The Melbourne metropolitan area offers an eclectic mix of quirky cafes, multi-cultural cuisine, and more specialty stores and amenities to shake a stick at. It boasts countless Italian restaurants, Greek food and Asian cuisine. You’re also likely to find a rooftop bar or pub on every corner.

Better yet, there are plenty of schools, shopping centres and doctors clinics scattered throughout the suburbs, making it an excellent area to settle down and raise a family. But how to know which suburb has the right amenities and attractions for you or your family?

We take a look at the data to break down what some of the key areas in Melbourne have to offer.

Melbourne CBD

It goes without saying that the CBD 3000 postcode reigns supreme in terms of venues and services. If you’re wanting to live near schools, hairdressers, supermarkets, cafes and pubs in Melbourne, the heart of the city is where they’re at.

CBD Data

Restaurants: 519

Pubs: 27

Doctors: 197

Hairdressers: 316

Schools: 73

Cafes: 228

 

Richmond 3121

The next biggest suburb, behind the city, in terms of venues and services, is Richmond. This is perhaps no surprise considering that the area is Melbourne’s cherished home of sport;  with the MCG, Rod Laver Arena and AAMI Park drawing in floods of sports fans year-round.

Interestingly, Richmond has more doctors than the city itself, making it a great suburb to settle down if being close to health services is a priority for you.

Richmond Data

Restaurants: 135

Pubs: 12

Doctors: 229

Hairdressers: 89

Schools: 19

Cafes: 48

 

Fitzroy 3065

Fitzroy is one of the next biggest venue-packed suburbs in Melbourne. Despite its rather small physical size, the compact streets of this vibrant area are packed with some of Melbourne’s favourite restaurants, speciality stores and pubs. Notorious for being the hipster capital, Fitzroy also has a vibrant arts scene and more quirky cafes than schools and pubs combined!

Fitzroy Data

Restaurants: 75

Pubs: 17

Doctors: 116

Hairdressers: 39

Schools: 9

Cafes: 36

 

Frankston 3199

Heading down to Melbourne’s extreme southeast end, you can find the bustling satellite city of Frankston. While nowhere near the scale of the CBD’s size, this area has one of the largest collections of services and businesses in the outer regions of the metropolitan area. With 162 doctors services, it also makes it an ideal location to settle for the health conscious.

Frankston Data

Restaurants: 58

Pubs: 2

Doctors: 162

Hairdressers: 80

Schools: 45

Cafes: 31

 

Dandenong 3175

One of the next biggest areas out in the southeast is Dandenong, with an almost equal amount of doctor facilities available as Frankston. Needless to say, for those looking to settle down away from the craziness of the CBD, this area is established enough to offer everything you’d need.

Dandenong Data

Restaurants: 41

Pubs: 1

Doctors: 124

Hairdressers: 56

Schools: 37

Cafes: 17

 

Toorak 3145

Toorak is often referred to as the home of Melbourne’s wealthy and upper-class. Perhaps it comes as no surprise then, that there’s no Toorak pubs registered in the White Pages. There are plenty of hairdressers available though.

Coincidence?

Toorak Data

Restaurants: 23

Pubs: 0

Doctors: 77

Hairdressers: 40

Schools: 15

Cafes: 5

 

Suburbs lacking venues and services

Our data shows us that there’s 56 out of the 389 suburbs researched in the Melbourne metropolitan area that have no schools, cafes, doctors, pubs, hairdressers or restaurants. Some of these include Calder Park, Bulla, Cranbourne South, Keilor North and Thornhill Park.

This may be due to the size or the rural location of these suburbs. Keep in mind, other venues and amenities may be readily available just a short drive away. However, this information is still worth considering if you’re looking to live close to a particular service.

Regardless of where you plan to settle down, make sure you do your research to find out exactly what each suburb has on offer.