Inner Melbourne

Living in Inner Melbourne

The four districts in Inner Melbourne are City, Docklands, Port Phillip and Yarra. A full list of all the suburbs within these districts are at the end of this page.

These are the suburbs of Inner Melbourne:

City

  • Carlton, East Melbourne, Jolimont, Flemington, Kensington, Melbourne
  • Port Melbourne, Fishermans Bend, Parkville, Southbank, South Yarra
  • West Melbourne, Coode Island, World Trade Centre

Docklands

  • Docklands, Batman’s Hill, Digital Harbour, NewQuay, Victoria Harbour
  • Waterfront City, Yarra’s Edge

Port Phillip

  • Albert Park, Balaclava, Elwood, Middle Park, Beacon Cove, Garden City
  • Ripponlea, St Kilda, Southbank, South Melbourne

Yarra

  • Abbotsford, Alphington, Burnley, Carlton North, Clifton Hill, Collingwood
  • Cremorne, Fairfield, Yarra Bend, Fitzroy, Princes Hill, Richmond

Do you live in this area? Tell us about your town or suburb in the comments below…

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{ 53 comments… add one }
  • Kelly June 20, 2017, 8:15 pm |

    Hi, I’m moving to Melbourne with my partner and our two daughters aged 1 and 3. We would like a list of places to visit for potential places to live and I wondered if you have any advice.

    We would ideally like easy access to public transport into the CBD, good primary schools, parks and out door play areas (places to have adventures on the weekends) and eing close to a beach or lake would be a bonus.

    Please can you recommend some places you think may suit our needs?

    Thanks in advance

    Kelly

    • BobinOz June 21, 2017, 6:50 pm |

      Hi Kelly

      If you take a look at the comments on my main page about Melbourne, you will see that there is a great deal of talk about the various suburbs, schools, parks and all sorts. You would probably have to stay up all night to get through them all.

      I think you will pick up lots of information to help you. Good luck, Bob

  • Victor Olu June 2, 2017, 8:41 pm |

    My wife and I would be relocating to Victoria Australia later this year. I am a Geophysicist and my wife is an Early Years Child teacher.
    This would be our first time in Australia and we are trying to decide where to live in Victoria . Neither of us have job offers so we are actively looking for work.
    Our criteria for where to live would be based on:
    Proximity to employment opportunities.
    Affordable rental cost 200- 250 pw 1 or 2 bed
    Proximity to medical facilities and shops.
    Access to public transport.
    Whatever advice/guidance is welcome.

    • Mark June 3, 2017, 8:33 am |

      Id personally stay to the Eastern side and Eastern to South Eastern suburbs though your rental amount may have to be increased to maybe 300 a week….I have absolutely no idea where a Geophysicist woudl look for work…prbaly not the CBD unless computer based That is perhaps your main objective with a residence area..
      I am guessing though you can site yourselves and then look for work with a view to moving after a few months, maybe try for a 6 month rental…If you have a look at the Melbourne page in the drop down menu above and the various suburbs I have recently put a lot of info on (saving typing it all again) Wherever in this place you decide you have shops healthcare facilities and ELC as its called here for your wife….Have a read of some of the posts and have a look on realestate.com.au for areas with rentals…it will narrow down your choices then come back with those and we can tell you about them..Hope this helps for now

      • Victor Olu June 6, 2017, 7:36 am |

        Thank you Mark.

  • Kelly December 1, 2016, 6:40 am |

    Hi! We are moving to Melbourne in three months time with our little dog. We hope to live somewhere close to the CBD (or not too far away…) so we won’t feel too isolated from the city buzz. So far it has been difficult finding rent options that are pet allowed 🙁 Anyone have any tips?

    Also, I guess we will have to rent a temp place on Airbnb for a few weeks in order to drive around and find a home to rent. Hopefully it won’t take longer that 2 weeks to find a place to rent! Thanks very much Bob for this informative website!

