Without getting too serious, where’s somewhere in Melbourne that you’re often a little edgy about visiting?
It doesn’t have to be an entire suburb – maybe there’s a notably suspicious pub, road or locale that you make a point of avoiding.
Share any cautionary stories you have and let everyone know. Keep it light, though, we’re not here to depress everyone :)
Note: keep it nice – any racist posts will be removed.
{ 70 comments… read them below or add one }
european bier cafe, just seen people far too aggressive here.
Flemington flats at night without a doubt. Probably the most dodgiest place in Melbourne. You always have to remain vigilant.
all of Melbourne. It’s been named Australia’s most dangerous city.
Melbourne is not Australias most dangerous city
dandenong, st. albans, noble park and frankston.
whats deer park like?
there is nowhere dangerous in melbourne its just where people decide to go. its just the time and place where you are and u just have to be smart and careful. Its not like if you go to a certain suburb it is bound to be dangerous. how else do people live there?
heidelberg is the most dangerous suburb
criminals everywhere you walk!
CBD on a Fri-Sat night after 2am.
Look at someone the wrong way and they’ll king hit you at the next corner.
steer clear of lavo 3028 DFW,KTN,LFS get a little berko after dark
I’d like to know where you think Melbourne’s most dangerous places are during the DAY – any ideas? Or are they pretty much the same?
“Anonymous says:
January 6, 2010 at 5:34 pm Anonymous(Quote)
all of Melbourne. It’s been named Australia’s most dangerous city.”
What?!?! Err.. Melbourne is statistically the SAFEST city in Australia. Do your research.
Anyways, people like to say the whole of the west is dangerous, but nowadays you hear reports of drunken violence, party brawls, drink driving, hoons, shootings, stabbings, armed robberies etc, mostly all in the eastern suburbs, with an occasional story of violence in the west.
I’ve been a truck driver for many years and have seen just about every suburb of Melbourne, but have lived my life in the SE burbs. I’ve had my nose broken in a middle class white suburb, Mentone, so it’s all about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I often do my shopping in Springvale and have never felt uncomfortable there. I’ll also shop at Dandenong every now and again and don’t find it too bad. Never felt unsafe. At night, possibly a different scenario.
There is one thing that I really hate and that is low life, drug abusing white trash and down this way, Seaford, there is plenty of it. I’d take Dande/Springy (multicultural areas) over Seaford/Frankston/Cranbourne/Pakenham any day. The Pines in Frankston is notorious for drug addicted scum. Noble Park is dodgey as hell, as is Doveton. I have felt uneasy on a number of occasions in Collingwood, Abbotsford/North Richmond. Victoria St in Abbotsford is chock full of dodgey junkies. Why I saw a young women huffing a butane canister there just yesterday.
My worst metro drop on the night shift driving a truck was the corner of Victoria pde & Smith street, Collingwood. At 2am there were basically only addicts and groups roaming about. The West is known to have some pretty mean burbs, but you don’t hear too much about it on the news. Never spent much time over there and never plan to live over there. Anywhere where there are housing commission flats you can expect a lot of crime and substance abuse.
Noble Park, Springvale, all of dandenong, broadmeadows and all of west side suburbs are perhaps the most dangerous in melbourne.
Warning: Roaming the streets at night in all these train stations is not a good idea !
Anybody who is apart of a gang is a weak coward that needs to hide behind numbers to feel safe. All this broady boys bullshit! Eventually you will be caught for gang bashing an innocent kid or snatching an old lady’s handbag. When you are I bet it will be a race between you and your boys to see who can give evidence at court because your all weak scared little dogs and wouldn’t know the first thing about brotherhood, loyalty or standing on your own two feet.
Peace love & light
Let’s unite ..
never been an arsehole bashing people that never had it coming but my apperance is ruff as guts!! im pretty tall work out and coverd head to toe in tattoos most people dont even look at me let alone cause trouble with me so i,d say every suburb is safe if you can look after yourself and if your a mouthy weak hearted prick you could even cop a stomping in brighton!!!
look western suburbs are bad frankston, sunshine n st alabans and shit you just gotta not look at people the wrong way n they wont have a problem with you, if your gonna look people up n down or stare at them in a funnyy way theree gonna react in a bad way arnt they ? look i have stared at someone from a group and they went burserc and started mouthing off at me and was about to hit me from then i have learnt my lesson not to look at poeple just keep your head down and if they say something to you dont reply unless you want 50 guys bashing you up . like its common sence, hurstbridge line is pretty bad to bashings and alot of drugs and many groups or gangs.
