It’s no coincidence that when people look for places to visit for a holiday, leafy green destinations are always a popular choice. The colour green symbolises nature and the natural world and represents tranquillity, good luck and health, and is known to have a calming effect that can relieve stress and help heal. So it’s no surprise that people seek a ‘green’ environment when they want to escape their fast-paced day to day lives and recharge their energy stores.
It’s also not uncommon for the newly retired amongst us to decide they’d like to see out their leisure years in a location that is slower paced than the city and inner suburbs, with many opting for the proverbial sea change or tree change. But it poses a question, and a good one at that; why do we have to wait for retirement to enjoy living amongst the treetops?
The simple answer is you don’t.
The great news is you don’t need to move hours away from the CBD to enjoy a significant change in surroundings and speed of life. Melbourne’s outer eastern corridor has some fabulous greenbelt areas in close proximity to a range of desirable amenities; many of these are perfect for singles, couples, families or empty nesters alike, and most offer a range of housing types and block sizes.
Let’s explore some ‘green’ suburb options in Melbourne’s outer east.
Warrandyte/Wonga Park/Park Orchards
Each of these suburbs is within easy reach of a number of popular shopping precincts including Westfield Doncaster and the recently renovated Eastland. There are also good schools in the area including Whitefriars Catholic College and Donvale Christian College. Local bus services run to train stations, and a range of housing types are available including acreage properties with wide open spaces. The landscape is a mixture of bushland surrounds and grassed paddocks with views to the hills. And of course, you can’t forget the Yarra River that winds its way through much of the area, adding to the picturesque nature of the locale.
Warranwood/Croydon Hills/Croydon North
Whilst some of the housing landscape here is more typically suburban than the aforementioned areas, traffic is lighter and there are still wonderful bushland areas, nature reserves and open green surrounds. There are many large family homes here and a key factor that continues to drive families to the area is the superb list of highly sought schools, Yarra Valley Grammar, Luther College and The Rudolph Steiner School to name a few. The popularity of these schools is proof you don’t need to be living inner-city to get a top-shelf education.
Belgrave/Tecoma/Upwey/Upper Ferntree Gully
When you search for properties for sale in these areas, there is almost always a common theme; the backdrops in the photos generally feature views of mountains, lush green foliage or bushland surrounds. These suburbs are all located south-south west of the Mount Dandenong foothills, offering the best of both worlds; a reasonable proximity to day to day amenities, but the peace and quiet not afforded by suburbs closer to the CBD. You’re also close to many of the attractions the area is known for including The Dandenong Ranges, Puffing Billy and the popular 1,000 Steps in Ferntree Gully.
Montrose/Mt Evelyn/The Basin
These greenbelt suburbs also enjoy a position at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, but this time in a north-north westerly direction. Montrose is well known for its tight-knit community, many of whom were huge contributors to the building of the Montrose Community Park; now one of the most popular adventure playgrounds in the east. Lilydale Lake is also close by and this too is popular, especially with those who enjoy wonderful vistas whilst they get their daily exercise or want space for the children to run and play.
As technology evolves, so does the opportunity for more and more of our society to negotiate flexible working arrangements. This, in turn, means that people’s proximity to city centres is less important, making Melbourne’s outer east and a life overlayed with green, a more viable option than ever before.
If you’re keen for a tree-change contact your nearest Noel Jones office today.