    • Mark December 1, 2016, 8:49 am |

      Im guessing your just moving state…or are you moving country…Makes a bit of difference in that two weeks for a interstate may prove a touch ambitious. right place right time youd maybe do it just . If you are moving form another country id say no chance..2 or 3 days will be used up gaining AU ID bank account etc etc which most of the agents will want. As regard pets yes it odes limit options for properties but they do exist…just a case of keep trying have a look at suburb’s slightly north east of CBD and and around to the south east St Kildas etc couple of parts to avoid there though .

      • Kelly December 1, 2016, 5:21 pm |

        Thank you Mark for your reply.

        We are indeed moving from another country. Yes I realise we can’t rush the process of renting a place. We did manage to open an Australian bank account online though, not with AU ID…which will have to wait till we are actually there. Is there a checklist of documents in Bob’s website for new/foreigners renting in Australia? Thank you.

        • Mark December 1, 2016, 9:26 pm |

          Hi Kelly ok that’s a bit tougher. I’m sure Bob will help you in the right direction if there is a list … have you any plans on arrival booked or sorted yet or still looking at airnb. I’m assuming the dog arrives with you later… So grab your bank card as a bit of ID when you get here. You could sort your driving licence…(temporary address) The renting can be fun but demoralising, We were lucky as we were buying and a second company purchase as well… Ok you could go after a property and 15 other people want it, Its not like the UK or Eire say where you see an advert and go and look and agree you like it and checks done its yours..Here it could be an open house inspection 15 or 20 people attend then you apply. 3 others apply, you may see the same people at the next property and so on and hopefully you get a yes at some point, ,the dog will make it harder for sure as it will rule out some properties, bring a picture of it as I assume quarantine will delay it. On a positive note there is an oversupply of apartments. of course you could find a house no one else is after. It will help if you have a job or can put up some months rental. ..So my list would be photocopy what you have as ID already passport Driving license *Foreign), bank statement, job offer letter anything, visa, .Put some money in your AU account when you arrive and and then access a statement either online or ask the bank to print you one… bring your laptop for searching and buy a printer you can use as a copier as well There are several tricks to beat the system. Bob has my generic email if you need any specific help… There are companies that will rent you from UK but they are pricey, there is on ebay people who will let you use an address (temporary) Could I ask are you coming to a job.it makes it easier Are you arriving Feb March the closer to summer the harder its to find things as holidaymakers take the airnbs as well. I would not be too stuck on the close to city its easy to travel to. Just get yourselves in so to speak . Stay south east you wont go wrong.

          • BobinOz December 1, 2016, 11:32 pm |

            No, I never did a checklist, simply because I know I would miss something out for everybody because everyone’s checklist is different. As Mark has said, having a dog will hinder your chances of getting a rental, the best way to play in my view is to have your dog stay in your country with known friends or family for an extra month or so to give yourselves a chance to sort something out as soon as you arrive here.

            As your dog is small, that may help. Even if a rental says no pets, it’s worth asking if you only have one very small dog, landlords will often allow that if they have no other offers coming at them.

            • Kelly December 2, 2016, 1:00 am |

              Hi Bob, thanks for the response. Unfortunately she cannot be left behind, but hopefully her friendly and cute nature will help us score some points when asking to rent with a pet. 🙂

          • Kelly December 2, 2016, 12:55 am |

            Hi Mark, we have just started to look for a temp place to stay (airbnb probably) and my dog will join us after her quarantine period. So we will hope for the best that we find a place to rent within a few weeks! 🙂 And I will make sure to have as much documentation as we can gather with us at every inspection! As for jobs, we are also in the process of searching right now, since we were told by recruitment agents that it is best to start a few months before we go (our visa does not require us to have a job before arriving). Thanks again for your response. 🙂

  • Anna Cumming November 25, 2016, 5:32 am |

    Hi. Myself and my partner are looking to move to Melbourne next year. Has anybody got any advice on where would be best to move to? We are only looking at renting at first but then will be looking into buying. We are 23 – I am a Primary School Teacher and my partner is a Plater and we have no idea where to even start! Any advice will be very much appreciated.

