Clarkson
 

The houses in Clarkson seem to be a lot more affordable than most of the other Perth suburbs NOR - is this just because it's further away from CBD?

Would anybody on BE recommend / not recommend this suburb? Anybody live there? We were just a bit pleasantly surprised at the prices there (we are looking at somewhere close to a station).

Thanks :)

Re: Clarkson
 

The blocks are also small in size from what I can remember [I used to travel from Clarkson station a few years ago] which is reflected in the prices. Not many trees either...

Re: Clarkson
 

We rented for over a year in Clarkson - on Liberty Drive and Grandoak Drive - and never had any problems.

The houses there are very affordable.

I think you would need to have a drive around Clarkson when you get here to see what you personally think.

There are a lot of rental properties in Clarkson (or Somerly as the new part of Clarkson is called) so you might find that on one street, 75% of the houses will be rentals. This was definitely the case on Grandoak Drive. This would put me off buying there but that's a personal opinion.

Hope this helps. You could perhaps consider Butler and Kinross also - they are also affordable good areas.

Re: Clarkson
 

Also look at the MySchools website, search under suburb for Clarkson, gives you the primary and high schools, govt and non-govt:
http://www.myschool.edu.au/SchoolSearch.aspx

Also look at the "student background" index on the right hand side of the screen.

If you like the suburb, as it's cheaper you might have more disposable income to pay for private school fees. Sometimes, suburbs are cheaper for a reason ...

Re: Clarkson
 

It's other name is Balga-by-Sea to Perthies, a lot of Homeswest and associated problems, do you research carefully about living there

Re: Clarkson
 

HI Clarkson is lovely, nice houses and near station, but I would be careful about living there, as someone else said there is a lot of rental properties there homeswest people and I believe a lot of African people walking around in gangs which can be quite scary, there are also a lot of hoons too. If you get a nice street (away from shops and station) you might be OK, but just be careful. Also I worked at Clarkson High School and the kids there TERRIFIED me, it was very rough to say the least and I wouldn't like to send my kids there. I have 2 friends ho live there, one hates it and cant sell her house the other thinks its ok, had another friend who moved away from there as she thought it was horrible too.
Have you tried Heathridge - we live here, its cheaper than the other neighbouring suburbs and its really up and coming here, lots of rennos going on, also Craigie is supposed to be a good hot spot at the moment.

Good luck:fingerscrossed:

Re: Clarkson
 

I'm an African person but I don't think I'm scary.

Re: Clarkson
 

I guess it isn't compared to Jo'burg.

I thought most of the Afro gangs were in Mirabooka?

Re: Clarkson
 

I have no idea. Do Afro gangs exist in Perth?

Re: Clarkson
 

Heathridge is nice, I've got good friends there. Don't know if OP had kids but doesn't it mean they have to go to Belridge High? It's almost as bad as Clarkson High.

Re: Clarkson
 

Mainly Somalis, but Sudanese too:

"Somali crime wave

Although there are only about 3,500 Somalis in Perth, they are responsible for a mini crime wave. Numerous violent crimes committed by Somalis have hit the headlines over the past three years.

The Somalis have introduced violent car-jacking to Perth. The perpetrators, mostly with links to the African Kings, a dangerous criminal gang, have carried out a series of violent carjackings, assaults and robberies. Some examples:

* Somali refugee Abdirak Mohmd Hassan was jailed for seven years after being convicted in the Supreme Court of Western Australia on 28 May 2004 over a series of violent carjackings, including two knife-point attacks committed between October 13 and 25, 2002. In sentencing, Justice McKechnie said Hassan's carjacking crimes indicated a disturbing pattern of criminality "largely alien to our society".

* Then in August 2005, Hassan again faced a Supreme Court trial over another violent carjacking. The victim, a young student feared she was going to die after the car she was driving was hijacked by Hassan and another Somali.

