Collingwood in Melbourne’s northern suburbs is just 20 minutes from the airport. It is an area that has become a hub for designers in recent years, with studios and galleries moving into former factories and warehouses. The neighbourhood is reachable using the city’s efficient tram network, cyclists have a flat ride to the CBD and it’s only a 25-minute walk through the bordering suburb of Fitzroy to the city centre.

The Jacky Winter Group, an agency that matches illustrators with clients such as The New Yorker, Saatchi & Saatchi and Warner Brothers, was one of the first companies to settle in. The founder, New York-born Jeremy Wortsman, moved the agency here in 2009; the multi-purpose space combines a gallery with offices and studios for illustrators, motion-graphic artists and photographers.

Wortsman himself relocated from the US in 2007. “Coming from New York, a city that was already bursting, Melbourne felt empty and full of potential – particularly Collingwood, where industry meets residential,” he says. “You have this central core of old factories surrounded by small houses that were built for factory workers, and refurbished warehouses that have become apartments in recent years.”

Fijian-born pharmacist Roneel Vasaram grew up in Brisbane and has been living in Collingwood for over two years. His dual-level two-bedroom warehouse apartment is located on busy Smith Street. “I love the area,” he says. “There is great people-watching and an interesting and eclectic crowd in the cafés.”

A few streets away live Emily York, director of tour promoter Penny Drop, and her partner Paul Ghaie, a local wine purveyor. The pair have recently acquired a warehouse on George Street. “We have started demolition of the interior space but we are keen to respect what already exists,” says York. “One of our main goals is to bring green into the space.”

For young creatives arriving in Australia from foreign shores, Collingwood is a popular neighbourhood for two main reasons: the affordable rents and the welcoming atmosphere. Tokyo-born café owner and retailer Zenta Tanaka and his partner Meg moved to Collingwood from Japan in 2004. “We’d never lived in Melbourne but we’d heard it was a great city,” says Zenta. “We’ve been in Collingwood since we opened our shop, Cibi.”

Cibi does a swift lunch trade and also houses a shop selling Japanese ceramics and kitchenware by Japanese designer Sori Yanagi, Danish furniture and a selection of handcrafted rustic pieces from rural Victoria and South Australia. The couple originally lived above the shop but with the arrival of their child, now two years old, they moved around the corner into a converted milk bar. “The property is more than 100 years old,” says Zenta.

Collingwood’s many immigrants take pride in their neighbourhood. “Migrant families, including Greeks, have been here for a long time,” says painter Adriane Strampp, who has lived in the area for 12 years. “They grow tomatoes in the community garden that we share and they still sweep the footpaths outside their homes every day.”

Architecture

If main thoroughfare Smith Street is too full-on for your tastes, search in the quieter and leafier surrounding pockets. There are a number of styles of residence to choose from, including early-1900s workers’ cottages made out of weatherboard, some with small gardens, as well as new multi-level contemporary apartments or warehouse refurbishments. More than half of the suburb’s dwellings are apartments.

The local

Adriane Strampp

Artist

“I moved with my daughter Lucy into a former coat-hanger factory. I’ve renovated it slowly, keen to ensure it remains true to its heritage. Back then the area was quieter but now Smith Street is a frenetic mix of retail and cafés.”
adrianestrampp.com