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Aaaaah, OVENS STREET - Sure, it's not the prettiest street in the surrounding Yarraville Village area, but it more than makes up for it with it's incredible location.

The "Village" is a hop, skip and a jump away, making inner-city life an absolute joy.
The delightful Sun Theatre, dentists, doctors, the post office, supermarkets, an organic grocer, bakeries, butchers and more are literally around the corner.
A real foodie's haven, the choice of cute cafes can't be beat.

TOP PICKS in the Village are: The Corner Shop cafe (gorgeous friendly staff and great little menu), The Sun Bookshops (The adult store can be a bit hit and miss for service, but the kids' store is always a fun experience), Hausfrau Bakery and Cafe (well-known and well-loved for very good reason) and check out Under The Sea for the best fish and chips this side of the West Gate.
Better than anything on offer in Williamstown. Yummy crisp batter and fresh fresh fish.

AVOID if you can: The florist, you'll know the one, it's the only one in the Village.
Always shocking service, and by this I mean non-existent.

As for Ovens Street itself, we're finding it a real love-hate affair.

Considering it's so close to the train tracks, a major truck route (nearby Francis Street) and the West Gate Bridge, the street itself is surprisingly quiet. At the moment there is a bit of renovating noise on the weekends, but it's bearable and the renovators are considerate.

Dogs barking is definitely not an issue - this is a street ruled by cats. Seriously they are everywhere on this street. It feels like every second house owns one. But the cats are friendly and don't cause any real problems.

Finding street parking can be a problem on the odd occasion, but generally it's pretty easy to find a spot. Even on festival days in the Village, I've never seen the street so full, that it would cause a major problem. The street itself is quite narrow, but as long as people are considerate and courteous, it's easy to manouver through.

Interaction with the neighbours is a daily occurrence fraught with danger. Don't get me wrong, generally the people along the street are lovely, welcoming and kind, but we had the misfortune of being surrounded by "Lifers." You know the type, they've lived in the area for a majority of their lives and thus feel a sense of entitlement and ownership. Don't you dare park your car on the street in front of their house, in "their" car park, despite the fact the they have their own private garage and driveway, or you'll hear about it. Don't you dare let a leaf or two fall from your tree into their yard, or you'll hear about it. And when they often scream and yell at each other like the undignified goons that they are, you'll hear it.

For now though, the glorious inner-city life that this special place offers outweighs the occasional nastiness from some of those around us.

Fingers crossed they move out eh?

Cheers!