Frankston still has a bad rep. I don't live too far from there & it's not a place I'd consider living with or without kids. Langwarrin which is only a stones throw away has a far better reputation & I've known a few people who've lived there very happily. Mornington is nice too, but it is getting a bad rep for violence at night around the nightclubs. Again I know several people who've loved living at Mornington.
Last I shopped in Frankston (over a year ago now I guess) you had to pay for parking at the big shopping centre which is a pain in the butt (and pretty much unheard of anywhere else out this way). It's a very busy car park & you can sometimes have to drive around a bit to even find a car park. That situation may have changed since I went there though.
Last edited by satya; November 4th, 2009 at 08:17 PM.
I grew up in Carrum which is about 10 mins from Frankston. Any of the bayside suburbs are gorgeous. There are always going to be bad crowds no matter where you live, its just steering your kids in the right direction.
Bonbeach, Chelsea, Edithvale, Aspendale, Mordialloc, Parkdale - all great places by the beach.
Personally I'd love to live in Frankston, as I live in the country now and as a city girl, crave 'civilisation'. Close to the beach, shops etc - the beach in summer down that way is awesome.
There are heaps of schools, not sure if you want public or private...
Paying for car parking wouldn't put me off an area - living in the city I have often paid $30 to park my car before, so 80cents or whatever isn't an issue for me.
There are some areas to avoid, The Pines has always been one of them.... these kinds of areas can exist anywhere though, I've lived in LOADS of different areas of Melbourne and honestly, Frankston isn't a place I'd ever really feel unsafe - unless perhaps I was night clubbing etc or out walking those kinds of streets at night, but those days are long gone.
You could always try Pakenham - we went to Lakeside for something the other day and walked around the lake and I started talking like one of those people in those ads, raving about how family friendly and relaxed it felt.
i'm not a fan of frankston but i live in chelsea & i love it. i agree with littlelara & think that there's something about living down here that does change the energy.
it does get busy around the beach in summer but to be honest i don't really notice it & it's mostly just on weekends.
the blocks of land are pretty big around where i am so you'd have lots of space for the boys. there's also a really big playground & park about a 5 minute walk from our place.
i've found that lots of people stay in the area for ages which i think is a positive thing - for eg both DP's parents grew up down here & still live in the area and DP is obviously still here. i hope that makes sense, but it's just something i noticed moreso than anywhere i've lived before.
my parents recently moved to bonbeach & they're loving it.
I live in Langwarrin now, having moved from Frankston South a few years ago. Our house is about 8 years old and quite affordable. We live close enough to the beach, close enough to the peninsula, and only 45 mins from here to the Crown Casino (purely for the parking!) on a good day.
People who think Frankston has a bad reputation need to open their eyes. It's a perfectly nice place to live. Sure, there's a few interesting characters, but aren't they everywhere??? And although I'd never feel safe at the train station at night - I'm not sure i'd feel safe at many.
I was not born here, nor do i have family here, and I've lived in 5 different countries, and countless cities - and I am happy raising my son here.
Last edited by Lenny; November 5th, 2009 at 09:40 AM.
Just subscribing to this thread, as we're interested in finding affordable housing in Melbourne and Frankston seems to be one of the few areas on a train line that are left
My sister lived in Frankston until about two years ago, maybe less. I've never noticed any trouble when in the area. You get louts in most areas! However, I'd choose the southern end over Frankston North (The Pines/Kananook Creek area is where the Frankston stereotype comes from). It's not like you're going to be hanging about the train station at night though...
It's got great public transport, beach, shops, etc...
Also look at the suburbs Emma1979 mentioned and also Seaford, Carrum, even Patterson Lakes (more inland).
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