Melbourne crowned the world’s most liveable city (again)
by Holly Jones
Melbourne has once again been voted the world’s most liveable city in The Global Livability Report, carried out by The Economist Intelligence Unit; scoring 97.5 out of 100 on factors such as stability, healthcare, culture and infrastructure.
realestate.com.au has its headquarters in Melbourne, and we love all the city has to offer, so who better to ask about Melbourne’s boroughs and why they rock. We polled our colleagues and here’s what they told us.
Suburb love
Victoria St, Richmond
Hampton has tree lined streets by a great beach (for an inner city bay). It’s also pretty hard to go more than a kilometre without coming across some sort of park. Golfing fans appreciate the close proximity to some of Australia’s top end golf courses as well,” says Linda.
Richmond
“Richmond comes alive in September, with the AFL footy finals on there’s a buzz in the air. With more and more fab restaurants and cafes opening on Swan Street and Bridge Road every week, there’s plenty of reason to get out and about. I also love the convenience of Richmond, right on the edge of the city you’re never far from the action,” says Bronwyn.
Eltham
Eltham is a pretty area, and is fairly quiet area, but with cafes, weekend markets and bushwalks nearby. I love the fact that the city/metro areas aren’t far by and are easily accessible,” says Alycia.
Armadale
“I love the tree lined streets of Armadale, the shopping along High Street and the fact that you are never short on choice on where you will buy a coffee on the weekend with many new cafes opening,” says Michelle.
Collins St, Melbourne city
Fitzroy
“There’s always something going on in Fitzroy. It has a diverse cultural make-up which includes people who moved in 40 years ago (when it was a slum), to those who have recently arrived in Australia, plus everyone in between. There’s a place for everyone to feel part of our local community, and side streets shouldn’t be overlooked, there’s exciting things going on everywhere, it’s not just Brunswick, Gertrude and Smith Streets,” says Geoffrey.
St Kilda
“St Kilda is a thriving community on the bay where people from all walks of life blend together to enjoy the cafes, bars, restaurants, parks and beach walks and rides. It’s an iconic Melbourne suburb,” says Lisa.
“I love living so close to the penguin colony at the St Kilda Pier! Around 1,300 penguins live off the breakwater, and if you’re really lucky you can even see a few chicks during the summer months,” says Stacy.
West Preston
“Just a hop, step and jump from Thornbury & Northcote, Preston West is developing into a cool little area just like it’s neighbors. The area really does have a close knit community feel with regular farmers markets at the local primary school and a number of new cafes and restaurants opening their doors,” says Jackie.
Arts Centre, Melbourne
Clifton Hill
“Clifton Hill can be a bit of a forgotten area. But I love it. In the middle of Smith Street cafes, Edinburgh Gardens and Collingwood Children’s Farm – there is heaps on offer. Our local bar is a hidden gem too,” says Luke.
Collingwood
“Smith Street has evolved so much in the last few years, it’s almost unrecognisable as the place it was in the early 2000. The Collingwood shopping strip is being transformed into a continuous string of acclaimed restaurants, cafes and bars,” says Sam.
Albert Park
“I felt really grown up when we bought in Albert Park! It’s a beautiful mix of vibrant cafes and restaurants but what I love most is being so close to the beach, city and Albert Park lake all at once. It’s inspiring to get out for a walk or a run along the boulevard and I love it in summer when you get the lovely sea breeze. And not to mention Jock’s ice-creamery down the road for a special after exercise treat,” says Kate.
Thornbury
“Thornbury‘s often called the ‘new Northcote’ and seen as a bit cool and ‘hipster’, but really it’s just a mix of the older Greek community, established families and with people in their early mid 30s looking for somewhere they can afford to buy their first home. It’s wide roads make is spacious and fairly quiet, but there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye and some fab eateries and music venues close by,” says Hannah.
Top 10 most liveable cities in the world
It wasn’t just Melbourne that made the list, Adelaide came in at number five, Sydney, number seven and Perth took out the number nine spot.
- Melbourne, Australia
- Vienna, Austria
- Vancouver, Canada
- Toronto, Canada
- Calgary, Canada
- Adelaide, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Helsinki, Finland
- Perth, Australia
- Auckland, New Zealand
Data complied and presented by The Economist Data Intelligence Unit Survey.