* Somali refugee Dhaqane Alim, 19, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court of Western Australia on 6 February 2004 to charge of armed robbery with violence in company. The court was told that on 20 May 2003 Alim and two co-offenders followed the victim from the Burswood train station before mugging him. Alim's co-offender, Jye Horton, who also faces an armed robbery charge, threatened the victim with a 15 cm knife while Alim grabbed the man's arms and rifled through his pockets, stealing a mobile phone and a wallet. The court was also told that Alim was a member of the African Kings street gang.

* On 22 March 2004 five men were taken to hospital after a violent clash between Somali and Aboriginal groups armed with knives and clubs in Perth's Northbridge area. One Aboriginal man received seven stab wounds and a suspected punctured lung after being attacked by a group of Somali men.

* Police were called to break up a violent brawl between a large number of Africans and Aboriginals in the Perth suburb of Mirrabooka on 27 December 2005. Police Commissioner O'Callaghan said police were called out 14 times in the last 12 months to similar brawls between Africans and Aboriginals."

http://www.australian-news.com.au/Et...me_African.htm

Re: Clarkson
 

Sorry, hope I haven't offended you. I wasn't suggesting africans were scary only the gangs of them, yes there are a few of them there. Think that they are in homes west housing maybe?
I noticed when working in the school There were many African children at Clarkson High school, who were gorgeous kids but not cared for properly, it was heartbreaking. Think they might have been boat people (don't want to get too political here) But my cousin who bought and built in Sommerly - near the station hears them all hanging around at night and they walk past her house all the time, these gangs appear quite threatening. She tried to move not long ago but couldn't sell the house (which is gorgeous) so she is stuck there for now.

Its not just the African gangs though, there are all kinds of dodgy folk hanging around there.

Renth - I agree with you about Belridge HS, hopefully we wont have to worry about that cos we will be living in Cottesloe by the time my kids are going to school ;):fingerscrossed:

Re: Clarkson
 

True, But what would worry me is that they could be your neighbours :unsure: Luckily we have no Belridge kids in our street :D

Re: Clarkson
 

Lend us a tenner!

Re: Clarkson
 

I really, really appreciate all these replies - thank you - especially the suggestions of suburbs which might be good to look at, keep them coming :)

We will be looking at both primary and high schools, and I very much doubt we will be able to afford a private high school.

Re: Clarkson
 

I'm not offended - I was joking really. Just to clarify what 'African' means though:
A white person born in Africa is African
A black person born in Africa is African
A black person born in Europe is European
A black person born in Australia is Australian

Re: Clarkson
 

Your the one living in Iluka Renth, think u should be the one subbing me :p

I am relying on a lotto win by the way to get my house in cottesloe :rofl:

Re: Clarkson
 

I really wanted to say black skinned people in gangs but was too scared too ;) I don't know if they are African or not really, I just didn't want to appear racist, but they are big and black and scary...... Do you think I am digging a deep hole for myself now :unsure:

Re: Clarkson
 

I don't think calling a black person a 'black person' is racist.

Re: Clarkson
 

Fair enough - I've just learnt something.

Re: Clarkson
 

Thanks Amazulu, me neither but you cant be too sure these days what with political correctness gone mad etc.... I am not racist at all I have many friends of all colours but what happened to the days when you could just use the word black or brown to describe people. People say white male all the time...........

This went a little off topic didn't it:p Better go and do some work now :(

Re: Clarkson
 

Its not a nice suburb it's basically what Joondalup was 10-15 years so eventually it will be a good place. No way way near as bad as some other suburbs as Perth such as Mirrabooka, Armadale, Kelmscott, Mandurah, Rockingham.

Re: Clarkson
 

Padbury is a reasonably priced suburb and they are closing the local high school. This means that some parts of Padbury should fall into the Duncraig Senior High catchment - now that's a very good govt. school.

Re: Clarkson
 

Although there are some isolated parts of padbury that are dodgy, it always comes up the place to buy in the North for a decent block size and future growth.

