Students call Parkside home. Meet some Parkside residents, studying their PhDs in neuroscience. When Pedro Bau and his wife Flavia Gomes moved to Melbourne from Brazil to study 18 months ago, the couple could have chosen anywhere in the city to live. But a quiet pocket in Parkville captured their attention more than anywhere else. The couple settled on renting an apartment at Frasers Property Australia’s Flourish complex at its Parkside community on the fringe of the CBD. It’s now the place both feel at home and a part of the community. “When we moved to Australia we stayed at a friend’s house for one month and then we got this apartment,” Mr Bau says. “The first reason why we chose here is because it’s close to the University of Melbourne, it’s just 15 minutes biking or 30 minutes walking so it’s really close and I don’t have to spend money on public transport. “The second reason is because the suburb here is really nice, we have a park right across from our building, which is lovely to enjoy on sunny days in Melbourne.” LiveParkside.com.au 13 38 38
“Because it’s a quiet place, the streets are not really busy so it feels like a small city within a city and I really love that.” The couple have set up their onebedroom apartment as a home away from home and make of the most of their access to the exclusive residents’ facilities at the Park Club Resident Amenity Centre, which includes a gym, swimming pool, kitchen and dining room, library, lounge and media room. “Also, if you want to go to the city or Victoria Market it’s not hard at all, you can just take a tram or train or also a bus,” he says.
Mr Bau and Ms Gomes are both studying for a PhD in neuroscience. Mr Bau is based at the University of Melbourne, more specifically at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, while Ms Gomes is based at the Alfred Hospital and is studying with Monash University. While the area is quiet Mr Bau says he prefers to study at his desk in the institute. “I prefer to study there because I like to enjoy my home with my wife. The view from our apartment is very beautiful. We can see an outline of the city and for last New Year’s Eve we were able to watch the fireworks over the city from our balcony.
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“We like to have barbecues with our Brazilian friends, which we can do in the park right in front of us. Also, I like to play soccer with the kids, because there are a lot of kids in the area and when I go there with my soccer ball they like to borrow it and sometimes I play soccer with them. It has a real family, community feel here. “My wife studies at the Alfred Hospital, which is a bit further away for her to get to, but she doesn’t want to move from here, she loves living in this apartment.” Mr Bau and Ms Gomes are still to make plans for their future once they have completed their PhDs but are looking forward to seeing opportunities open up for them in Australia.