    • Mark November 25, 2016, 12:46 pm |

      Hi Anna Two things I’m assuming your all visa sorted and you mean the bigger area of Melbourne…Your post is in Inner Melbourne, You could do with some more of a brief for us …City beach town rural, nightlife quiet life what you look for in an area and rental budge or even buy budget Its a darn big place greater Melbourne .. You may even be better securing a job (skype interview style) you could end up living ninety minutes tough commute which might see you back on the plane pretty quick

  • Bettina November 23, 2016, 7:26 am |

    Hi everyone!

    My husband will be getting a work transfer from Auckland to Melbourne in Feb-17. He will be going first and the kids (6yr & 2yr) and I will be joining him in July. We are planning to rent a 2 bedroom place in Kensington as the kids share a room. Will I have issues renting a 2 bedroom for a family of 4? I have read somewhere that siblings sharing a room is uncommon in Australia – is this true?

    • Jamie November 23, 2016, 3:58 pm |

      Great choice of suburb! Kensington is one of my favourite locations in Melbourne. I wouldn’t think you would have too much of a problem with a 2 bedroom apartment for two young children. It is quite common in the inner city these days. Many landlords appreciate having families due to the stability. If you have a pet it would be harder.

      • BobinOz November 23, 2016, 6:09 pm |

        I remember reading somewhere that some state governments do have rules on this, some might not be as strong on it and instead issue guidelines.

        For example, I think New South Wales are not keen on children over the age of nine sharing a bedroom with another child when they are the opposite sex. So if you are concerned, maybe you should Google the local laws that apply in Melbourne about this to see what comes up.

        Can’t imagine there’d be a problem with the ages of your kids though. Good luck, Bob

  • Katy November 19, 2016, 5:19 am |

    Hi All,
    We are a family of three hoping to move to Melbourne from the US. Can anyone give advice on which suburb(s) would be good for an lgbt family with a three year old? It would be ideal to be able to take public transportation into the city as we won’t have a car right away when we arrive. We would love to be close to the water if possible. Thank you so much!

    • Robert November 19, 2016, 7:01 am |

      Will you be renting, buying? What is your budget?

      • Katy November 19, 2016, 7:31 am |

        We will be renting when we first arrive so that we can get familiar with different areas before deciding where to buy. We will have to choose an area to rent sight unseen so it would be great to get some input! Thank you 🙂

    • Jamie November 19, 2016, 7:04 am |

      Hi Katy. I would recommend the inner north. Northcote, Fitzroy North and Clifton Hill are fantastic and have good facilities for families. If you want better value for money I would go to flemi from, Kensington or Ascot Vale. All of these locations have great train and trams. Yaraville and Seddon are also fantastic locations in the inner West.

    • Jamie November 19, 2016, 7:05 am |

      Hi Katy. I would recommend the inner north. Northcote, Fitzroy North and Clifton Hill are fantastic and have good facilities for families. If you want better value for money I would go to Flemington, Kensington or Ascot Vale. All of these locations have great train and trams. Yaraville and Seddon are also fantastic locations in the inner West.

      • Katy November 19, 2016, 7:33 am |

        Thank you so much! That is very helpful. We had read about Northcote being a possible location that would meet our needs. Could I ask what a reasonable rent would be? What would be considered expensive versus inexpensive? Thank you again!

        • Robert November 19, 2016, 7:42 am |

          Yes Northcote is pretty good and convenient and has a larger LGBT community than other areas. But it is not near the beach but does have a creek running through it. Cheap would be around 250 p/w for an older style 1br flat or you could be looking at 700+ for a 3 br house

          • Katy November 19, 2016, 7:47 am |

            Thank you so much!

  • Caroline April 22, 2016, 1:30 pm |

    Hi everyone!
    I need some help. ..We r moving to melbourne end of the year and are a family of 4 ( kids ages 3 and 7)
    Is St. Kilda a nice place to raise a family? We would like to be near the water and lots of parks and open spaces…but I’ve been getting mixed reviews about St. Kilda being a family area….any other suggestions of where we could rent? Within 5 to 7 km from the CBD…budget around 350 to 400 a week…

    • Robert April 22, 2016, 1:55 pm |

      St Kilda gas nice parks and is close to the beach. There are a few areas which are dodgy and have druggies and prostitutes. The area around St kilda botanical gardens us nice. Elwood is the next suburb over and is a lot quieter than st kilda

    • Caroline April 22, 2016, 2:11 pm |

      Thanks Robert! What about Maryibrynong?

