Adjoining the CBD and offering walkability to all that has to offer, Fitzroy is Melbourne’s oldest (1839) and smallest suburb, which collectively provides a lot of its heritage architecture charm.
Gentrification of the suburb has well and truly occurred, beginning in the 1980s and while some of its bohemian residents remain, they do so as a much smaller part of the populace.
They have been replaced by high income hipsters, professionals and downsizers.
Factories and warehouse sites have been converted into apartments or demolished to make way for multi-unit residential with a wide variance in the merit of the contemporary architecture – some of it being of pretty dubious quality.
Lots of Victorian residences, particularly single fronted terraces and some of the finest examples of Victorian era architecture in Melbourne, for example on Nicholson Street overlooking Carlton Gardens. Thankfully a significant amount of the suburb is covered by Heritage Overlays – protecting both streetscapes and individual buildings.
In contrast, it hosts one of Melbourne’s largest Housing Commission complexes – Atherton Gardens – built in the 1960s on Brunswick Street at the city end.
It is a culturally rich suburb with many art galleries and performance spaces for live music and more. As well as having an incredible range of cafes, restaurants and bars.
If you don’t want to walk into the CBD, you can catch a tram on Brunswick, Gertrude or Nicholson streets.
The Fitzroy swimming pool (outdoor heated 50m) is a great community asset.
The main retail/hospitality precinct, Brunswick Street is acknowledged as a Melbourne attraction given its cafes, restaurants and interesting retail. Some Fitzroy residents lament the noise and out-of-suburb “tourists” it attracts, especially in the weekends and would prefer its retail mix was more practical.
Gertrude Street at the city end, running between Fitzroy and Collingwood, is home to multiple quality restaurants and bars.
Residents are also able to enjoy all that neighbouring Collingwood (now even hipper than Fitzroy!) has to offer, including Smith Street’s cafes, restaurant, bars, retail, galleries etc. Smith Street has replaced Brunswick Street as the epicentre of hip in Melbourne – as evidenced by Time Out magazine naming it the coolest street in the world in 2020.
Carlton, Fitzroy’s neighbour to the west, offers a large green space (circa 26 hectare) acres in Carlton Gardens, immediately on the border with Fitzroy. As well as the cafes, restaurant, bars, retail, galleries, cinema on Lygon Street.
Fitzroy has enjoyed consistently strong capital growth for houses, which as a Melbourne Buyers Agent, I think is likely to continue given its proximity to CBD, historic architectural feel and cultural and culinary attractions.
Last update: 27 Apr 2023
