People who relocate to Melbourne always mention that they want to rent in an area that have shops and cafes nearby that are accessible on foot. Not everyone will want to purchase a car immediately when they get here so finding a house to rent that are within walking distance of amenities is a key deciding factor. Melbourne was ranked no. 1 as the most pedestrian-friendly city in Australia by Walk Score.
Check the Walk Score of the Melbourne suburb
Walk Score allows you to type in the address of the Melbourne rental you are considering. Metro Melbourne has a score of 57 so higher than this figure will be a good indication that you can walk to the shops.
How far is too far to walk?
Depending on where people come from, people who come from warmer climates tend to think anything over 500 meters is a trek. Cooler climate folks find up to 1.5 kms to be an acceptable distance. But for one person from Melbourne, walking to buy a sausage sizzle at hardware store, Bunnings, proved to be too far and got his drone to pick it up. He is now facing a $6,000 fine.
No Car Space Trend for New Rental Apartments
As the newer apartment developments in inner suburbs of Melbourne trends towards minimal car parking space, this could decrease the reliance on cars to get around. People prefer to be able to walk or take a tram or train ride for daily shopping and entertainment.
Melbourne Rental Advert and Walkability Factor
Walk Score® and Rent.com.au have recently teamed up. As a feature in the online rental site, each rental property advertised will have a number next to it stating its walkability factor.
Melbourne CBD has a Walkability Score of 100
Walk Score gave Melbourne CBD a score of 100. This means that everything that is stone throw’s away. And that also is dependent on how strong your throwing arm is. True enough, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatre, libraries and museums are all located in the city centre.
Metro Melbourne has a Walkability Score of 57 Overall
Compared to all the other cities in the world, Metro Melbourne was ranked 57 and Metro Sydney ranks higher. The farther out you go from the city centre, the more likely you will need to hop in a car to get that loaf of bread, container of milk and a stick of butter.
