Youthful spirit suits old suburb
The Age
Saturday March 20, 2010
Brunswick still attracts the bright young things, writes Susannah Petty. GROOVY. Funky. Hip. Brunswick is still a place best defined by slang.While Brunswick's rental prices now favour professional salaries more than part-time student wages, the sprawling northern suburb remains a place of largely left-wing values and youthful verve.Live music, edgy boutiques and shabby-chic establishments dominate the social scene while the residential streets are a jumble of houses, flats, apartments and townhouses, many of them unrenovated.Yet unlike some of its more gentrified neighbours, Brunswick also has a sizeable population of older residents, including plenty of European immigrants who help keep the cultural landscape hugely varied and sustain a link to a more traditional way of life.Kate Van Noordenburg, of Ray White, says renters are often "quite particular" about wanting to settle in Brunswick, often because they have lived there before and enjoy the facilities."Brunswick's got cafes, restaurants, quirky little shops," Ms Van Noordenburg says. "It's close to the city. You've got Merri Creek walking tracks. There're lots of bike riders around."Renters are usually groups of friends who are looking to share a property, as well as young couples and professionals in their 20s and 30s, Ms Van Noordenburg says.Danielle Elder, of Brad Teal Real Estate, says young renters are especially prevalent in Brunswick West, where, she notes, prices are lower.Being such a large and diverse suburb, Brunswick still has plenty of development potential. New buildings that have sprouted in the past several years have tended to cluster around Sydney Road. These are often apartment developments, some rising to several storeys.Ms Elder says Brunswick has few older-style apartments; most date from the 1960s and appeal to single renters.Houses and terraces, however, are abundant and often come with decent-sized yards.For these large properties, Ms Elder says renters can expect to pay "anything up to $900 a week"."It would be a very, very nice property," she says.By comparison, Ms Elder says one-bedroom flats can be found for $200 a week.Ms Van Noordenburg cites Brunswick's entry point at closer to "mid-to-high twos".Both agents pit the middle of the rental market about $500 a week; this would include period-style homes. New three-bedroom townhouses rise to about $550 a week, Ms Van Noordenburg says.Ms Elder says some landlords are still raising their rental prices and demand continues to outstrip supply, with up to 20 people fronting up to some open-for-inspections.On a more positive note for renters, Ms Van Noordenburg says Brunswick's peak renting season has passed and "this time of year it starts slowing down a little bit".
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