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Very close to the Northern Hospital and Epping Plaza
Has 2 shopping centres of its own
Smoking is notoriously bad here
Reasonable distance to the city
Has a bad reputation for crime, but not sure this is true
Very nice shopping strip on Station St
Elderly European population - feels like little Macedonia. In fact, there's an area with streets named Ohrid, Bitola, St Nikola and Prilep lol. Good place if you like some nice pastry - Burek.
2 different poles - East being older more established and West having parkland and brand new houses

Amenities: Decent schools nearby, enormous shopping centre with very good entertainment precinct that doesn't close until late, The Northern Hospital, Costco, largely self-sufficient
Pluses: public transport, schools, shopping options, nightlife (not nightclub but restaurant kind), bustling, vibrant, very good suburb, affordability, the train line (Mernda) is actually nice with new trains and isn't ridiculously packed like Craigieburn line
Downsides: have some stupid teens stealing stuff from the shopping centre and being a bit of a nuisance, some crime occurs. "Thomo boys" and the like
Ethnic profile: Anglo-Celtic predominates, but large Greek community (but not as loud as Oakleigh), large Macedonian community, Middle Eastern and Indian Australians too

Houses are incredibly cheap but the place itself is quite run down
Not much in the way of cafe culture - but there are a couple of decent restaurants on Pascoe Vale Road
Located between two train lines - Coolaroo Station and Upfield Station (hint: take the Upfield line to avoid congestion)
Close to Broadmeadows and Dallas - where you can serve your shopping needs
Lots of factories nearby, hence visible smoke often billows out of a factory (recycling I believe)
Really an annex of Dallas
Recommend for:
-People who want value for land and easy access to the CBD
-People who want to live a laid back suburban lifestyle rather than a bustling one
-Melba Vale Retirement Village - this place is actually good though

20km from Melbourne's CBD
Houses here are seriously undervalued. You can pick up a 3 or 4 bedroom for less than $500,000.
Good aspects:
-Parks and recreational areas: lots and lots of Parks and beautiful trail adjoining Moonee Ponds Creek Trail.
-Schooling: has childcare centres and primary schools. Nearby public schools are not the best: namely Roxburgh Park Secondary College and Hume Central in Broadmeadows. Not close to good secondary schools.
-Has its own shopping centre which has IGA, a very nice Turkish sweets shop and the local bakery is very popular with the locals.
-Has 3 train stations in close proximity: Roxburgh Park, Coolaroo and Upfield - which span 2 train lines.
-Houses are spacious with generous plots of land, and are often able to be subdivided, but ugly urban sprawl and crammed living like you see in Coburg is not present here
-Most convenient area: Dunkeld street, Shankland Boulevard. Both very close to train stations, Meadow Heights Primary School and Meadow Heights Shopping Centre.
-Very big Turkish community (if that suits you) and also noticeable Assyrian community
-Neighbours tend to be well-behaved
-Bus that takes you directly to the airport, very close to the airport
Bad aspects:
-Hooning on local streets occurs
-Some scum sometimes ride dirt bikes down public roads and even walking trails
-The glass bus stops are perpetually broken, it's very suspicious
-A bit old-fashioned: older men tend to sit in front of shops and drink coffee, not really men and women
-You have some creepy people walking around sometimes
-The Southernmost part of the suburb is housing commission
-No decent secondary schools close by (excluding possibly St Mary's Coptic Orthodox College)
-Don't expect to come here and experience 'Melbourne cafe culture'
-Some parts are a bit run down and ugly, littering is an issue
-On Fridays it is hard to park at the shopping centre due to the local mosque having inadequate parking
Vibe:
-Shankland Boulevard is a very nice leafy street, similar to the leafy Eastern suburbs.
-Overall very laidback suburb with solid public transport and proximity to the CBD
-Mostly peaceful and pleasant, definitely don't come here if you want a 'happening' or 'bustling' restaurant district
-Some streets are very very pleasant, similar to the Eastern suburbs at a fraction of the price!