Gillies Street, Fairfield, VIC 3078

We moved into Gillies Street a year ago and are very satisfied with the area including the very close, easy and convenient shopping and cafe strip, the surrounding huge parkland with walk-ways and bikeways aplenty. The people are friendly and the close proximity of Fairfield Rail Station (at the end of Gillies Street) is essential and handy. Its a quiet area ideal for retirees (being flat area to go for walks).

What can I say recently I had the oppurtunity to visit a friend and stay over the weekend.
The place I stayed at was located between Heidelberg rd and Railway place on Gillies st.
Everything is within easy walking distance.From picking up my cofee at Bean Counter, a 1 min walk to the shopping strip of Station st. The ease of hoping onto the train to the city and arriving with the cofee still hot in my hand.
Sunday Morning 7.00am coffee from the Bean Counter and straight down to Studley park golf course less than a 2 min drive. A round of 9 holes and back in time for a shower and a quick walk to the Fairfield Boat house. Lunch, and an hour later we are tranqually floating along the river in one of the boats for Hire at the boat House.

A location with every want and need within walking distance.
Ideally between Railway place and Heidelberg rd on Gillies st
Very tightly held area.
Less than 100 meters walk to Bean counter cafe and Fairfield Station,( zone 1 city in less than 10 min).
80 meters from the corner of Railway place and Gillies st is the Station Street Shopping Stip.
With supermarkets, fruit shops, butcher shops,restuarants. cafes pharmacies, medical centres,
Local schools include Fairfield primary school,Westgarth primary school,St Andrews primary school, Santa Marias girl college, Alphington Grammer School, Ivanhoe Grammar school, Ivanheo Girls Grammer School.
Walk to Studley park golf course, Fairfield Park or the Fairfield Boat house restuarant.
Take the Bike and ride along the bike track from Fairfield park to the city or the other way to Donvale and beyond.
To sum it all up there is only one word Location, location,location- Gillies St Fairfield.( between Railway place and Heidelberg rd) everthing within reach..

With Fairfield Park and the Boat house restaurant at one end, the Bean Counter cafe and Fairfield train station at the other.The M.C.G and City less than the time it takes to drink a cofee.
Staion street shopping precinct less than 100 meter away.
All bases of necessaty and comfortable living are covered.
A strong coverage of medical facilities ranging from medical centres to physio ,dentist and even a vet.
Close to Schools ,Parks and Shoping centres.
Undeniably rated as a location which is highly sought after.

Paris end of Gillies St, in between Heidlberg Rd and Fairfield train station, is a 10 min train ride to M.C.G doorstep or 13 minutes to city centre.
This location is second to none.The leafy streetscape, allowing a pleasurable stroll (no more than 200 mts either direction) to numerous amenities, whether you are after a coffee, light brunch, train station, hair salon or dinner.
Station Street shopping precinct offers no less than 3 supermarkets, fruit shops, butchers, bakeries, restaurants and cafes. Service facilities are also second to none (again within a 500 meter stroll) no less than 4 medical centres, 2 pathology centres, dentist, dermatologist, physiotherapist, pathology, podiatrist, 3 pharmacies and a vet.
Schools within a 5 min drive include Ivanhoe Grammar School , Ivanhoe Grammar Girls School, Alphington Grammar School, Santa Maria Girls School, Fairfield Primary School, Westgarth Primary School, Nothcote High School and Thornbury High School.

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.

Gillies Street in Fairfield was named after the Victorian state premier of the 1880s, Duncan Gillies, who presided over a great boom period after the gold rush. Gillies Street intersects with Duncan Street, near the former Oddfellows Hall (now used by a Greek community group) and the St Andrews Uniting Church.
The Fairfield Bowling Club is also on the street.
Gillies Street is divided by the Eltham/Hurstbridge train line, with platforms 1 and 2 feeding passengers on and off directly onto the northern and southern ends of the street. Easy to get into the city from here.
Good bus routes run along nearby Victoria Road, Station Street and Separation Street, travelling north to the Preston shopping centres, west to the Moonee Valley racecourse or south into Port Melbourne.
The housing stock is a mix of standalone homes, semi-detached dwellings and apartments. Many of the older-style homes have been renovated.
Plane trees line the street between Separation Street to the north and Heidelberg Road to the south. The kerbs are cut-in, so cars parked off the street are well off the two lanes, allowing for good flow of traffic. Some residents don't like the amount of leaves that fall in autumn in winter.
Residents not speaking English as a first language, are more than likely to speak Greek, Italian, Cantonese and Putonghua at home.
Gillies Street is one block from the vibrant Station Street shops in Fairfield, also known as Fairfield Village. In the past 10 years, this shopping precinct has gone from a place with four butcheries, four fruit and vegie shops and three little supermarkets, to a place with four butcheries, two greengrocers, three independent supermarkets with excellent fruit and vegetables and rampant coffee shop development.
The Greek, Japanese, Thai, two Indian, three Italian-style, and one Vietnamese restaurants are all full of customers. A library, a bookshop, three discount stores, an Internet cafe, a couple of op shops, three bakeries, delicatessen help round out the mix of trading.
The FIDO dog (Fairfield Industrial Dog Object) has also attracted a dog washing outfit nearby.
The parkland, in Rubie Thomson Reserve off Separation Street, has safe play equipment for children.
The southern end of Gillies Street, which connects with Heidelberg Road, is right opposite the parkland on the Yarra River, leading down to the Fairfield Boathouse and ampitheatre, as well as the canoeing club.