Essendon, VIC 3040

Some really good cafe options and amenities. Craigieburn train line is not always reliable.

Very busy roads though, full of impatient drivers who honk at everyone (not just me, Mt Road is loud with honking whenever I walk along it).

Just bought here, what an amazing area , so many nice cafes within walking distance, city 12 mins away by car or there are trams close by. Easy access to fwy , airport & lots of shopping

If you love the sound of loud jet engines and helicopters landing every 30 minutes, you’ll love it here. Avoid the restaurants in Niddrie - they’re really average. Traffic is a nightmare with trams going through multi-lane roundabouts. Really poor planning.

In some cliquy circles in Melbourne, living north of the river and especially to the north west, is encumbered with a negative social class stigma.

Definitely no so living in the grand old inner areas around Essendon including Moonee Ponds and Ascot Vale where you shall find some of Melbourne’s most gorgeous stately homes along beautiful tree lined street which would rival the inner east favourites such as Kew and Hawthorn.

Essendon also offers exceptional public transport options including trains and trains not to mention fast access to both the CBD and the airport.

Leisure infrastructure is superb with well established gardens and dining and shopping opportunities diverse and plentiful from famous Puckle Street to DFO .

It's one of those suburbs that have risen in status in recent years due to close proximity to CBD but with culture left behind. There's little diversity(racism), and quite a lot of inconsiderate and entitled property owners (boomers) who lack basic respect for others. We love the trees and parks here, but they are continuously being cut down for over development. For a suburb that looks peaceful on the surface, you'll be surprised how often there's loud parties held by people in their 50s. Beware. It's a certain crowd. Choose your neighbors wisely.

Also there's loads of dog shit around Glass St and branching areas. Quite a few houses had to put up their own signs on the nature strip to deter it. Again, inconsiderate people. We did not see this happening in other suburbs we lived in. Much better off going to Moonee Ponds instead.

Essendon is a great place for families as it is in close proximity to good schools. There are also countless amazing cafes for those who are into cafe culture. It is a clean area, and people here are polite and welcoming.

We chose Essendon when moving back to Melbourne from the US. The leafy streets, big lot sizes, parks and top-rated schools are the reasons it topped our list. After 2 years, still very pleased. Plus: the local restaurants during COVID have been terrific.

It is a nice place however, with all the apartments going up and it just gets busier and busier, not a good vibe anymore, over growded and too much traffic.

Nice family area, old homes need alot of renovation though. Certain pockets have nice leafy trees, parks for kids to run and play and bike. Lots of dog walkers.
Very family oriented. Mother's seem to be dressed up to the 9's here in Aus labels for some reason. Always skinny jeans and heels and a Gucci/Louis vuitton bag. Alot of them don't work or run their own beauty/photography/health businesses. Becomes a clinquey crowd when you pick them up from schools in their BMW. The dad's are all business owners who have their own car mechanic, restaurant, dry cleaner , fitness gym, real estate, builder business it seems. It feels like sandrigham meets port melbourne crowd.

Pet hate are the Train station not good- too many delays. Always packed. If you work in the CBD expect to catch early train otherwise too packed and can't even get in.
Driving to the CBD is bad if you go through Monee ponds or Flemington in peak hour. Be warn trams will delay you to work bcoz they stop at every stop all the way down. I do wish there was a variety of cuisines restaurants and more modern/loft brunch cafes though instead of the usual italian/pasta restaurants. Moonee ponds has more diverity restaurants.

Essendon is a dream just around the corner. Facilities and parks galore. Easy access to the Airport (For all you travellers out there) and CBD only 12 kms away. If you like the suburbs and family vibe, go for Essendon. Its sister Moonee Ponds is more for the younger crowd with apartments, restaurants and brunches, entertainment and shops popping up everywhere to accomondate the next wave of single working professionals and young people.