Rivoli Cinemas, Georges, and Italy 1. Max Brennar's Chocolate cafe just opened also. I love the Carpark Cafe with its model airplanes hanging from the ceiling.

Things to do - lots of parks around the area, cinemas at Burke Road. People watching at Burke Road. Browsing the shelves at Borders Books. Because it's so small walking is a big thing around here.

So, yes it's expensive, but you do get a great lifestyle with it and I would recommend the area to anyone.