I feel safe in Prahran! Lots of bars and clubs but no problems walking on the streets at night
What I’m about to write is a true account of what Melbourne is like, I’m not here to mislead people and I believe I have a good account of what Melbourne is like as I’ve been living here my whole life. I’ve lived in Springvale all my life. It’s a lot better than it was in the 90′s.Heroin has dropped back significantly.It’s a relatively safe place. Noble Park is safe by day, but I would be careful at night, same as Dandenong, which is ok by day too.Basically, they’re safe.
I can speak for the South Eastern suburbs and they’re all fine by day, even by night they’re ok, but be wary of the minorities at night in the suburbs mentioned above, I would be careful in Noble Park and Dandenong station at night.
Melbourne is a safe city, probably the best in Australia.Certain ethnic minorities and drug abusers are the main perpetrators of violence as well as drunks late at night.I’d be wary of pubs and clubs anywhere late at night.The city, especially King St are known for alcohol fueled violence at night.Then there are suburbs where there are large amounts of housing commision flats and houses such as Flemington and Collingwood. By day they are alright but be careful at night.Places like Footscray and parts of Richmond too are notorious for heroin use and can be crime hotspots.Be wary by day and you’ll be fine but I’d avoid them by night.Frankston is also a safe place by day, I spent about 2 years there and noticed that by night it can be violent due to alcohol because of the many bars and clubs in the main streets.Be careful.
If you stay wary you will be alright by day, wherever you are, just be careful and if possible avoid the places mentioned above.
If anyone would like a truthful account of any suburb in Melbourne, feel free to ask and I will come back here every now and I’d be happy to answer your questions.
Cheers, MIles.
i live in clifton hill, its surrounded by dodgy neibourhoods and suburbs, but it itself is very safe. close by is collingwood, richmond, carlton, northcote, brunswick areas that all have their dodgyness about them. and it is close to the yarra parks, which often have the local insane asylym escapees ect. its all dodgy but the chances of you getting knicked if you know whats what is very slim. ive been in brighton / middle park areas a lot at night and ive been knicked by a large group of 12 year old wannabe lads. but thats because im not used to the area. melbourne is a very safe city as long as you dont be provocative, and if you do, you wanna make sure you can handle yourself haha
The most dangerous place in Melbourne is the UN stuffed train station or on the train at night time it gets very rough. Not just gangs wired people who feel like there on drugs very retarted people
I think Melbournian’s Need to look at things by comparisson – we are a safe city, and Surverys / reports show the MOST Safe on the Continent of Crime per Capita. People in general need to stop Making it racial, saying this “Black”, “wog”, “Asian” etc gangs did this or that, because I have had bad experiences with all nationalities.
Despite this, this doesnt mean there aren’t areas in Melbourne that have a higher crime rate – Broadmeadows, Sunshine, St Albans, Weribee, Frankston, Footcray, Noble Park, Springvale and so on. As long as you are street smart, dont stare at people and dont provoke people, all will be fine. Then again, I wouldnt suggest hanging around these areas at night If you can avoid it. And if you do, don’t catch transport… Peace all :)
Miles,
I’ve recently moved to Springvale at the start of this year and the crime that you read about in Dandenong is staggering. I’ve worked in Dande South on and off for a couple of years and never seen anything too crazy in the streets. BUT, if you would consult your local paper, people get robbed (and less often bashed) in broad daylight in Dandenong. As for Springvale, it’s not as bad a I thought it would be. Couldn’t say I see many junkies around the centro.
Ascot Vale/Kensington residents cop a few break ins and the odd random assaults. I think the commision flats in Flemington has a lot to answer for with this?
Footscray station is a ripper at night!
I work in Westmeadows which is a terrific suburb just up the road from Broady. Broadmeadows has a very tough culture about it. In some ways it’s can be very bad and in other ways it’s good. On the good side Broady people are up there in working hard for their buck and soldiering on in life without complaining. Broady people are proud to be from Broady and I solute that!
The government are the real muppets! Knobs in offices who have never experienced life, getting out on the street and seeing what actually goes on. Gillard wouldn’t hang out in Sunshine at night on her own! You won’t Gillard! Tougher laws on crime would pull a few more in line!
FRANNGAAA IS SHIT!
broady or coburg
i will never go into coburg,broady or ringwood=/
Why not? Coburg is an expensive area, and generally the crime rate isnt that bad, and you dont feel unsafe shopping there or dinner or whatever… Broady is a different story… ;) and I’ve never been to Ringwood lol so no idea…
I’ve never liked Frankston every time i went there with mates we always couldn’t wait to get in the car and leave. But they have the pancake parlour which is cool (At least it was there 10 years ago, maybe it’s gone now?) and a great beach during day time!
