I. McColl

This is a place completely out of radar for many people particularly young professionals or immigrants because it’s lack of USB in the over heated housing market which makes it very uniquely positioned for smart buyers.
Yes, there used to be some problems with night life like any outer suburbs but so many cafes and restaurants have popped out both in retail centres and in community parades. It now has a good balance of contemporary Australian and Asian food choices. Depending on where you live, you are generally 10 minutes from beach.
Yes, local bus is rubbish because it doesn’t take you to the local train stations fast enough but many Melbourne suburbs sufferer the same problem unless you live in the centre. Driving is generally stress free because there’re rarely traffic jams and parking spaces are abundant. Having said that, this might be its undoing because most attractive places are difficult to drive/park instead well served by public transport.
I generally avoid Westfield because don’t like shopping in a mega building complex but a lot people regard this a nearby attraction.
If you are a sporty person this’s heaven because Bentleigh East is oversupplied with state of the art sports fields, reserves and recreational facilities. The only thing missing is a good large Botanical garden.
The place is slowly transformed by developers turning large plots into new town houses, locals renovating and extending their homes. All in all it’s getting more attractive but it’s density & height is much lower than its surrounding areas like Carnegie, Moorabin or even Bentleigh. I see more interesting business moving in for the locals to enjoy.