This little inner-city pocket-rocket features a light smattering of residential abodes, with a heavier hub of high-rise apartments wrapped around Brisbane’s strawberry ice-cream mecca, the RNA Showgrounds. Situated on the non-CBD side of Fortitude Valley, Bowen Hills could be considered more like an offshoot of the Valley, but has been on the up-and-up for the past few years. Setting desirability scales alight is the proximity to the city, with a distinct lack of city-centric price tags. Medium-density homes on the upper levels boast city and river water views, while the café culture is vibrant.

The Bowen Hills lure really caught on after the 2012 redevelopment of the showgrounds, which saw its then generous proportions shrunk by a fifth to create space for commercial redevelopment. As part of a government urban renewal push to revitalise the industrial suburb of yesteryear, the plan worked a treat, as property giants moved in, built multi-storey complexes and young professionals came knocking in droves. The new-look precinct spurred a flurry of new commercial activity and today Bowen Hills houses some great boutique retailers and restaurants.

The true beauty of Bowen lies in its location – your short stroll destination of choice might be the nearby exclusive James Street shopping precinct, the colourful Valley for an evening of fun, or meander along the variety of Breakfast Creek walkways, not to mention all that the CBD offers. If you aren’t keen for a stroll, public transport is literally right at your feet, along with the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, while other services like schools and chain-shops can also be found close by in neighbouring suburbs. Living here is effortless, with all life’s indulgences right at your doorstep.