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05.05.2025 | Domain.com.au

Hawthorn: The tightly-held leafy locale known for its grand homes and diverse community

Hawthorn: The tightly-held leafy locale known for its grand homes and diverse community
In a Melburnian word association game, Hawthorn immediately evokes the phrase, “the leafy east”.

A card-carrying member of the private school belt, just six kilometres east of the CBD, where streets are tree-lined and homes are grand, it’s unquestionably one of the city’s elite suburbs. But there’s much more to Hawthorn than its prestige.

“It’s so vibrant,” says Ricky Eden, whose colourful window displays at Panache Flowers are an immediate mood-lifter on Glenferrie Road. “I think having Swinburne University here means there’s so much more diversity than other eastern suburbs.

This strip has really evolved since I opened in 1989. There’s a lovely cross-section of people, and it’s full of great little places to eat and drink.”

Pop into Panache and you might be greeted by Jax, Eden’s Airedale terrier, who enjoys exploring the broad green expanse of nearby Central Gardens at lunchtime. He’s well known to regulars, many of whom have ordered their bouquets from Eden for the past 30 years. “I’ve seen people’s babies grow into adults and done their wedding flowers for them,” he says. “There’s a real sense of community and continuity around here.” 
 
In the same patch as Panache, the Lido Cinema, dating back to 1912, demonstrates how Hawthorn deftly blends old and new by offering new releases and art-house films, along with a rooftop bar. Heading across the road, you’ll find Via Porta Bakehouse, a chic offshoot of Mont Albert’s Italian cafe Via Porta, where the baking team’s meticulous craft is on display. 

“I love waking up early and seeing the streets energised by 6am,” says Via Porta co-owner Simon Cosentino. “There’s always a great vibe around here.”

Viennoiserie – laminated pastries – are the house specialty, with regulars lining up for almond croissants and cinnamon twists along with Five Senses coffee. “The community is really strong,” says Cosentino. “Since we opened in 2022, we’ve only grown our appreciation for the area and the loyalty of the customers and the other traders.” 

 Hawthorn’s appeal is also growing. The median price for the suburb’s mostly Edwardian, Victorian and Federation homes is now $2.565 million, which represents an impressive 31.4 per cent gain over the past five years. 

 Hawthorn’s Scotch Hill precinct has always been among the area’s most sought-after. Home to some of its finest Victorian mansions and beautifully tended gardens, this elevated enclave towards the suburb’s eastern boundary also enjoys views of the city skyline.

Occupying 1.6 hectares of a former University of Melbourne site, the Scotch Hill Gardens development recently turned the soil for the first time (while carefully leaving 77 mature trees in place). Yet, like the Lido Cinema, the sympathetic design of its six boutique buildings draws on the considered combination of old and new that has made Hawthorn sought-after for more than a century.

Read article and watch video here. 
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