This Melbourne suburb should be one of Australia’s most-sought after postcodes – but no-one wants to live there and homes are a bargain

To outsiders, Footscray in Melbourne’s inner west might seem like the perfect place to live. 

It’s only 8km from the CBD and at a glance appears as if it should be one of the city’s priciest postcodes.

But look a little closer and you’ll find out it’s riddled with problems – from high crime rates and cockroach-infested apartments to sinking land and a homelessness crisis. 

A quick search online shows more than 900 properties for sale in December alone, with prices starting at $385,000 for a two-bedroom apartment and $680,000 for a two-bedroom house. 

Eldridge Street in particular has six apartments for sale while Joseph Road has a staggering 15 apartments available in one building. 

Neighbouring streets also have between 10 and 15 apartments for sale on each.

Median prices in Footscrap are $527,000 for units and $960,000 for houses, but just one suburb over in ‘blue chip’ Yarraville they jump to $561,000 for units and $1.15million for houses.

One 33-year-old woman, who lived in Footscray for four years and owned a wine bar before fleeing the blighted suburb, tells us she often felt in danger at night.

Footscray in Melbourne’s inner west seems like an ideal place to live, only 8km from the CBD

One 33-year-old woman who lived in Footscray for four years and owned a wine bar often felt unsafe at night (stock image)

One 33-year-old woman who lived in Footscray for four years and owned a wine bar often felt unsafe at night (stock image)

While she adored the ‘community’ aspect, she said it was not a safe place to live or raise children. 

‘Footscray has a real community feel, which I loved, but the late-night stragglers, homeless people and drug users make it unsafe. A lot of the time when I was closing the bar late at night I would feel uncomfortable,’ she says. 

‘The businesses there want the area to thrive but there are lots of ongoing issues. It’s got a long way to go.’ 

While running her business she claimed the building had a ‘bad moisture’ problem, which is common for the area due to an ongoing ‘sinking’ issue with the land.

But she insists it wasn’t all bad, with Footscray’s eclectic tight-knit community being its one positive.

‘You find friends really quickly. A lot of the shops have been owned by the same family for the last 40 years. There’s a great mix of cultures there too,’ she said. 

‘There’s lots of funky bars and great coffee bringing a new atmosphere to the suburb. If the major issues were fixed I’d definitely move back.’ 

Another male resident described it as ‘pretty trendy’ and said it was much improved from the ‘danger drug zone it was in the 90s’. But that’s where the positive feedback ends.

Last year alone Footscray was home to multiple stabbings, a body found in the Maribyrnong River and an out-of-control fire.

Footscray Park (pictured) is popular among locals and the CBD skyline can be viewed in the distance. But the picturesque view can't persuade Aussies to live there

Footscray Park (pictured) is popular among locals and the CBD skyline can be viewed in the distance. But the picturesque view can’t persuade Aussies to live there 

Reporter Wayne Flower shares his terrifying experience in Footscray: ‘All hell broke loose’

Footscray has always been regarded among those that live in the west of Melbourne as the ‘mean streets’.

On July 8, 2011 I got up close and personal with the violence there when a man pulled a gun on me and my photographer.

Working then for the Herald Sun, we’d been staking out a house in the shadow of Footscray’s Whitten Oval – the home of the AFL’s Western Bulldogs.

The person we wanted to speak with was a man who had been released from jail after murdering his wife.

The home was a halfway house for ex-convicts – one of whom took offence at seeing a fellow ex-con questioned by reporters so soon after release.

While questioning neighbours, the man produced a handgun and pointed it at our heads.

In that moment my life flashed before my eyes as I contemplated running the gunman over or copping a bullet through my brain.

My colleague never recovered and now drives a school bus for a living, forever tormented by the mean streets of Footscray.

Although Melbourne property is cheaper than it’s been in a long time, it’s still strange to see so many listings in the one suburb, property experts say.

Realtor and self-made millionaire Adam Flynn (pictured) said Footscray has a bad reputation historically for crime and has a stigma associated to it that will be difficult to break

Realtor and self-made millionaire Adam Flynn (pictured) said Footscray has a bad reputation historically for crime and has a stigma associated to it that will be difficult to break 

Realtor Adam Flynn tells us Footscray had a bad reputation historically for crime and has a stigma associated to it that will be difficult to break. 

The 43-year-old Melbourne native described the suburb as a built-up area with lots of apartments and pockets of government housing nearby.

Mr Flynn says from a selling perspective, Footscray has ‘bucked the trend of capital growth’.  

‘Footscray has come a long way but there’s still a while to go before the stigma associated to it is washed away,’ Mr Flynn explains. 

‘It’s rare to have properties selling for such an affordable value for money within 10km of the Melbourne CBD.

‘Over the last 12 months Footscray has had 10 per cent capital growth, which is astronomical. Other suburbs in Melbourne have decreased 20 per cent, which suggests prices were too high during Covid.

‘At the moment in Melbourne buyers have lots of options to choose from and are pickier when it comes to mass-produced suburbs like this.’ 

Cam McLellan, founder of property investment firm OpenCorp, believes the suburb is going through a ‘gentrification phase’.

‘Gentrification is when a working-class suburb gets a facelift,’ he tells us. 

‘Initially this comes in the form of higher-density apartments, often targeting investors, but eventually as the number of people living in the area increases and the shopping district starts to cater to a different mix of residents, then developers may shift towards mid-market buildings. 

‘Through these transitions, which can take a few decades, there will be periods of oversupply, increasing the vacancy rate, as it is hard for developers to perfectly balance the supply of new housing with demand.

‘Eventually, a higher quality of amenities will be available for locals. This then lifts the standard and cost of living, which makes it harder for low-income earners to stay in the suburb.’ 

Mr McLellan says Footscray will be a good place to live in future as it’s a ‘cultural melting pot’, is close to the CBD and has great access to public transport.

‘Footscray is undoubtedly going to lift in appeal in the years ahead,’ he adds.

Pradeep Tiwari, Mayor of Maribyrnong City Council, describes Footscray as a ‘vibrant and culturally-diverse suburb with a long history’ but admits it faces certain challenges. 

Council has also recently repaired a sinkhole that appeared in the centre of Footscray, the result of an insecure commercial drainage solution. There’s been no reports of a ‘sinking land’ issue. 

‘Footscray is not immune to the challenges other areas face with cost of living and mental health issues for vulnerable people,’ Mr Tiwari tells Daily Mail Australia. 

‘Council understands the impact homelessness and addiction can have on the broader community, including small businesses and social carers. 

‘We continue to work closely with the State Government and local organisations to improve outreach services in Footscray, ensuring those in need receive the right care and support.’

Despite these difficulties, the community is growing with more than 7,000 new home projects completed, underway or approved since 2015.

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