Gavin B

Hi,

My wife and I are emigrating to Brisbane in November and don't really have a clue which are the nice areas of the city to live in.

For example, if I was an Aussie coming to England, I wouldn't know whether to move to Peckham or Pimlico, and obviously there's a difference!

Anyone know any nice areas? We want to live no more than 30mins drive from the city centre.

Thanks.

dotty

Perhaps if you list what you are looking for, such as Apartment/house City/rural feel, close to beach highways, suburban housing estate area or older house we could narrow it down a bit, Brisbane has hundreds of burbs so where to start.
My personal favourites is Clayfield, lots of big older houses, treed streets, real character but houses are up in the 800's plus. Price guide on what you want to spend could help too.

Gavin B

Thanks for the reply.

We're looking to rent a flat/apartment (are they called units?) for the first year between $200-250 a week, not too bothered about it being near a beach as such, but some water would be nice...

If we can get a house for that price, that would be great, but a flat would do us fine for the first year...

dotty

Im not 100% sure about Brisbane rentals. However on the sunshine coast (1 hour north) houses go for about 350 week and decent units 250-300. The Courier Mail, has a big rental section in Bris, try their website www.thecouriermail.com.au Beaches are placed one hour to the north, sun coast or south Gold Coast. Generally the closer to the city, dearer house prices so I imagine rentals become. Try Chermside, its northern side, houses still cheap there but its a decent area and only 15 mins to the city centre, big hospital and a shopping centre and cinema there and easy drive to Sunshine coast.

jayr

Try realestate.com.au for rentals, click on Queensland and just enter the rent range, you will get a good appartment or a three bed house for this much in many suburbs

Try www.ourbrisbane.com for a suburb map

Gavin B

Thanks for your replies.

I've checked Chermside on www.realestate.com.au and it looks just the kind of thing we're looking for.

Stan J

Toowong, St Lucia, Taringa are close to the City on the West good bus and/or train connections bikepatch and CityCat access along the river.

Bayside areas north of the Brisbane River Sandgate is maybe within 30 minutes and Wynumm / Manly south of the Brisbane River maybe aswell.

Westend has been transformed recently. Kangaroo Point or Southbank if you want city views.

jah4reds

Hi Gavin B,

I'm familar with the inner Western suburbs (as they are local to me) - Toowong, St Lucia, Taringa, Indooroopilly, Kenmore, Chapel Hill, Bardon, Auchenflower and Paddington are all 'good' areas - but $250/week won't get you much of a flat never mind a house. A decent flat/house (to a UK standard) is usually $300 and over in these suburbs. All are established areas (with a mixture of new brick houses, Queenslander, Colonial and wooden Highset homes) though Chapel Hill does have some new 'housing' estates, and Paddington is yuppie/trendy.

Just a couple of points to other posts:

It is highly unlikely you could get from Chermside to the CBD in 30 mins in rush hour (let alone 15 mins) - 45 mins would be a better guess.

From the western suburbs, you can only catch the city cat from St Lucia (and soon Toowong). Auchenflower, Toowong, Taringa and Indooropilly are on the train line. Otherwise it's a bicycle, bus or car.

Good luck.

AndyH

Gavin B

That's great. I'll get on realestate.com.au and get looking at some of those areas!

Also, as a Pom heading for Oz, is there any problem getting jobs, or is it just as easy as an Aussie?

I'm a journalist, but am going to look for news reporting, sub-editing, PR, communication jobs etc...

jayr

There's a useful, if incredibly slow, link which will tell you which public transport to take, how long it takes and even how many metres to walk from your front door to the bus/ferry/train. If you get a street name of a property via www.realestate.com.au and then enter it into www.transinfo.qld.gov.au. If working out travel time to the City, try using Queen Street as a destination.

Even within 10km of the city you can pretty much expect to take nearly an hour door to door on public transport or 30mins+ driving. I'd recommend public transport (be near a train line is best) unlwess you want to pay from $12 a day to park your car in the city.

There are still some properties about in the western suburbs for around $250pw, though they'll not be as big as many Australian houses, more like standard 3 bed UK semi size.

kevwalt

Thanks for all this info everyone. We could be looking at going to Brisbane area too.

Husband's a brickie, we want to be close to the sea (half hour max). 3 bed house would be good.

Any ideas anyone.

Thanks

Kate and Kev

jayr

Don't know the area too well, but try Redcliffe which is at the sea and close to the City as well. Redcliffe wouldn't be your ideal of an Australian beach by any stretch but is closer to the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Island, which is nicer than the Gold Coast. It takes me about 1 hr to get to nice coastal areas from Brisbane, which in Oz terms is nothing

Chris000

Hi,

If you want to be close to the water, and want to stay in the Brisbane area then you've got the area of Redlandshire, with places like Wellington Point, Cleveland, Redland Bay, Ormiston, Victoria Point, Raby Bay(if your rich), Alexandra Hills, Capalaba or Birkdale. All pretty good areas some better than others, or going to the North of the river there's the Redcliffe area and Brighton.

Some of these places are still quite affordable.

Chris.

kevwalt

Thanks for that Jayr. Would rather be near a nice beach than closer to the city. I think anyway.

Cheers
Kate