Sunday 8 October 2006

In Flemington

Flemington is not a suburb that I am particularly interested in, nevertheless, I have wondered reasonably often about this structure on top of the Housing Commission flats in Racecourse Rd. It is interesting how it cantilevers off the edge of the top of the flats. Yopu can't see that in this photograph. I took a picture because somebody here is bound to know what it is. We though it was probably a community centre or meeting hall of some sort.



I also saw a horse-drawn carriage in the drive through at McDonald's. Gross.



We were in Flemington to watch a house being auctioned. We are looking for a house to buy. The one we looked at yesterday was advertised at about $270,000 plus but sold for $344,000. Not worth it. Then later on in Northcote about sixty people turned up to look at a frightening little time capsule straight from the 1950s. Only two windows in that house opened directly onto the outside and one of the two bedrooms opened off the kitchen.

11 comments:

Ampersand Duck said...

Good luck with the house hunt. I don't get any further than the pictures in the paper, which are off-putting enough.

Ampersand Duck said...

And I forgot to add:

good gracious! That block of flats looks like it's having a spiritual attack! Who they gonna call?

David Nichols said...

Broady is the place to be. Many fine houses on large blocks under 200 thousand. From your point of view if you wanted to be convenient to Latrobe U (which you may not always want to be, admittedly) it's half an hour's drive, even in peak hour. Yous owe it to yourselves to at least check it out.

Armagnac Esq said...

Broady?

N-n-noo...

My suggestion is, if the 'Cote is too pricey, there are several pockets.

On the cusp of the northcote knob and in the pocket to its side prices are heinous.

However there's a slight drop going into thornbury which has the same bohoish feel nowadays.

Slightly cheaper again is Preston south of Bell street, because it's really Thornbury.

But if that's all a bit mad just bump north a few blocks to Prestonia. It has at least one nice cafe and is 5 minutes on tram or train from everything going on in the 'Cote, and yes, it's also well on the way to Trobe.

And I, Other Rants, Cileo, Ms Fits and others all live there...

Armagnac Esq said...

Well I should clarify we live in 'Cote/Thorn, but the way things are looking the missus and I might end up in Prestonia.

Meredith Jones said...

The poor horse must have been scared to death at the sight of the "all pure beef" patties...

Suse said...

We have just moved out of Flemington after ten happy years there. I always liked looking over the city from some high vantage point (ferris wheel, top of Rialto, etc) and seeing the cloud on top of the housing commission flats and getting my bearings.

The guy who owns the horse drawn carriage lives in Flemington (as do many horsey people, we often saw horses being exercised in our street) so he may have been grabbing some lunch at the end of a shift. I'd rather think that than imagine some bride in a polyester meringue stopping for an apple turnover on her way to her ceremony ...

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Flemington, so I am biased. It's grouse - except on Cup Day, when the lurching drunkards from the eastern suburbs can make Racecourse Rd a bit gross. Laksa King is my hot tip for cheap nights out (or in, they do takeaway).

The cloud thingo is a cover for the airconditioning tower I think, and it's based on some European architectural wonder that I can't remember the name of. Will consult poorlycontrolled archi-types and get back to you.

Never believe a real estate agent that says you can get a house in Flemington for less than $300,000. It's no longer the cheapskates paradise my folks bought into (they wanted Carlton). On the up side, you don't need a car (unless you work at La Trobe) there are cool local shops, including small designer clothes places near the station.

I think we will stay in the inner city, and invest our money elsewhere. The housing market is well and truly beyond us.

lucy tartan said...

thanks Kate. I love blogging. Better than Wikipedia.

Jeremy said...

It's a great big sculpture of a cloud. You know, to make the housing commission flats blend in...

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