Preston, VIC 3072

Preston is a suburb in the northern region of Melbourne, Victoria. A vibrant, multicultural suburb that is home to wonderful cafes, old school bakeries, and a smorgasbord of restaurants. This suburb is an archetype of being both old and new with its thriving and eclectic community of artists, young and vibrant individuals, and families. Here's a suburb review focusing on liveability and culture in Preston:

Preston offers a mix of housing options, including period-style homes, modern apartments, and townhouses. Rental and property prices vary, making it accessible for various budgets. The real estate market is competitive, so it's advisable to research thoroughly.
Preston is well-connected to the Melbourne CBD and neighbouring suburbs through public transport. The Preston Train Station is a major transport hub, and several tram lines run through the area, providing easy access to the city and other parts of Melbourne.
Residents of Preston enjoy easy access to a range of amenities, including supermarkets, shopping centres, medical facilities, and educational institutions. High Street, in particular, is a bustling thoroughfare with numerous shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Preston has several primary and secondary schools, as well as educational institutions for higher learning. This makes it a suitable suburb for families, and it's within a reasonable commute to universities in Melbourne.
The suburb has numerous parks and green spaces, including the popular Preston Reservoir Park, where you can enjoy picnics, walks, and outdoor activities. There are also sporting facilities and community centres for various recreational pursuits.

One of Preston's standout features is its cultural diversity. The suburb is home to a wide range of ethnic communities, which is reflected in the variety of restaurants, shops, and cultural events. You can explore international cuisines, cultural festivals, and markets.

Preston has a growing arts and entertainment scene. You can find local theatres, art galleries, and live music venues showcasing emerging talent. The suburb's cultural diversity often plays a significant role in these artistic expressions.

Food lovers will appreciate the diverse dining options in Preston. You can savor cuisines from around the world, from Italian and Greek to Vietnamese and Ethiopian. There are also trendy cafes, bakeries, and craft breweries to explore.

Preston has a strong sense of community engagement, with many local events, community organizations, and neighbourhood groups. This fosters a sense of belonging and connection among residents.
Preston hosts various markets, such as the Preston Market, where you can buy fresh produce, clothing, and artisanal products. The local shopping scene is diverse, with specialty stores and boutiques.

Overall, Preston is a dynamic and culturally rich suburb that offers a high level of liveability. Its cultural diversity, access to amenities, and vibrant arts and culinary scenes make it an appealing place to live for individuals and families alike.

Preston is a popular suburb in Melbourne's inner North. Close proximity to the city with vibrant cafes and restaurants and of course the popular Preston market containing some amazing hidden Gems.

Preston is one of the most popular suburbs in Melbourne. Known for great cafes, proximity to city and ambience. With a newly designed train station and vibrant market it really is a good place to live.

Preston is an area that certainly has its pro's and cons. Parts of Preston are absolutely beautiful, with parks, shops and cafes it has become quite trendy and a great place to live. Other parts aren't so nice, questionable people live in the area and a lot of crime occurs in these areas. Pick yours spots!

Best location short of Maco for a wide selection of Borek joints. A good few roast ducks hanging from the Chinese restaurants also.

Having grown up near Preston and living here now, I'm just blown away by how many cool new business keep opening up along high street and plenty road - especially all of those past Bell Street and towards Reservoir. There's a nice kind of night life with lots of little hip bars without the noise and parking issues of inner city suburbs. When I go and visit other areas of Melbourne many of their shops have closed down during COVID but Preston just seems to get more and more lively! Echoing what a previous reviewer has said - it's great to live near High Street as you get access to the train, shops, restaurants, schools and night life.

Beautiful place , on the rise
Many shops and near expensive suburbs like Thornbury
So it has a great potential

Preston is a vibrant suburb full of attractive period homes usually on sizeable pieces of land. Many are beautifully renovated and others are ripe for a make-over. It is 9km from the CBD and has good tram and train links to other suburbs. There is an abundance of places for eating out or take away. When you are off the main roads, there are lovely parks and playgrounds dotted around the suburb. The Darebin local government has recently planted more street trees and continues to make Preston a delightful place to live.

The suburb has been attracting more young families in recent years. The primary schools have a good reputation and in 2019 Preston High School opened and is already sought after. The friendly community for those living in Preston is what keeps people there for many years. The good infrastructure, lovely homes and thriving businesses in Preston make it a suburb that has most things for easier, more enjoyable living without having to travel far.

Preston has been an up & coming suburb for many years now. With new cafes & businesses opening up daily. Constantly provides great results. Easy access into the city, close to public transport & shops.

Max Hodder - Real Estate Agent - Woodards

Preston definitely up and coming . I see new cafes and businesses opening up and with the new development on the rail lines this is the perfect opportunity to get in before it's too late. Been living in WEST Preston for a while now and I have lovely neighbors and people all around are welcoming. Perfect for families or single adult like me to easily access city for work but local parks and bike trails during the weekend. Its got the right balance and definitely see it on the rise with house auction sales rising .

