What makes these Melbourne's friendliest streets

Even in the big, bad city, some streets are renowned for being incredibly friendly.

But what makes one street chummier than another? And is it an organic thing, or a result of concerted effort?

We spoke to residents in three of Melbourne’s friendliest streets to find out.

Rossmoyne Street, Thornbury

Stroll down Rossmoyne Street and you’ll spot communal planter boxes, miniature reading exchanges, flourishing nature strips and more than the odd scarecrow.

The street, which also has its own Facebook page, and an annual street-long garage sale known as the Rossmoyne Rummage, has such a good community vibe that it’s a selling point for local real estate agents.

“It’s always been a pretty good spirit in the street, but we’ve certainly done quite a few things in recent years to make new connections,” says long-time resident Heidi Marfurt.

When Marfurt had her first child, she realised her neighbour was also at home with a newborn. They got chatting and decided to throw a few street parties, where they also brainstormed activities that might benefit the street.

That now includes an annual Christmas carol parade, a scarecrow competition and an informal tool and equipment exchange.

Julia Irwin moved into the street two years ago, attracted by its strong sense of community. She bid on three houses unsuccessfully before finally getting lucky, and says the street has lived up to expectations.

Marfurt believes many of us “kind of live behind a wall, but it doesn’t have to be like that”.

“We’re just making these tiny little changes to the street,” she says. “I really feel that a lot of people are really looking for an excuse to interact.”

Santander Crescent, Point Cook

It’s renowned for staging Point Cook’s most spectacular Christmas light shows, but Santander Crescent is also one of Melbourne’s friendliest streets all-year-round.

“It’s a fabulous street,” says resident Emma Lindell. “There’s many of us that catch up for dinner, ladies days and all sorts of things. We’re there to help one another.”

There are about 40 houses in the street, and each December many of them are decked out in sparkling Christmas lights, with the street closed to traffic each night.

“When we started the lights it certainly got us chatting to other people at the other end of the street,” says Lindell.

She says newer neighbours, who she always makes a point of welcoming, all seem to know of the street’s festive reputation before moving in.

“There’s no pressure for people to take part in the lights, but you get the bug,” she says.

Helena Avenue, Kallista

Up in the hills, where tall timber and tree ferns reign supreme, there’s a special kind of community spirit, according to resident Roger Shaw.

“Everybody knows everybody – it’s a total a first name basis type situation,” he says. “Kallista has a particularly strong sense of identity, even the shops are on a first name basis.”

Shaw believes some of that is due to the fact that Kallista is bordered by forest, and is a small village of its own. “It’s somewhere where you drive out of Belgrave, go through the forest and then arrive there.”

While many residents have young children that play together, Shaw says he also knows many older people in the neighbourhood.

Recently the power went out for an extended period, so most of the locals just picked up a bottle of wine and headed to their neighbour Rob’s place.

But relationships are not just limited to crises and social chitchat; Shaw even employs one of his neighbours in his bushland regeneration business. “That interview was done over the driveway gate, I’m not joking,” he says.

A few surfers in Helena Avenue and surrounding streets often head to the beach together, as part of what they jokingly dub the ‘Kallista Boardriders’.

Meanwhile, there’s the Christmas street party, plus banter over the fence, and the sharing of chook eggs.

Shaw happily notes that the drainage is shocking, and the roads are dusty. “(But) it would take something pretty special to drag me away from where we are.”