A suburb approximately 10 kilometres to the north of Melbourne's Central Business District, Alphington shares its postcode with neighbouring Fairfield and forms part of the City of Darebin.

Alphington has large Greek and Italian populations and in the past was the site of olive plantations, which now form part of the Darebin Parklands. These have been regenerated in recent years and is home to a surprisingly diverse array of wildlife both native and feral.

Alphington is located next to the Yarra River and the Darebin Creek and borders the suburbs of Kew, Fairfield, Northcote and Ivanhoe. Alphington's population is mostly middle class families, professionals or office workers. It has a reputation for being vey community orientated (not really true) and boring (true). In recent times property prices in the area have boomed.

Both the public Alphington Primary School and the private Alphington Grammar School are found in the suburb. Alphington is serviced by a train station on the Hurstbridge line as well as the 508 bus, which travels between Alphington and Moonee Ponds train stations. It takes about twenty minutes to get to the city by train, and about ten to Northcote and twenty to Sydney Road, Coburg, on the bus. A bicycle will get you Clifton Hill/Fitzroy in less than a quarter hour if you be unfit as I am.