This bayside community is the epitome of coastal living and locals can’t get enough of it. 6 Just 22 kilometres from central Melbourne, this idyllic seaside suburb feels a universe away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Known for its tight-knit community feel, beachy vibes andprestigious schools, Mentone is particularly popular with ambitious young families and those looking to settle in for the long haul. Plus, with detour-worthy new cafés and shops regularly cropping up on their vibrant main strip, this blissful suburb’s stocks are only going to rise. Sporting an attractively shallowsurf zone at the end of a picturesque, curved bay, it’s easy to see why Mentone Beach became the foundation of a resort town in the late 1800s. Its natural beauty, backed by imposing high bluffs and year-round serenity, has been immortalised in significant paintings by the Heidelberg School art movement, including Charles Conder’s famed A Holiday at Mentone, one of Australia’s best loved Impressionist works. These days Mentone has truly come into its own, transforming into a residential haven that appeals equally to ocean-loving millennials, growing families and comfortable retirees. An abundance of sporting groups, parks and playgrounds – not to mention the beach – mean the outdoors are a way of life here, while a lively main strip offers plenty of restaurants, cafés, bakeries, boutiques and grocers that makeMentone so visit-worthy. Whenever you need it, you’ll find peace and quiet here, but there are also sparks of nightlife, you just need to know where to look. Either way, Mentone’s direct neighbours of Cheltenham and Mordiallocmean that a huge, multi-storey shopping centre and buzzy bars are never far away. A cluster of high calibre independent schools draw well-to-do, professional young families to the area, so while Mentone may be affluent, it feels far from exclusive, with a progressive streak firmly at the heart of the community. Those who stumble upon the magic of Mentone are unlikely to leave, so you’ll find a melting pot of established families and mature couples lapping up the beach and laid-back lifestyle. AREA GUIDE Idyllic Mentone Loved ourMentone profile and looking formore information on the best neighbourhoods to live inacross Australia? Head online to sitchu.com.au and check out our suburb guides.
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