Melbourne/Northern suburbs

The northern suburbs of Melbourne include Ascot Vale, Broadmeadows, Brunswick, Bundoora, Coburg, Epping, Hume, Ivanhoe, Moonee Ponds, Nillumbik Shire, Northcote, South Morang, and Tullamarine.

Understand

 * Brunswick and Coburg are major destinations in the inner and middle north of Melbourne. They fall within the City of Merri-bek, which also covers other suburbs including Fawkner, Pascoe Vale and Glenroy. Brunswick is famous among Melburnians and visitors for its unique hipster vibe and amazing bar and café scene. The spine of the area is Sydney Road, a happening place day and night. The area is not to be confused with Brunswick St, a popular place for eating out in Fitzroy in Melbourne's inner north.
 * Banyule is a suburban region in the north-east of Melbourne. The main centre is the suburb of Heidelberg, with a sizeable shopping strip, hospital and other services, and the namesake for the Heidelberg School of Art. Ivanhoe is a major suburb in the south of the region, with the original 1930s city hall, and Greensborough is home to a major shopping centre, however there is not much of interest to travellers here. While much of Banyule possesses a suburban nature, most of its borders are lines by creeks and rivers, including the Yarra River in the east and the Darebin Creek in the west. Densely-wooded hills provides an escape from suburbia in the far north-western area around Montmorency and Saint Helena.
 * Banyule is a suburban region in the north-east of Melbourne. The main centre is the suburb of Heidelberg, with a sizeable shopping strip, hospital and other services, and the namesake for the Heidelberg School of Art. Ivanhoe is a major suburb in the south of the region, with the original 1930s city hall, and Greensborough is home to a major shopping centre, however there is not much of interest to travellers here. While much of Banyule possesses a suburban nature, most of its borders are lines by creeks and rivers, including the Yarra River in the east and the Darebin Creek in the west. Densely-wooded hills provides an escape from suburbia in the far north-western area around Montmorency and Saint Helena.

Get in
The three main rail corridors through Melbourne's north are the Craigieburn, South Morang and Upfield lines. Tram lines also radiate from the city, better serving the inner suburbs than those further out. Buses fill the spaces in between.

Ascot Vale


The route 472 bus between Moonee Ponds and Williamstown stops at the intersection of Union Street and Francis/Mariam Streets, and the 404 between Moonee Ponds and Footscray runs along Ascot Vale Road.

Brunswick and Coburg
Brunswick and Coburg are easily reached from Melbourne's City Centre by train and by tram. The 19 tram to North Coburg traverses Sydney Rd, from Elizabeth St in the city, and services the busiest parts of both Brunswick and Coburg. The 96 tram (from Bourke St) travels along Nicholson St in the east to East Brunswick, stopping at a few popular cafés and attractions. Trams 1 and 8 follow Lygon St (from Swanston St) before continuing onto the Nicholson St extension in East Coburg and Moreland Station respectively. Tram 55 (from William St) travels through mostly residential areas in the west towards its West Coburg terminus.

The Upfield railway line also has a few of stations in Brunswick and Coburg, although operates to a 20-minute frequency, compared to the 6- to 10-minute frequency (but longer travel time overall) of the 19 tram which it parallels. Fairly regular buses traverse the east-west streets of Brunswick and Coburg, connecting the tram lines and creating a public transport grid.

Northcote and Ivanhoe
Tram 86 follows High Street in Northcote and Thornbury. The Mernda train line is parallel to High Street, get off at Northcote, Croxton or Thornbury station.

The Hurstbridge Line is the best way to reach Banyule from the Melbourne/City Centre, with the journey to Heidelberg Station taking just under half an hour. Alternatively, neighbouring areas such as Darebin and Manningham can be reached by bus, including the high-frequency 903 SmartBus from Heidelberg.

By car, Banyule is best reached from the Burke Rd or Bulleen Rd exits on the Eastern Freeway.

See




Buy
Sydney Road is Melbourne's longest continuous shopping strip. It features a large selection of individually run shops, as well as many op shops (second-hand shops run by charities). There are also many shops selling wedding clothes. To get there you can take tram 19, which runs on Sydney Road, or the Upfield metro train line, which runs parallel to it.



Eat




There are some great places for eating in Brunswick and Brunswick East



See also the organic cafe at CERES Community Environment Park in the See and Do section

Drink


See also the Cornish Arms in the Eat section.

There is a great selection of breweries in Brunswick and Brunswick East. Some are within walking distance from each other.



Stay safe
Some suburbs in the north, most notably Broadmeadows, but also suburbs like Heidelberg West, Heidelberg Heights (which are occasionally grouped together under the nickname "Heidel-burglary"), have a reputation for crime. You should be careful of your belongings, and avoid travel during the night. There should be no issues during the day. You should exert the most caution in the suburb of Broadmeadows, and around train stations.

Connect

 * Merri-bek Libraries offer free WiFi (no membership needed). Branches are in Brunswick, Brunswick West, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy.