The vision concertinas the three-kilometre distance into something almost touchable, and the illusion fits perfectly with a ‘burb where streets are orderly, expensive cars are washed once a week, and residents don’t need to clean their own homes.
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Often topping the list of Melbourne’s most expensive real estate when calculated by the square metre, Albert Park is flashy without being gaudy.
Walking the sedate network of streets sandwiched between Albert Park Lake and the bay reveals plenty of red-brick heritage homes with tessellated tile verandahs and leadlit windows.
Victorian cottages exist in these parts, too, testament to the long-ago era when people on an average wage could afford to live three kilometres from the CBD – but the odds are 10 to one that the one you’re looking at has been renovated and carries a price tag that helps prove why the area’s median is $2.425 million.
Still, there are ways to save money in these parts. Case in point: Albert Park College, which is a golden ticket to a publicly funded education. Alternatively, you can throw the kids on the excellent tram network to private schools like nearby Wesley College and Melbourne Grammar.
The Gasworks Arts Park is another community free-for-all, with the heritage former gas foundry and plant now turned into a hub that hosts artist studios, galleries and performance spaces, as well as a farmers’ market (third Saturday of each month – don’t forget the shopping buggy and groodle).
Soak up more history at the Albert Park Hotel, which has been keeping the area in beer since 1883 and remains the fulcrum of local village life, from its front bar to its Happy Valley Chinese restaurant (have the prawn toast and dim sum selection).
Misuzu’s is another local stalwart, albeit a century and a bit younger. The old 12-seater has grown into a triple-faceted Japanese restaurant, takeaway and lunchtime spot.
For Parisian vibes it’s impossible to go past newcomer Wally’s, a corner spot that’s a chic spot for a first date or a 30th anniversary. And if you’ve got time to kill waiting for your date, there are few better places than The Avenue bookshop.
46 Moubray Street, Albert Park VIC 3206
This remake of a classic terrace is a study in precision, with custom timber joinery in the sleek kitchen and upstairs retreat. A few blocks from Gasworks Arts Park and the beach, it has a private courtyard garden and a second frontage to the rear.
With Ben Manolitsas of Marshall White
“Albert Park buyers are lifestyle-driven. Buyers want to be close to the city and the bay but still feel like they’re living in a genuine neighbourhood with a real sense of community and that village feel around Bridport Street and Dundas Place. We’re seeing more downsizers moving into the area, trading a big family home for something easier to manage without giving up quality or character. With limited supply, the best homes don’t last long, and once people land here, they rarely leave. Call me biased, but 3206 is one of the best places to live in the world!”
Larissa Dubecki Larissa Dubecki has been a journalist for 20 years, in a career spanning news writing and specialist food reviewing, including seven years as The Age's chief restaurant critic. Her work has appeared in publications including Guardian Australia, Gourmet Traveller, Time Out and The Australian. She is the author of the 2015 memoir Prick With a Fork.
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