silvest

Talk about being in the city, yet at the same time isolated enough from the hustle and bustle of inner city lifestyle to enjoy the suburban neighborhood ambiance.

Harbour Esplanade of Docklands is the strip along Victoria Harbour. Located just one street west of Spencer Street (which is the edge of Melbourne CBD), it is strategically located in between the CBD and Vic Urban's future development plans to transform Docklands into the "Darling Harbour" of Melbourne. Great for walking and cycling, it allows people to promenade along the water front to take in the fresh air and admire the lovely scenery. Here, one can see berths for yachts should that be the choice of transportation. In essence it offers the million dollar view but without the million dollar price tag, yet.

The northern end of the strip takes you to New Quay, the earliest establishment in Docklands which provides a variety of restaurants and eateries, highlighting the diversity in cuisines to serve Melbournians. Within the vicinity, the Harbour Town development provides a mix of both retail shopping, residential living, with a food and entertainment precint and topped with Melbourne's iconic Southern Star observation wheel.

Along the Esplanade you can find Central Pier, dubbed 'the most culturally significant waterfront development undertaken in Melbourne'. Events are held all year round creating a vibrant cultural, community and creative hub which caters for this multicultural society.
Right opposite is the Etihad Stadium (formerly Telstra Dome) which can seat a capacity crowd of over 50,000 where sporting events and concerts take place. During the AFL season it becomes a weekly ritual where spectators pour in to cheer their favourite team. A slight inconvenience on event days as can be expected from slow moving traffic navigating around the area in search of parking.

In terms of facilities there is a Safeway store open and your local IGAs providing the convenience of grocery shopping. Bank branches are available for your convenience
There is a child-care centre which just opened, the local Government had indicated future plans to develop a school for the community. Ten metres from the Bourke Street intersection you'll find Docklands Park. This is a great area for taking the kids on the weekend and having a nice Sunday afternoon BBQ and there is also children’s playground to keep the young ones occupied. Although generally quiet during the week, the barbeques are very popular during the summer months so it is advised to get there early on weekends to make sure you don’t go hungry.

Public transportation is an absolute strong point with tram lines running along Harbour Esplanade for routes 48, 70 and the free 'City Circle Tram'. A short 2 minute walk along the bridge behind Etihad Stadium leads you to the Southern Cross Station for numerous train lines and bus services. And if you have to wait for your next train, DFO shopping centre is right there, perfect for a nice coffee or shopping to pass some time (who says you can't travel in style)

In summary, an established, well-planned neighbourhood with further development plans showing what Melbourne has to offer.