Why we love Croydon: leafy streets, open space and fabulous food
FINE food, great shopping and leafy neighbourhoods make Croydon one of Melbourne’s best suburbs. Find out here what the locals have known for years.
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IT could have been named White Flats or South Warrandyte, but the locals know it (and love it) as Croydon.
Croydon, in the City of Maroondah, is one of the jewels of the outer east.
It’s known for its leafy streets and relaxed lifestyle.
The area was pioneered for grazing in the 1840s by the Laceys and named after the family matriarch’s home town in England, but it became known as White Flats because of a coarse, silvery-white grass that once grew there.
White Flats was surveyed and subdivided in 1868 and became known for producing sheep, beef and dairy cattle, orchard fruit and peas.
The settlement took off when the railway arrived in 1882, although the station was named Warrandyte because it was the first station in the Warrandyte Parish.
Soon after, it was named South Warrandyte to save confusion with Warrandyte, about 109km north on the Yarra River, before the name Croydon was adopted once again in 1884.
Food
Great food is easy to find in Croydon.
The suburb’s prime shopping strip, Main Street, has developed a reputation as a haven for suburban foodies.
Bekendales, the Hungarian Bakehouse, Kofi Beans and George’s Gourmet Store are all terrific options for breakfasts, brunches and lunches.
Look out for Bekendales’ delectable cakes, the Hungarian Bakehouse’s “poggi” or pogacsa, a type of scone, Moroccan-inspired dishes at Kofi Beans and the bubble and squeak and homemade carrot and walnut cake — a recipe handed down from the owner’s grandmother.
The owners of Bekendales has also opened The Public Brewery just around the corner in Lacey Street with a range of craft beers, a regular trivia night and a menu that includes sliders, the house special cheese burger, a brisket share plate, lamb shoulder and $5 tacos.
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There are four Thai restaurants in Croydon including Thai Lemon Tree in Main St.
The nearby Lower Deck Café in nearby San Carlos Walk offers breakfast and lunch renowned steak sandwiches, a signature big breakfast and the Lazy Hen Burger, with a chicken breast hand-dipped in spiced flour and buttermilk and piled high with Swiss cheese, free-range bacon, lettuce, tomato and honey mustard.
Fryer Tucks in Hewish Road is a traditional English fish and chip shop with haddock, cod, English pies, pastries and savoury puddings. There’s even battered, deep fried haggis and black pudding on the menu.
Then there’s the Maroondah Take Away on the Maroondah Highway, which one colleague of mine says has the best fish and chips in Melbourne (big call, that!).
Locals also swear by The Local Burger Co. in Bayswater Road, Croydon South, for its wide variety of beef, pulled pork, fried chicken or chickpea burgers.
Over in Croydon Hills, the Rumour Mill and Scented Garden are two eateries worth a visit.
For gluten-free goodies, head to Yarralicious in Croydon Road and, if you have kids in tow, try the Little Village Play Cafe in Croydon South for meals to keep everyone happy.
Markets/shopping
Croydon has a massive retail hub.
A cluster of shops including the Main Street strip, the nearby Arndale and Croydon Central shopping centres has well over 200 shops with all major supermarkets and a wide variety of specialty shops and eateries.
Add to that other centres like The Mall and Eastfield Road shops, Maroondah Village and McAdam Square in Croydon North, the Merrindale Shopping Centre and a smattering of smaller retail strips, and Croydon is unusually well served in terms of shopping variety.
If that’s not enough, the giant Eastland complex is just a few minutes away in Ringwood.
Don’t forget the Croydon Farmers Market, held on the second Saturday of every month at Croydon Park.
Arts and culture
The independently-owned Croydon Cinema has four screens and boasts the best ticket prices in Melbourne — $12.50 for adult entry to a 2D film, and $9.50 for concession and children under 16. It holds regular art house film sessions, too.
The Wyreena Community Arts Centre, a historic property set in gardens, features and exhibition and meeting space, arts and crafts classes, a glass conservatory that operates as a cafe. A new interactive playground has just been completed/
Leisure and fitness
Croydon is blessed with a network of bike paths and walking trails and some of the best all-access playgrounds anywhere in Melbourne.
Croydon Park, in the heart of the suburb, has X Space, a playground facilities for all ages and accessibility, along with a skate park.
A shared walking and bike trail circles the park and links it to other parks, trails along the Dandenong Creek and Aquahub, a leisure centre that incorporates a 25-metre pool, a gymnasium, aerobics and a range of fitness classes with a creche.
There’s also the heated Croydon Memorial Pool if you prefer swimming outdoors.
The Hochkins Ridge Flora Reserve in Croydon North, Barneong Reserve, the Candlebark Walk Reserve in Croydon Hills, and the Cheong Wildflower Reserve at Cheong Park allow you to get back to nature while you get fit. Cheong Park also has a fitness circuit.
Events
The Maroondah Festival is held each year at Croydon Park with music and performances on the main stage, a fun and fitness arena, a community expo, workshops, roving entertainment and plenty of tasty treats on offer. The festival will be held on November 6 this year.
Sport
Croydon Park is home to the Croydon Football Club. The Blues are members of the Eastern Football League and were established in 1906.
The nearby Croydon Tennis Club is only a year younger.
But the Croydon Cricket Club, which shares the oval at Croydon Park, goes all the way back to 1886 and is part of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
Dorset Golf is Croydon’s main public golf course and, almost at the foot of Mount Dandenong, it’s a picturesque way to squeeze in nine or 18 holes.
The Croydon City Arrows Soccer Club represents the area and has been going since 1957.
The Rings in Ringwood is the region’s purpose-built basketball and netball hub, while indoor cricket, soccer and netball competitions are held at Croydon Indoor Sports in nearby Kilsyth South.
Best place to take a photograph
Just to the west of central Croydon, there’s a high ridge that stretches across the suburb and into
Croydon North.
If you glimpse between the trees and houses up there, you can get a gorgeous view of the Dandenongs.
Cruise a few of those streets and you’re sure to shoot a great image.
If that suggestion doesn’t suit you, take a stroll through Croydon’s bush trails and flora reserves for the best snaps.
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