I spent most of my life along the Frankston line and was always wary when going from Cheltenham to Frankston, but Cheltenham to Ormond was always a pleasant trip! After that you got into the inner city burbs where you saw all kinds of characters.
st albans is the place
St. Albans.
Sunbury.
In some suburbs I have to say it does depend on how expensive they are. Malvern or Hughesdale for instance = quite expensive reasonable. Good suburb. Safe.
Other suburbs mentioned in previous posts not so expensive = Bad name, violent crimes & bad things.
Not being a snob sorry to say in some cases that is just how it goes.
Nah, don’t believe you… I grew up in the north flats, lived near the flem flats (and hung out there) as a young adult, and it wasn’t more dodgier than any other inner city suburb. But then again last time I was there it was the eighties!
Most people who live in housing commission areas or flats are NOT druggies or criminals! Unfortunately, the few that are give the rest of the tenants a bad name.
Lalor, Thomastown, Epping, Broady and Frankston
King st after dark
Balwyn
i think flemington gets a bad rep that is large undeserved,yea theres a few poorer/homeless drunks hanging about but they are harmless having lived there not once did i feel unsafe.
North richmond is a shit hole i regularly have to catch the train from there around 10pm its full of junkies i’ve been threatened and abused several times and theres no way uin hell i’d allow my girl friend anywhere near the place,even during the day i get a bad vibe from there.
Western suburbs are not that bad. St Albans if full of families. I would say the Crown Casiono and King st on the weekends are dangerous.
The Roughest I think are Broadmeadows and The Melbourne CBD
Brunswick after 2 at night gets crazy, many recent shootings round there. Thug Life.
footscray station after 11, bound to run into trouble there and also sunshine station after dark.
It all depends which area you live in whatever it will be good or bad neverless it’s a good question
i live in sydneham its very safe in the day shooping center which is great at night its safe only if u walk 2 to the station after 11 theres couple idiots who beep or ask u for a lift
st albans is not bad i lived there for 10 years im 13 now i visit my dad on weekends and my bros ive been with my sister on st albans station its not the pepole u just get scared cuz the toilets next 2 it and its ugly the sydenham side platform is dangerous the otherside is better
im really scared when im at sunhshine and footscray all the sudanese and junkie aussie on heroin and flinders i dnt no why and nobile park dandenong gelnthuntly worst stations now best is sydenham altona mitcham st albans craigeburn
Nth Richmond/Collingwood – mainly due to heroin crime being committed by residents of low income housing estates.
Most suburbs with needle exchanges aren’t the best!
However that being said, areas such as Dandenong, Springvale, the above mentioned Richmond, Footscray, Sunshine, St Albans, Broadmeadows are all interesting multicultural centers where many unique positive things can experienced and enjoyed.
Hi i live in truganina. Its much safer than Kew where i moved from as long ad your car us garaged. I work in sunshine right in main drag. Heaps of low lifestyle hanging around and a hotbot for smack etc. But as long ad. Just go about your business its safe. After dark well that’s anothetcstory.
As a former Crip member from LA I have to tell you all that Melbourne is not even a little bit violent, I’ve been here 14 years and the worst things that ever happened to me was some guy trying to fight me because I beat him at pool one time.
The gang scene here is way overstated, there are certain places that are more violent than other but really, 4 million people all in one city with maybe 500 seriously violent crimes a year? I agree that it is 500 too many but its thousands less than most comparable cities in the world. Get a grip
Roxburgh Park and Meadow Heights, some of the ruffest places I know.
I have lived in Melbourne for 10 years, and compared to Auckland New Zealand where I am from it’s a dream.
Like a few people have stated by western world standard we are very safe I feel….
I have lived in Fitzroy, Carlton, Brunswick, Yarraville and Sunshine… I have spent a lot of time in the Western suburbs.
Fitzroy I had the most issues, I had break ins while I was in my house and smackies at my door a lot.
Sunshine I never had a problem but I definitely felt the most threatened.
The Train Station are is really unsettled and in no way did I think my partner (female) could walk around alone there.
All of the issues I have had have been white trash smackies really, everyone else even gangs don’t really seem to want to make trouble for the sake of it.
I live in Brunswick now and yes there are shootings but it’s gang on gang crime and has never involved any every day citizens…
Love Melbourne!!! It should be it’s own country.
