Katherined0

wish my husband bowed to my views!!! What's your wife's secret????

E3only

Absolutely correct. General exploding popultion here. Basically immigrants....just highlighting that the train should have been up and running by now and it has not. even when it does sure it will take plenty off the roads but still we have a immigration friendly policy...so...

paddyo

lol....the ability to say NO

northerner

To the OP - the Ryde area in general is well placed and a good area to base yourselves.

Places like Manly are nice but tend to attract the type of people who want to be able to say 'I live in Manly' even though I can't afford it - they are generally full of drunk backpackers and driving anywhere is always, ALWAYS, horrendous.

Ryde 1 - Manly 0

Graham

paddyo

I actually find driving anywhere from Manly extremely easy, aside from peak times but ANYWHERE in Sydney is horrendous at peak times. Anyway, I can afford to live here, I was being humble!! Also Jetcat and Ferry from Many to the CBD is excellent mode of transport!

Ryde 1 - Manly 1

HeatherandTim

Hi Folks,
I have to jump in here and give my vote to Manly and Northern Beaches which is FAR superior to the Ryde area. No offence intended if you live in Ryde and this is just my observation as I havent lived there. I have lived in Northern beaches for 12 years now so I have seen alot of Sydney suburbs including Ryde. I go into Manly often and I don't see drunken backpackers. Thats because I dont go in the pubs after midnight. And driving is incredibly easy.(finding free parking is a bit more difficult) I see Ryde as dirty, stinking hotter in summer (with no cooling sea breeze), Lots of non English speaking immigrants, and cheaper housing, just a poorer suburb IMO. Do yourself a favour and check out the Northern beaches. Plus its what you emigrate for... a better outdoor lifestyle surrounded by beautiful scenery and beaches. I think I would rather live back in England as live in Ryde.

E3only

I agree to most of that. But that's the difference living in costlier northern beaches and Ryde. However North Ryde is decent place. Thers is a University there and shopping centre. Btw Ryde is coming up with massive shopping centre.

But comparing Manly/Northern Beaches to Ryde would be incorrect i.e. you are comparing a sea life to suburb life so it just depends what one wants I suppose. You get a two bedroom unit in Ryde for half the price as compared to Manly/northern beaches close to beach unit...entirely different life style.....

I have lived in Mosman, Neutral Bay, Dee Why,Wolli Creek, West Ryde, Gladesville and Westmead. No doubt would love to go back to some of these places.......

HeatherandTim

Guess I was being a bit harsh saying I would rather go back to England than live in Ryde because I haven't ever lived in Ryde(although I have been to various places in Ryde and West Ryde) and I really don't want to go back to England, but if you did live there, then in reality you just wouldn't get to the beach on a regular basis and for me that is one of the fantastic things about Australian life. I constantly think how lucky we are to be in this part of the world. Northern beaches...you can't beat it !

northerner

What a surprise

Because it's a whole 25mins away? What exactly do you do on the beach by anyway? There are other things to do rather than sit on some sand and try to look pretty you know!


Well... I've no doubt the area is nice, but to buy the same property in Manly/northern beaches as in Ryde it will cost you twice as much. Now don't get me wrong I'm sure it's lovely living close enough to a beach to wander down there after dinner but the reality is that living further away from the coast does not stop you doing anything. We LOVE Sydney and also the surrounding countryside/coastline and are always out and about scuba diving/camping/walking etc, none of which would be any easier if we lived on a beach.

We used to live in Manly, then moved to Balmain which although is west of the bridge (yes Sydney does actually continues west of the bridge you know - there is life out there!! ) is IMVHO far superier to Manly.

Anyway - please take all this with a pinch of salt - not wanting to offend anyone of start an arguement but it does rub me the wrong way when areas are slated as sh%tholes when you've only ever passed through...

As long as everyone's happy where they are that's the main thing.

Cheers,

Graham

HeatherandTim

Quote
"Places like Manly are nice but tend to attract the type of people who want to be able to say 'I live in Manly' even though I can't afford it - they are generally full of drunk backpackers and driving anywhere is always, ALWAYS, horrendous."



Well you're a bit shirty. I was responding to this very incorrect statement which is misleading to new expats. I like Balmain too but the traffic there is far worse than Manly. I have lived in lots of Suburbs including, Cronulla, Camden and Pymble as well as Orange and Lithgow to name a few, so you can't assume that I don't know that life exists outside the Northern Beaches. I was just agreeing with Paddyo that it is actually a fantastic place to live.
Plus its not just the beach because I actually dont sit on the beach (maybe once in 4 years), its the accessibliity to the water, National parks, city and the general relaxed attitude that I love.

paddyo

I'm with Heather and Tim on this one!!
But for the benefit of the OP, opinions are like arseholes, we all have one!! I found my preconceptions and poeples opinions counted for nothing when I actually got here. Taking a drive around and checking them out for yourself and also, which is quite a good point I think, realising how VAST Sydney actually is also helps. We looked at Ryde because initially thats where I was going to work and found good value for money, but, it was not my 'australia' it was just another suburb in anytown! Then we looked at Balmain and other Inner West areas and found them difficult for traffic during peak.
Manly was originally on my shit list, there was no way I was going to a beach resort with youth, anglophiles and long traffic queues during peak to the CBD. One actual trip over via the ferry was enough to convince me, and more importantly, my wife that it was, for us, perfect! Yes we are paying more for our accomodation but thats everywhere, location, location, location is what its all about. However, I now work in Potts Point so Ryde would of been a nightmare to get to whereas Manly is a fery trip and short walk away. If I was still going to be working in Ryde then Manly would be difficult for commute purposes. So for me it was circumstances that drove our choice.
Hope the OP founds a nice place, be it Ryde or wherever.

plantpot

Thanks for all the replies, personally the beach is not such a big draw as long as I can drive to one in a reasonable time (25 mins?), as I live in a sandpit here in Dubai, am sick of beaches, sand and camels (none in Oz I hear!) so I am looking for somewhere generally nice but beaches are not a temptation for me. I usually go once a fortnight here and can't see that changing, as for hot inland....well it's still 30 degrees and its 7.38am here with 50% humidity so I am sure I will cope ...BUT that said Paddyo's references to Reading have made me scared of Ryde....didn't mean to cause a division but like someone says we all have opinions, will wait the few weeks and walk the walk so to speak....will be renting and not buying anyway as on 457 and likely to go somewhere else afterwards, s that opens up a few more areas for us.

Thanks again everyone x