gauriy

Grab a cup of tea, this will be a lengthy review because I have lots to say about this wonderful place.

Tecoma is incredibly beautiful. There are so many lush trees here, the air is crisp and clean, and there is a beautiful view of the mountains from Burwood Highway. There is a gorgeous walk along the Belgrave rail trail which feels like you're walking through the forest in some parts. Sherbrooke forest walks are nearby down Terrys Avenue and if you pick the right time to walk you can feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, in the best way.

There is a very friendly convenience store in Tecoma (Bon Ton Mini Mart) for wine, junk food, magazines and emergency groceries. The Salvos has great finds as do the secondhand clothing shops in the main shopping strip on Burwood Highway, which also has takeaways like charcoal chicken, Indian, etc. Neighbouring Belgrave has lots of great cafes and shops, a Woolworths, a regular Sunday produce market, lots of secondhand shops and a monthly craft market. Coffee and bread/pastry is fantastic at The Blacksmith in Belgrave. Earthly Pleasures cafe is a great place for a special meal and to take guests. If you like nightlife you'll enjoy Gin Lane and Ruby's, and if you're a movie buff get a membership at the local cinema (Cameo Cinemas), for cheap tickets and a lovely experience. Much cheaper and more enjoyable than the major cinemas. Officeworks, Petbarn and a great organic/healthy supermarket called Wholefood Merchants are down Burwood Highway in Ferntree Gully. Knox City is only a 15-20 minute drive away, Fountain Gate is about 25 minutes. Lysterfield Lake is about 15 minutes away.

Public transport is great if you live within reasonable walking or driving distance to the train station. It's an hour to the city, unless there are replacement buses like there have been for the past few months, in which case it's more like 1.5-2 hours. As a woman I feel safe walking home from the station at night (I live a 5-minute walk away). There are always friendly PSO's at the train station, too.

Tecoma is very community-minded and family friendly. It's also a health-conscious and eco-conscious suburb. On Burwood Hwy there is a communal effort at the Uniting Church called 'Food is Free Tecoma' where you can donate fresh food and drygoods to those who are struggling, or take food for yourself if you're going through hard times. There are also free meals nights in Upwey that you can partake in, whether as a diner or a volunteer.

The major cons of the area are fire danger and the previously mentioned commute to the city. If you're thinking of moving here, my advice is to attend a summer CFA meeting at Tecoma Primary School first to find out the realities of fire season. In a nutshell, the CFA recommends avoiding being in the area on Severe and Extreme fire danger days as in an emergency there will be standstill traffic. Unfortunately my partner and I have three cats which makes spending the day at Knox or the beach on Severe and Extreme fire danger days impossible. This has made summers here very inconvenient as we must rely on family and friends to accommodate us on those days (there were about 6 in summer 2015 - Feb 2016, none in summer 2016-2017 as yet). If you don't have pets then leaving Tecoma on Severe or Extreme fire danger days is completely doable, but if there are a few days in a row you may have to stay overnight elsewhere, and there is of course the risk that your house and belongings will go up in flames while you are away.

My partner and I will be sadly moving away from this beautiful place in the next month or so, due to the fire danger and the long commute (we both work in the city). Despite these issues, I would wholeheartedly recommend Tecoma as a beautiful place to live. I will miss it terribly.