Peace
i think look behind u at night when u walk cuz u might get hit by a bat or a hand dangerous place 2 walk is st albans and sunhshine after 9 at night most day dsngerous sation is footscary cuz junkies
i think look behind u at night when u walk cuz u might get hit by a bat or a hand dangerous place 2 walk is st albans and sunhshine after 9 at night most day dsngerous sation is footscary cuz junkiesdd
Footscray get out of there or you will die
sunshine foootscray dandenong st albans werribee frankston toorak flemington gisborne ringwood epping b.meadows newport kielor areas
GLENROY
Everywhere damn it ,( it’s Melbourne)
Been living at broady for 4 years. nothing happened, except my parcels and welcome mats always got stolen. There were times I forgot to lock my door, but no fortunately breakin, so it’s quite good. Some drunk underage kids picked fights at broadmeadows train station at night, no police, no security, but none of them live in broady as they waited for train to craigieburn. Not really a bad area, but I am moving to Point Cook soon, the neighbourhood looks more civilised. Even in CBD area at night with tons of police patrols, some drunk teens will stab you for no reason if you are unlucky. The main issue is solve state law that gives green light to teenagers and women to commit crime. They will get slap in the wrist regardless the level of crime they commited.
I was born and grew up in Bay Street BRIGHTON, then i lived in BALWYN for 14 years as an adult. (18-32) the place I have been most warmly welcomed, feel very safe DAY and NIGHT, and adore is DOVETON, so much that I sold my balwyn place and brought in Doveton for no other reason, but for our children to grow up in the real world. And I wanted to have neighbours that didn’t fraud centrelink payments for 20 years to buy they homes, like I knew and saw happening in BALWYN FACT: Over 2000 people in doveton own their own homes outright, and their is only 560 housing commission properties left in doveton, Don’t knock a beautiful older area, that is untouched by developers, has milk bars, strip shopping centres, local home visiting doctors, butcher’s, bakery’s, and fruit and veg shop, with a chemist, hairdresser, pizza, and fish & chip shop A cute little library and a community that cares for it’s own..UNLESS YOU HAVE LIVED BOTH LIVES BY CHOICE DON’T KNOCK DOVETON.
Fact is when you live in Melbourne with millions of people from all sorts of cultures, religions and lifestyles, there is always going to be the potential for conflict. Also, there is no such thing as a particular ‘hotspot’ for crime. Anyone could be a criminal and a criminal could be anywhere. When out in the day and particularly at night, just assume that anybody could be a potential criminal and learn how to make smart decisions to look after yourself. What would you be doing roaming around the streets in the middle of the night anyway? Bit suss.
I’m from Ireland and I hav to laugh i’v been in Melbourne a few years and in no way would I consider it rough or dangerous. I read about the “gangland wars” of Melbourne were sometin like 22 people were shot dead over a 10 year period in Dublin, Ireland there would be 30+ gangland murders a year! Every weekend all housing estates have robbed cars joy riding and been burnt out sometime it takes weeks for the council to remove the wrecks. Houses get shot at and pipe bombs attacks everyday of the week many of which aren’t reported and the ones that are would rarely make the newspapers, gangland killings in Ireland never make front page or the 6 o’clock news only if some1 innocent was murdered accidentally but in Melbourne a biker is shot but survived and it was on the news for 3 days.. Every country has its bad eggs that cause trouble but Melbourne has a lot less than jus about every city in Europe, suburbs that are considered rough here in Melbourne would be considered posh in Ireland.
the only issue with your comments irish man, is that if we are going to use countries like yours as a benchmark, we are unfortunately heading there as well
South East of victoria have the LBKs and The Clowns.
everybody 1st thinks of the neighbourhoods that are next to their neighbourhoods, you know…the ones that everyone talks about as being worse than theirs… then we think of the burbs on the other side of the city from us.. you know the ones that look different than ours, where the lay of the land is different, the streets are different, with different people… trust me, most people from dandenong think broady is bad.. most people from sunshine think springvale is bad, most people from croydon think reservoir is bad…..then, hopefully, we realize we live in Australia and are all Australians and all lucky to be here.. where its safer than most places on earth.
peace.
hey considering moving to melbourne , from geelong and been to melbourne heaps of times mainly in south east suburbs but thinking of moving to caroline springs, thoughts on the area? it seems nice and safe but then again u never know. whats its like and the surrounding areas that arnt far like deer park ?
I love frankston!!! I had the same thoughts 7 years ago when I reluctantly moved down that way… And I can now say that I’d never live anywhere else!! It’s certainly not what it used to be!! I live Franga and proud to live there :-)
All of Melbourne is safe, it’s funny how people think its not, obviously never been to London, New York, Paris etc
DANDENONG BY A LONG SHOT
Thanks Irish, i think its ridiculous how every time (not often) there is a gangland war shooting we have to make a television miniseries about it because its such a huge event. I bet this doesn’t happen in countries like yours or the USA there is an abundance of far worse crimes that make us look like a bunch of children playing with toy guns and trying to be tough.