On the edge of the Yarra River but within strolling distance of bar and restaurant-packed Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond, the sleepy neighbourhood of old workers’ cottages and factories is just a hop from Melbourne’s CBD, but feels a world away. You can graze on wood-fired pizza at culture-hub Abbotsford Convent, cycle riverside bike trails, wander through peaceful parks or just kick back at Three Bags Full café.

Seduced by the area’s charms, design-led developer Kalex – helmed by Kyp Bosci – is developing Park & Raphael, a series of 19 ‘secluded yet connected’ luxury townhouses in this emerging quarter. “This pocket of Melbourne has the best of both worlds,” says Bosci. “On the one hand it is secluded – nestled amid parkland – and on the other it’s connected to the CBD, the inner north and the city’s entertainment precincts. That’s something unique in Melbourne and only Abbotsford can offer.”

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