Wigan Warrior

Well looking at the current I.T. job market, especially in my field (Teradata) it looks like it's going to have to be Sydney over Melbourne.

We've got our visas now and I need to start doing more serious homework.

Can anyone offer any advice on Bankstown and the surrounding areas (lidcombe, Strathfield Paramatta, Liverpool) etc..

I'm trying to get some info on the different areas of Sydney.

I'd like to be no more than 1 hours train/car/bus journey from the CBD and same to beach.

I have a 3 year old girl, so need to keep schools, things to do, beaches!! etc.. into consideration.

Are there any areas that should be avoided?

The housing seems reasonably priced for a 3 bedroom house and was wondering if the reason is that they are undesirable neighborhoods!

Obviously I'd love to rent/buy on the Eastern beaches, but it's beyond my means

Will initially be renting and looking for something around $400pw and when buying will be looking to spend max $450k

Any other area suggestions would be gratefully received.

BadgeIsBack

Avoid at all costs.

Some would say avoid the entire West.

Some of the far outlying south-west is for new young families and is suburban and nicer but Bankstown et al are nasty - well distinctly ordinary.

hubbard

I'll echo that - it really is pretty nasty out that way compared to the rest of Sydney. If there are only the 3 of you and you are looking to buy why not consider a 2 bed unit in a better area (Northern Beaches - Curl Curl, Dee Why etc). Those areas have also been hit by weakening Sydney house prices (unlike everywhere else in Sydney - that is a glaring sign) so i'd be very wary of buying out that way. If you know London at all I'd equate those ares to Romford / Dagenham in terms of nastiness.

NickyC

Strathfield is a very nice, leafy suburb. It's famous for its large Federation houses on huge blocks. There are also a lot of private schools in the Strathfield/Burwood area.

Avoid Bankstown fullstop. There's good shopping at Parramatta but you wouldn't want to live there. Same with Liverpool.

If you wanted to be closish to Bankstown, then I'd choose inner-west. Any of the suburbs from Strathfield east towards the city are fine - Burwood, Croydon, Ashfield etc are all good.

Alternatively look south to the suburbs along the Georges River. Checkout Oatley, Lugarno, Illawong. They also have the advantage of being close to the beach at Cronulla.

nattyp

I live in Penshurst nr. Oatley and it's not bad and quite a bit cheaper than most places. It's quite near the water and there appears to be some good schools in the area, I think. It's only about 30 mins from the CBD and not overly far to Cronulla beach - direct train line there and within driving distance. Hurstville and Miranda are also nearby which have good shopping centres with cinemas etc. I've heard by all accounts Bankstown and a lot of the west are a no-no. St George or Sutherland shire areas are probably better.

dp180800

The market for Teradata is dead in Melbourne. Sydney or Canberra are the way to go. Sydney is retail banks and Telco customers whilst Canberra has several larger Govt departments - there is a lot of work in both cities - contractor rates are much better in Canberra.

As far as living in Sydney - Sutherland shire is definitely good - especially bearing in mind the dollar figures that you mentioned. Not all of the west is bad but you would benefit from a local showing you around. Forget Bankstown and immediately surrounding suburbs - same with most of Liverpool.


The key for you will be train service. It would be worth looking at the timetables on the City Rail web site to see where the main stops are. East Hills line and the Cronulla Eastern Suburbs line are good places to start.

Check out realestate.com.au and domain.com.au.


dp

Swerv-o

I live in the inner west, which is quite a nice area to be in. Very close to the city, with good rail and bus links means that it is oly minutes to the city.

I wouldn't recommend going to Bankstown though - It has quite a reputation, and it is also quite a distance from the CBD. If I were in your position, I would draw a line at Strathfield, and probably not stray much further west than that, though the area to the north of Strathfield is quite nice - Concord and Rhodes, but quitye price now given the water front. The inner west suburbs on the way back to the city from Strathfield are all quite nice - Burwood, Ashfield (not quite as nice), Croydon, Lewisham, Petersham and Stanmore are all nice.

If you're keen to stay in the city, then look at some of the nicer inner western suburbs like Marrickville or Dulwich Hill/Lewisham. Nothing too special, but also nothing too awful.

Newtown/Erskineville are nice too - Erko has a real villagy feel, but is definitely a place for young professionals - not really the sort of place to bring up kids.

If you're not so worried about rail links, then some of the unconnected inner west suburbs may suit. Look at Leichhardt, Five Dock, Rozelle, Drummoyne and Abbotsford. Definitely more pricey though.

Balmain seems to be the baby capital of Sydney - loads of people here are pregnant, pushing multiple babies around or lunching with babies together. Very nice area, but housing is ridiculously expensive. No doubt pushed up by the ladies that lunch husband's huge corporate salaries...

Hope that helps.

S

Wigan Warrior

Thanks for the information, definatley given me some areas to look at.

Unfortunaltey I don't have anyone out in Sydney to offer advice on where to avoid so am very relaint on forums like this.

Hell, I've never even been to Australia (got my visas though)!

BadgeIsBack

Yes - Sutherland Shire I think is where all the new stuff is which is infinitely better than Bankstown and immediate surrounds.

Wigan Warrior

So, If ~I box off the area starting North as far as Hornsby, south as far as Sutherland and not as far west as Starthfield I should be on safe ground??

I'll start off following the train tracks and see what I come up with and then come back for more advice!