PORT MELBOURNE
A SUBURB THAT HAS IT ALL FOR RESIDENTS RIGHT ON THEIR DOORSTEP
Port Melbourne is an upscale coastal suburb, with luxury apartments in high-rises and converted warehouses.
Port Melbourne in an inner city suburb located at the head of Port Phillip and bordered in the west and north by the Yarra River. Heading east along the bay is Albert Park, while the suburbs of South Melbourne and Southbank separate Port Melbourne from Melbourne's city centre.
Originally known as Sandridge when first settled around 1840, Port Melbourne became a thriving transport hub during the gold rush days of the 1850s.
These days, Port Melbourne retains large industrial and shipping areas north of Williamstown Road and west of Todd Road.
However other areas, particularly near the beach, have undergone urban renewal, transforming Port Melbourne into the trendy and upmarket suburb it is today, with a mixture of exclusive high-rise apartment blocks and stylish homes.
The main shopping precinct in Port Melbourne is along Bay Street. This boulevard has a central median strip dotted with palm trees and extends for over a kilometre, lined with restaurants, cafes, grand old pubs and boutiques. The Pier Hotel, located at the end of Bay Street and across the road from the beach, was first established on that site in 1840.
Port Melbourne has attractive beachfront areas with extensive areas of sand that offer safe bay swimming, supervised at times by local life saving clubs.
The main Port Melbourne beach, located between Station Pier and Pickles Street, has a a foreshore pathway lined with beautiful palm trees. Lagoon Pier, which extends 200 metres into the bay, is a popular spot for fishing.
Between Princes Pier and Webb Dock is Sandridge Beach which is a quieter residential beach with a foreshore reserve that has playgrounds, picnic areas and BBQs.
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