Life in the ’burbs
Opinion
Opinion
Contrived, affluent and whisper quiet: A Blue Velvet shadow looms over Malvern East
The suburb lacks the glamour of Armadale, South Yarra and Toorak. And as its name suggests, Malvern East was established not as a destination, but as an afterthought to another place.
- by Simon Caterson
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We don’t claim our suburb doesn’t stink. But seriously, Werribee doesn’t smell that bad
From psycho meatheads on a diet of homemade speed, to chain-smoking wizards who worshipped black holes, working at Werribee’s late-night servo was halogen-lit Russian roulette.
- by David Goodwin
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Life in the ’burbs
The Age asked Melburnians to write about their suburb, whether the cliches about it are true and how life there has changed in recent years.
Opinion
Opinion
Brunswick has changed, but not even developers can get rid of its charm
If we hadn’t moved to Brunswick, I never would have started running food trucks because it literally couldn’t happen in any other suburb.
- by Raph Rashid
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Beach life in Altona is great, apart from the hacksaws and cactus thieves
Weekdays are low tide: locals-only. But on the weekends, it seems like the whole of the west flows in; a high tide of humans, dogs, cars and kite surfers.
- by Rose Damon
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In Maidstone, even our Bunnings has name-shame
Last week when I was visiting a dentist in my neighbouring suburb of Seddon I said I lived in “Maidstone”. The receptionist replied, “How do you spell that?”
- by Yassir Martawardaya
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Opinion
Bell Street was once the edge of my world. Now I proudly live amid the doof-doof of Lalor
Like some Melburnian flat-Earther, I thought life got worse the further north one went. But then I got priced out past Depreston.
- by Kathy Lothian
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Brighton can have its bathing boxes – Edithvale has its boat sheds
Streets full of young families meant there was a friend to play with in nearly every house, you just had to knock on the door.
- by Kerrie von Menge
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Burwood was never the high point of style, but it did introduce the world to Kmart
Without a public library or pub, it wasn’t hard to outgrow Burwood’s limitations. But over time, I’ve come to find a new appreciation for its peace and quiet.
- by Marish Mackowiak
Opinion
Opinion
‘You’re from Caroline Springs? You must be rich, then’
We were waiting for the neighbourhood to build up around us. It didn’t take long for families who didn’t want to leave the west to flock to Caroline Springs.
- by Tracy-Kate Simambo
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No carpet, muddy roads and stinky outhouses: 1950s Clayton was the wild west
Winter rains transformed the unmade roads to mud, and we were miles from shops, while priests and nuns predicted my school would close by the year 2000.
- by Annemaree Hone