A multi cultural melting pot and plenty of Vietnamese eating places.
Footscray, Melbourne (inner west)
There is nothing else like Footscray in Melbourne. You will either love this place or find it too much of a culture shock and want to leave . It is like being in Vietnam, in Eastern Europe, in the Horn of Africa, in India, in an emerging cool suburb and a dilapidated one, all at the same time. Recently, arty types have been moving in, changing the face of this once derided inner city suburb. (More info below and to your left <<<)
> FOOTSCRAY ON THE MELBOURNE WEST MAP
If this suburb were a shoe, it would be Adidas and a pair of sneakers
Footscray is close to the city centre with excellent public transport. Decades of neglect of the train station is about to come to an end as the State Government prepares to give it a face lift.
Pretty much everything in Footscray is cheap, starting with the Footscray Market and the fabulous Little Saigon Shopping Centre. Footscray has the best Vietnamese food in Melbourne and some very good Ethiopian cafes.
It also has a university, a very large park on the Maribyrnong River and is home to one of the best fresh seafood shops in Melbourne, (Conway Seafoods) to an interesting arts community, and to Lonely Planet publications.
The shopping area is colourful and rundown, but that is what also makes it interesting. Many of the residential streets, though, are quite nice with a large number of Victorian cottages. Rents here are among the least expensive in Melbourne.
Footscray is a large suburb that has historically been home to the working class, and those on welfare. Like other suburbs in the inner city, more professionals, families and students have been moving in, slowly changing the face of the suburb.
Nearby West Footscray is a great suburb with plenty of tree lined streets and larger family homes. It is a lot quieter than Footscray and has become more popular with young professionals with a community bent.
Parking can be hard in many of the streets around the main shopping area. The vibe: round the world ticket. Shoe equivalent: sneakers, slip-ons. Would suit: ages 18+, students, professionals, singles, poor arty types, unpretentious families, creative types. Location: Near university, river, parks. 6km from the city centre. Direction: West
