Is Richmond a good place to stay in Melbourne?

Richmond is a good base if you're in Melbourne for the football, the cricket or the tennis. The MCG and Melbourne Park are a short walk from Richmond station, trams on Swan Street, Bridge Road and Victoria Street run into the CBD, and Flinders Street is only a few minutes away by train. It suits sports fans, food lovers and travellers happy to stay in an apartment.

The area is a lively inner suburb of Victorian terraces, pubs and busy shopping streets. Swan Street has bars and sports pubs that fill up on game days, Victoria Street is famous for its Vietnamese restaurants and pho, and Bridge Road has outlet shops and cafés. Yarra Park and the Fitzroy Gardens, with Captain Cook's Cottage, are an easy walk away.

The downside is that Richmond has very few hotels, so most stays are in apartments or small apartment hotels. On match days the streets near the MCG and Richmond station are packed and noisy, and the main roads, especially Punt Road and Hoddle Street, carry heavy traffic.

What makes Richmond special is how close it puts you to the city's sporting heart while still feeling like a neighbourhood. You can walk to the MCG, eat pho on Victoria Street afterwards and be in the CBD in a few minutes, with local pubs and cafés all around.