aaw

I've lived here for 1 year now, and it is growing on me. I live in the newer estate area, and it is very geared towards young families - there are two primary schools down my street! I do love the diversity of families around here too - we have families with all sorts of backgrounds, which is nice to see (breaks a few stereotypes I've been told about the area too!) The train is pretty good - I catch to the city for work, and its 20 minutes to Southern Cross station, with relatively frequent trains during peak times.

The big problem we do have here is really the level crossing, and Station Rd. generally. It is a huge bottle neck, and on the few occasions I've had to drive just 5kms in that direction, I've had to allow 1/2 an hour to get there because of trains, and backed up traffic (at the Ballarat Rd. intersection).

My major issue, personally, is due to the fact that this is such a new suburb - it has no real sense of heritage. The houses are all extremely similar, built close together, and could be plonked down literally anywhere else in the country. The main shopping area is really just for basics - there's no real reason to hang around or build community. (No coffee shop, library, gallery, etc.). And it just all feels very soulless ... to me! It might be different if you have kids and can find community through school or sports events.

I think in general Derrimut is a good option for young families. It isn't all that affordable - but nothing is within cooee of the city is it?