      • Robert April 22, 2016, 2:23 pm |

        I don’t know too much about maribyrnong but it seems like a nice area and not too far from the city. It is not bear a beach however it does have a river.

    • Jamie April 22, 2016, 2:15 pm |

      Hi. St kilda has nice pockets that would be great to raise a family in but you won’t find suitable family accommodation in your price range of $350-400 per week. If you want to find better value rentals within 5-7km of the city centre perhaps try Kensington, Flemington, Ascot Vale or Maribyrnong. These areas are on a river so lots of parks and primary schools are great.

    • Bella April 27, 2016, 3:29 pm |

      Hi Caroline
      I am currently looking for rentals in your price range, and it’s not easy that close to the city. St Kilda is fine, but it’s got quite a lot of backpackers and young people. I wouldn’t say it’s unfriendly to families but it might not be what you want. Also, keep this in mind: driving from St Kilda to anywhere in the West or North can be hell. The traffic in and out of St Kilda is a nightmare, even though it is theoretically quite close. I live in Brunswick and I avoid St Kilda because I know I’ll be stuck in a traffic jam for 40 mins. I have friends there and they feel isolated because no one wants to visit! To be honest with you “the water” is not that nice in Melbourne. The views are a bit sad compared to Sydney water views, and the beachside vibe isn’t really what Melbourne is all about. You will find a decent two bedroom unit under $400 (just barely) in some of the inner suburbs but If you must have a house, then I think you will have to move further out, or put up with something that is rather run down. I would suggest taking a look at Coburg and Preston. These are cool up and coming areas which are accessible to some nice lively shopping/eating strips (High St/Sydney Rd/Lygon St) and both are safe and family friendly. There is a good trail close to these areas alongside the Merri Creek which has lots of picnic areas along it and is very pretty. Pascoe Vale is a little further west and is less convenient but has a similar feel.

      • Bella April 27, 2016, 3:34 pm |

        Actually, I just thought of Yarraville and Seddon. These are family friendly and cute villages that are kind of close to the water. Still, not the picturesque kind of water you might be thinking of! Both are cool and convenient spots, however.

        • Caroline April 27, 2016, 3:52 pm |

          Wow! Bella, thank you! I really appreciate the detailed response. Will keep all of this in mind. Probably won’t go the St. Kilda way because apartments are tiny we heard and we would like the space.
          Thinking of point cook/ werribe. .I hear it’s nice and not too far from the cbd but traffic is a nightmare? Although coming from India nothing could possibly be as bad as the traffic here 🙂

  • Dina January 9, 2016, 3:47 am |

    I’m moving to Melbourne this February, and was thinking of living in Flemington. Any ideas? What is this neighborhood like? I am a mother of 2, a 14 year old and a 10 year old.
    Is it a safe neighborhood?

    • BobinOz January 11, 2016, 5:51 pm |

      Hopefully a local will help you out with this, if not do check out my main page about Melbourne, there is lots of talk about the various suburbs over there. You can also get some additional help on my page called Which Suburb?

      Good luck, Bob

    • Jamie March 9, 2016, 10:42 pm |

      Flemington is a great suburb and is where we are are raising our 2 kids. Like many inner city suburbs you will get some strange characters at times but we have never had a problem and always feel safe. There are lots of other families here and lots of schools and facilities. Neighbouring Kensington is also lovely.

  • Muhammad Noman October 31, 2015, 4:17 am |

    Hi

    I am actually going to start my Masters program at RMIT in Feb 2016, but I have no idea about the city and its neighborhoods. Can you suggest some good places to rent an apartment or room not very far from RMIT?
    Moreover share some links to as where to look for the legit apartment search.

