Brighton: Is this Melbourne's answer to Sydney's beachside suburbs?

Described as Melbourne’s answer to Sydney’s elegant beachside suburbs, Brighton is a neighbourhood beloved of affluent families who seek to bask in its blissful coastal lifestyle, brimming with all things fine and fancy.

This sophisticated suburb’s tree-lined streets and coastal trails lead to remarkable structures of both the mighty and tiny varieties, with marvellous mansions found along lavish strips on the one hand and teeny, colourful bathing boxes dotted along the beach on the other.

Golden mile’s golden ticket

Buxton Brighton director Ben Vieth is one of Melbourne’s top-ranked agents in the prestigious Bayside market and speaks to the suburb’s cosmopolitan nature.

“Brighton’s alluring lifestyle attracts international and interstate professional families, typically as a result of the multiple reputable schools surrounding the area, centred by a high-end shopping strip that houses renowned labels and opulent cafes and restaurants,” Vieth says.

“All the while, the bright lights of the CBD and St Kilda are also just around the corner.”

Home to the rich and famous, Brighton hosts many large historic houses and modern mansions, both of which afford a sweet sense of solitude.

These privileges, of course, come at a price, with the suburb’s median house price sitting at $3.115 million, as shown by the latest Domain House Price Report.

“Properties found along the golden mile are particularly sought-after, encompassing all the exquisite beachfront properties that run along the beach of St Kilda Street,” Vieth says.

“Lately, I’ve even noticed some crossovers to this prestigious pocket from the Toorak market, where prices are double and without the beach.”

Revival of a local icon

Brighton has long been a hub for passionate swimmers, with Brighton Baths serving as the local epicentre since 1881.

Today, this iconic destination has evolved into an all-inclusive “lifestyle and health club”, operating year-round with a swarm of health and wellbeing-focused activities.

“We have Victoria’s only private beach, where you can skip the crowd on a hot summer’s day, order food from the cafe next door without leaving the sand, and rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard,” says club manager Bianca Ballinger.

“There’s also our famous boardwalk, the host of varying fitness classes, where members can tackle their morning workouts in the sunshine and salt air.”

While Ballinger proudly champions the Baths and its involvement in the local community, she feels equally sentimental about Brighton on a personal level, having lived in the area in her early 20s and meeting her husband here some 20 years ago.

“Today, we love walking along Brighton Beach with our children and eating at an amazing local restaurant,” she says.

“Of course, summers always have that extra sparkle, especially around Christmas when we look forward to bringing the kids to watch the fireworks” at Bayside Council’sChristmas Carols in the Park.

For sale in Brighton right now..

SOLD - $6,000,000

60 New Street, Brighton VIC 3186

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Dazzling from the moment you enter its romantic gardens, Keyham is a refined Federation homestead, blissfully melding heritage details with modern elegance. Relax by the roaring fireplace among ornate timber panelling, parquetry flooring and leadlight box bay windows, or take a dip outside in the sparkling pool before taking shade under the mature date palm.