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Gillies Street is one street parallel to the commercial centre of Fairfield (Station Street) and still represents all the characteristics of the "northern suburbs of old" - multicultural, friendly, local shopping, a broad variety of housing and a variety of community meeting-places (such as the lawn bowling club).

There is a train station on the train line bisecting the street, and bus services run up Separation Street, so it is well connected to public transport. One of the best things about the very pretty train station is the Bean Counter cafe (corner of the south end of Gillies Street and Railway Ave) which has friendly service and great coffee. This south part of the street abuts Heidelberg Road, and on the other side is a series of parks and paths that run along the river from Box Hill to Richmond. This area is riddled with bike paths that are great for family exercise.

One street parallel to the East, Station Street is developing into a strip of cafes, restaurants and shops, although none are super-standouts with the possible exception of Trapezi, the modern Greek taverna. However Station Street retains a strong community feel, with an excellent community centre and library, and a palpable sense of pride. And to the west lies High Street Northcorte, one of Melbourne's most vibrant bar and restarant strips, with some bars and restaurants amongst the best value in Melbourne.

There are good schools and child care centres in the area, but they can be hard to get into.

Prices in the street are reasonably high, as a consequence of its proximity to Station Street and public transport. Many of the older houses in the street have been renovated to their optimum capitalisation and have the opportunity for further growth. Density in the street is increased by several blocks of flats, although it seems unlikely that further flats would be allowed in the street. However there is likely to be further subdivision of larger blocks into townhouses as the value of land increases.

While there is some traffic in the street, there are several speedhumps that limit the streets utility as a through-road. In addition, most of the on-street parking is set into the nature strips, leaving two clear lanes of traffic. The street is lined with plane trees from Heidelberg Road to Separation Street, providing a leafy, suburban feel to the street.