[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Crown Street Stables is an integrated community centre found in a quiet residential pocket of Flemington. The converted 19th century stables offers a range of social, recreation and educational activities, with a community cafe and playground on site as well. You don’t have to be a Flemington or Moonee Valley resident to visit.
The Crown Street Stables cafe is a social enterprise managed by the aged and disability services team of Moonee Valley Council.
The menu is highly subsidised and even cheaper if you have a concession card, because the aim of the café is to keep the local residents connected (especially elderly residents and those living in housing estates), and to provide training and employment for people with a disability.
We tried the daily special hot meal of chicken and leek soup, macaroni and cheese and dessert of your choice from the cabinet for a ridiculous $8.85.
I don’t think the rather watery, sloppy hot food is great quality (and certainly not photogenic enough to memorialise) so next time I’ll stick to items like a toasted sandwich or some of their baked goods instead. Baby 2.0 was happy enough with his frog-in-the-pond!
Thanks to the thick brick walls the building remains cool in summer, making it a good destination for really hot days, and on our visit a community knitting/craft group was meeting there. For mothers groups there are several high chairs, a small basket of toys and chalkboard wall for scribbling. Community groups can hire the hall upstairs.
Outdoors the playground set in Coronet Park is small and perfectly sized for toddlers, with a equine theme as befitting the area’s history.
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There’s a small climbing mound leading up to a short slide, a nest swing, three horse springers and a wooden pavilion/cubby house. Older kids can climb up the high pyramid rope structure, though 3 year old Baby 2.0 is still able to manage it.
The outdoor area includes picnic tables, barbecues and a small amphitheatre with what we thought were quite good horse-jumping hurdles!
So when the weather’s sunny and not too hot it’s very pleasant to take your food outside to eat and you have full view of the playground. The park area is not fenced but the street traffic surrounding the square is very quiet. Free street parking is available.
Crown Street Stables is a good destination if you’re looking for a cheap, simple and fun outing with little kids.
Click here for more Melbourne cafes next to a playground
Click here fore more child friendly cafes with outdoor play in Melbourne
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”thon-hot-tips-panel”]HOT Tips:
- pick a nice day to visit so that you can sit outside and watch the playground;
- Free street parking available;
- high chairs;
- change facilities in disabled toilet;
- basket of toys and chalkboard wall inside;
- cafe food provides concession card holders with discount; and
- upstairs hall can be booked by community groups.
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