A fast developing suburb with various new cafes, restaurants and eateries popping up, to cater for the growing population.

Madeleine Cahill - Property Manager Preston

Boring but okay

A single storey 4 bedroom home within 50 metres of my home sold for 1.9 million on the weekend! This is testament to the pulling power of the West precint of the suburb where large blocks abound. The change is ever present and its great to see gentrification in full force.

33 yr old Professional with a love of coffee, boutique shops, dog parks and great community I LOVE Preston. After renting in Thornbury for a few years I wanted to buy local however house prices booted me out of Thornbury so chose the closest option.... Preston. Definitely the best choice. I'm South of Bell so still really close to Thornbury and it's well maintained and gorgeous. I'm just on Plenty Rd so super close to the Thornbury High St shopping precinct, but when I'm lazy there's amazing High st and Plenty Rd cafes with that hipster trendy vibe. You can't really notice the change from Thornbury to Preston until you cross over Bell St so personally wanted stay there purely as a lifestyle choice, but everywhere in Preston is great. Beautiful old houses (still with backyards too!) Close to Northland shopping, access to heaps of transport. Yep! Best choice ever.

We have lived in Preston for 1.5 years and felt great. It has good schools, market, nice shopping centre, and parks. My daughter loves her school (Preston West primary) very much

Preston's a bit of a mixed bag. Depending on where you're living/staying, you could be a lengthy walk from the tram line, plus a 30-45 minute tram ride away from the CBD - or, you might be lucky enough to live close to the train station, which is just a 20 minute ride to the city centre. If you're on the eastern side of the suburb, the most interesting thing nearby is the Northland Shopping Centre. The fast-developing Plenty Road runs through this side of the 'hood, but unfortunately this stretch of it has more shuttered storefronts than lively establishments. Thankfully the western half of Preston has a lot more to offer. On High Street you'll have your pick of Vietnamese restaurants, cheap salons, and op shops. There's a Lentil As Anything here as well. But perhaps best of all, just off High Street is the Preston Market, where you can snag insanely cheap produce after 2pm on Saturdays.

The bottom line? Preston's pretty ok, depending on what you're looking for in a neighborhood. Young singles should aim to live in the southwestern part of Preston where there's more going on, while families might be more comfortable in the quieter, less developed parts of the neighborhood.

It's quite busy in the mornings - lots of people going to the city. I live 15 mins walk to the train station, so sometimes when it's not raining I bike to the city - I was skeptical before I tried it - but it's safe and quicker that by train :-)
Shopping is great - there is everything you'll ever need and some great cafes along High St and Plenty Rd.
I have a kid I'm going to send to Bell Primary School. I liked Preston West Primary as well but Bell seems to have upgraded facilities is closer to my home. Good schools was once of the criteria when I was choosing a suburb to buy in - I'm very satisfied with those two.

Currently I'm lucky enough to call Preston home. Easy access to East Link, Airport and CBD a massive bonus for us. To top it off lots of good places to eat, my favourites Ditsy Dani's Cafe for food and coffee in the Preston Market and C Culture Chinese restaurant on High Street Preston. Very easy and convenient place to live.

Fantastic proximity to city, well-serviced by PT with a vibrant multicultural population, down to earth neighbours and the fresh food at Preston market. Great place to hang out and raise your family.

Great place to live. Young people can enjoy the cheap and cheerful High St eateries, Sth Preston shopping, growing collection of cool cafes and depth of afforadable rental options avialable. Families can enjoy the numerous childcare and schools, fantastic-value family homes and great spread of parks. Everyone can take advantage of the proximity to the city, excellent access to PT and the vibrant Preston Market where locals and visitors alike mix. A friendly place where everyone is welcome and can feel at home.

Preston is fantastic for so many reasons. We live in central Preston and have the train station, tram and buses all within minutes. fantastic for choice when it comes to shopping with the market, Aldi, Woolworths in the centre and then there's always Northland as well. Plus it's 10 km within the CBD. The schools in the area are now really picking up and things seem to really be happening.

Regent is an up and coming suburb that is only 10kms from the city and is starting to attract young professionals and families. It is a nice little pocket of Reservoir that has beautiful period homes.
There is Zone 1 public transport, the Preston market, plenty of take-away and dine in restaurants, and a shopping centre all within a 5 minute drive.
I see a lot of potential in this area.

Great family living

With Northlands 5 minutes away the shopping is great. Lots of schools nearby mean very little travel in the morning and so many public transport options you can't go far wrong.
Sometimes neighbours can leave you feeling a little cold but mostly they are warm and welcoming.
Unfortunately because it is a wide street and fairly short we do get hoons every now and again but the police are seen frequently in the side streets and are ready to catch them.
Being right on the border of Preston and Thornbury the house prices have steadily risen over the last 5 years that we have lived here although we certainly have no intention of moving