1/13 Main Street, BLACKBURN

Morning coffee footsteps away, the train into the city five minutes later, groceries picked up on the walk home and Blackburn’s leafy parks waiting when you need a little green space. At 1/13 Main Street, life runs on foot. Set on the ground floor in the very heart of Blackburn Station Village, this bright two-bedroom unit puts cafés, shops, the library, Pilates, the gym, salons and everyday essentials virtually at the doorstep.

For first-home buyers, it is a chance to swap rent for ownership in one of Melbourne’s most tightly held eastern suburbs without taking on garden maintenance. For investors, the station-side location and famously low-maintenance format make plenty of sense. And for professional couples, the ability to walk to express trains, grab dinner locally and leave the car parked could quickly become the new normal.