    It ll be a great help.

    • BobinOz November 1, 2015, 8:50 pm |

      I will leave this one to the locals, I have no idea. You might also like to look at my main page about Melbourne and have a quick read through the comments, you might find it helpful.

    • Robert November 9, 2015, 3:44 pm |

      There is lots of student accommodation in Carlton which is a short tram ride (or walk) to RMIT.

  • Gemma Prescott March 14, 2015, 6:33 am |

    Hey, I am about to move into the city 🙂 whats the best way to find a home to rent ? I have tried sabbatical homes but waaaaay out of my price range. Thanks for your help

  • julz December 7, 2014, 4:40 pm |

    Hi, I have thousands of little green flying insects all over the garden plants, can someone tell me what they are so-as i can research and find out how to get rid of them. I live in Hoppers Crossing Victoria.

    • BobinOz December 8, 2014, 4:59 pm |

      I’m no gardener, but you might want to check out greenfly, just google it and maybe add the word Melbourne, see if those are your critters.

    • Timothy Cole January 12, 2015, 12:51 pm |

      Hi Julz,

      They sound like aphids. I’m pretty sure you can buy something to repel them. But perhaps google aphids first to see if that’s it.

  • Erika Miley June 13, 2014, 1:56 am |

    Hey Bob!

    Great news my husband just got an offer of a job in Melbourne! We move next May we cannot wait! I’ll be looking toward the comments for tips on where to live. Thanks for all of your help!

    Erika

    • BobinOz June 13, 2014, 9:47 pm |

      Congratulations Erika, hope you get to love Melbourne is much as I love Brisbane.

      Cheers, Bob

  • Matt January 19, 2014, 3:02 pm |

    Of the suburbs you’ve listed Prahran is probably the best if you are looking for something vibrant – In terms of housing there is a mix of older and newer. . Southbank whilst nearby the Casino and a large restaurant strip – isn’t very good for living day to day in terms of shopping, grocery stores etc but is much newer so almost all the apartments are quite new.

    South Melbourne is a great suburb – it has two supermarkets and an excellent Market you can google ‘South Melbourne Markets’ it may however be a little too quiet for you if you’re looking to live somewhere more lively

  • Vikram Jain December 17, 2013, 6:16 am |

    Hi,

    I have to move to Melbourne for 8 months for work. I am totally confused as to which inner suburb to pick out to live.
    I am single in mid 20s. I am not really looking for a very quiet calm place. I like the vibes of a city. My office is on St. Kilda’s rd. So I am looking to find something within 5-7 km of the office and also some place near a park. I am confused between south yarra, prahran, southbank and south melbourne. Could you recommend which suburb might be suitable for me. (problem is I have to pick an apartment before moving to melbourne)
    I have been led to believe south yarra and prahran are vibrant and good suburbs for young singles. Though it seems the houses (an interiors) are not as modern as southbank. Does one require to go often to the CBD, and thus, is living in southbank an advantage ? Also, I felt south melbourne is also quite near to office. Would you recommend south melbourne (not many grocery stores there?) or south yarra

    thanks for your help
    Vikram

    • BobinOz December 17, 2013, 8:21 pm |

      I’ll leave this one to my Melbourne readers, can anyone help Vikram with this?

  • Susan Roberts July 12, 2011, 6:44 am |

    Thank you for this information! I follow Aussie Rules Footy – and now I know how all the teams are situated in Melbourne.

    Thanks!
    Susan

    PS: I’m very sorry for the loss of your dog. You have my sympathies.

    • BobinOz July 18, 2011, 9:44 pm |

      Hi Susan

      Glad to have helped 🙂

      PS. Thanks.

  • BobinOz June 6, 2011, 6:01 pm |

    Hi Yas

    Sure, it’s in South Eastern Suburbs Melbourne, in Monash. If you hover over the Melbourne link in the top navigation menu, click on South East Melbourne, you’ll see it listed there.

  • Yas June 5, 2011, 10:40 pm |

    Would you please let me know:
    Which district Glen Waverly in Melbourne is related?

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