Geelong’s old-money postcode has plenty of polish. The swanky suburb directly to the west of the CBD is the kind of place where you can fill your aesthetic cup by wandering the streets, stickybeaking at splendid period homes and ducking down heritage bluestone laneways just to see if they lead anywhere interesting.
It can lay claim to a part of Pakington Street, Geelong’s main shopping spine, where independent boutiques rub shoulders with a new influx of big-name retailers.
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Expensive it may be, but with entry-level homes to be found for under $1 million, it’s also a ‘hood that offers bang for the real estate buck, particularly for Melbourne refugees searching for a more sedate lifestyle while remaining only around an hour’s drive from Melbourne.
Like Melbourne, Geelong has traditionally neglected its river, but more recently it has started to embrace the recreational potential of the ribbon of water that forms Newtown’s western and southern border.
Industries like tanneries and soap works once dominated the riverbanks, making the less stinky interior streets of Newtown more sought-after for residences, but they’ve long gone, leaving trails and the kind of bird song-soundtracked serenity that’s normally reserved for rural areas.
“Geelong locals are waking up to the river,” Roy says. “I went for a walk the other day, and it really reminded me of how gorgeous it is around here.”
Newtown has no shortage of tree-lined streets that create a wonderful backdrop for relaxed family living. Laurel Bank Parade and Buckland Avenue are often considered the most sought-after addresses, but the whole suburb is a stunning location.
You could say that Pakington Street has the whole cafe lifestyle sewn up in Geelong. It’s a street that’s busy with great spots to drop in for a drink. I’d recommend 9 Grams, Up Town and Winters Caffe as the most popular caffeine stops.
The food scene is also alive and well. I’d say the highlights are the quality pub restaurants such as Sawyers Arms Tavern and The Gold Diggers Hotel, which both do really solid classic pub meals. The Estate and The Wool Store restaurants are also very popular.
28 Belfast Street, Newtown VIC 3220
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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