Re: Clarkson
 

We're in the next suburb up & I had a mental block on Clarkson for some reason although where we are isn't overly popular but we like it & again cheap housing. You will find with the older suburbs that the social housing is spread out a bit, as the housing are trashed & the tenants get moved on the houses tend to be sold. On the newer suburbs there has to be a certain percentage of social housing which does mean there is sometimes less in the older areas. Bits of Clarkson look lovely & I'm sure there are some nice parts of it to live in. We have 2 young children & after speaking to friends & hearing reports about the schools I was even more adamant not to move to there cheap or not. The schools have been on lock down quite a few times which is not the sort of place I want to send my kids to. Clarkson is the high School for where we live so if we're still here when the kids are due to move schools they will be traveling further afield.

Alison x

Re: Clarkson
 

When was the school on lock down? My children have been attending Clarkson High School for the past 3 years and it certainly hasn't been while they've been there.

Re: Clarkson
 

We have thought about Padbury but the houses seem to be quite old, 1970-ish so will probably have lots of niggly things needing done to them. Also, with the high school closing due to lack of numbers it must indicate that Padbury has an ageing population?

It seems quite expensive too, maybe that's because it's close to the beach I suppose.

Re: Clarkson
 

I lived in clarkson for over a year and can recomend it. I used to walk to the tainstation and get the train into the city everyday. Never had any problems there

Re: Clarkson
 

House prices are cheap for a reason;)

Re: Clarkson
 

I bet you would be if you wore a springbok fur G string and leather thongs and stuck your tongue out to make it long and did a penis wriggling dance around people, well I personally wouldnt be scared, I would pay handsomely for you to do that because I love all things African (well Namibian if I am being picky but SA will do nicely) - so there:sneaky::lol:

Re: Clarkson
 

Places like Armadale, Clarkson, Thornlie and Clarkson.

Clarkson will be good when Perth extends up to Two Rocks it's part of a cycle. 10 years ago Joondalup was the shithole with somalians ruling the streets 5 years ago it was Craigie now its Clarkson turn for a few years. You can be assured that the government will push out the counsel housing away from the city as far as it can.

Re: Clarkson
 

What would be wrong with having Belridge kids in your street? Is the school that bad that you would be so scared or not want to associate with any of the students who go there?

Re: Clarkson
 

The negative comments made on this thread are made by people who have only ever heard from rumours and grapevine about the social problems in these suburbs. They have never lived there or God forbid sent their kids to schools in them.

Our next door neighbours are Somali refugees and shockingly the kids go to Clarkson!!!!!! Funny we haven't been raped or murdered in our beds recently, so maybe there's something wrong with them. I'll have to get on to it and remind them of where they're living and what's expected.

Re: Clarkson
 

Really? What might that be? Access to public transit? Access to shops? Or the fact that snobbish tossers aren't welcome?

Re: Clarkson
 

Many other sub's have access to public transport and shops are everywhere. Snobbish:rofl: It's not even middle class. Friends of mine put burb wire on their fence after few uninvited visits. Trouble neighbors, police patrolling regularly etc. Welcome to Bogan Land:p

Re: Clarkson
 

The High School is closing due to very low numbers although the buildings I understand will be still be used for education purposes. The population is probably aging just because housing in that area maybe getting out of the price range of many families with children. Yes an old house will need work but it depends how it's been maintained. Often 1970's houses are much better built than some of the cheap junk thrown up now. The upside is +700sq metre blocks - nice and big.

One thing that has started to happen in Padbury is there is one or two pockets of major rebuilding of houses going on - that's a sign that the land is valuable enough to make it worth redoing the house.

Finally, as someone else has indirectly pointed out, as Perth grows North Padbury/Duncraig/Greenwood etc etc will be popular purely because of the closeness do the city [25 years ago they were out in the bush]

Re: Clarkson
 

And of course none of this happens in your suburb. :rolleyes:

Re: Clarkson
 

Ok that's interesting. The info was from someone local who's lived in this suburb for the last 2 years. By the time my 2 are old enough for High School then I will look in to the school properly myself & make a judgment on what I see.

Alison x