NickyC

Nope.

I've got nothing to do with real estate (I work in IT) - just 30 years experience of living in and travelling all over Sydney.

paddyo

I'm sorry, must of got one of your earlier posts confused.

You have given a lot of advice to others, including myself, on different suburbs and it has been very welcome. 30 years experience is invaluable, but someone just taking a walk through a suburb or noting the media can also form an impression even in one hour. We all have a valid input to this forum.

Please don't take the 'you've only been here one year how dare you make assumptions about OUR adopted country' attitude. I am not saying that you have but just asking that you let all inputs be taken into account.

happymoon

Hi All thanks for your comments.

I've been reading on many threads here that west and south west sydney are bad, and I can't believe that as thats one hell of a lot of land and people.

Like i'm looking at new builds like that:
http://www.championhomes.com.au/default.asp?id=154

No way is that a bad area, and luckily don't have to commute as I work from home.

Now then how about North Sydney, I've been looking at areas such as Wyong, Gosford, WoyWoy

I'll just need to have a good drive about I suppose.

Thanks,
Mark.

ezzie

You're going to get what you pay for essentially. The South-West growth corridor (Cambeltown etc) are cheap, are surrounded by bush but is a hell of a distance from Sydney. Fine if you like a life of bush n' barbies but if you like to get out into club/pub/music/arts scene then avoid like the plague. Ditto Gosford where we 'lost' several years of our lives through boredom.

North Sydney has all the above, great transport but is expensive and crowded. Have you considered the Hills District. It's affordable, family orientated, very beautiful, great schools, not too far away from Sydney...but crap transport (like most of outer Sydney).

You'll find that Australia is very good at creating good or bad areas, not so mixed as in English towns. Personally, I'd avoid the South-West, Bankstown or Blacktown areas.

Tom Sawyer

Yep, it is me. Still living on and liking Harrington Park. We've got kids now and all the facilities for families are on the door step. Doctors, childcare, school and decent local shops. Houses are still being built here, and the ones for sale seem to be selling reasonably well, so there is a demand to live here even in the current economic situation.
Campbeltown is not realy my cup of tea, but Macarthur Square is good for shopping and most of the big stores have branches down that way. Overall Macarthur / Camden is a nice area, and it is only 30mins drive to the beaches around Wollongong way.
However......I work at the airport and the car park known as the M5 is a major problem. It took me nearly 2 hours to get home last week with no schools traffic, but an accident at the tolls. Today was an hour and half due to an accident in the tunnel. Most nights is about an hour at least to do 40km.....after a 5am start for an 11 hour shift it is no fun! And with the continued influx of people into the area, things will not improve until our wonderful State Government(?) gets a grip. It is possible to get a train from Macarthur Sq with an almost guaranteed seat as it is the trains origin station, but it seems to take just as long to get into the city.
So if you can work locally, Harrington Park is a great place to live. Otherwise I'd look a bit nearer to Sydney, it is something that is on my mind to do. Shame really.

cockney pommy

EXCEPT for kings langley (blacktown area)
this would be literally the best suburb in these areas and is adjacent to hills area - very nice suburb

happymoon

Thanks for the advice, Harrington Park looks good, traffic does sound like a nightmare though, might be easier to live on a boat and sail into the CBD each day

Ginger3710

Hi, the areas you mention are fine. There are lots of new communities being established in these areas. Campbelltown is a lower income area, parts of it are established and other parts have new housing estates. I wouldn't choose to live there personally and wouldn't recommend it if you can afford elsewhere. It does have a higher crime rate but plenty of people live there, mostly families, and plenty commute to the city every day. IMO Campbelltown's negative reputation wouldn't really have any bearing to the areas you mention as they are further out and generally attract a different type of resident. Camden is a historic town and a short drive further west is the Southern Highlands with lovely historic townships including Picton, Mittagong, Moss Vale and Berrima and other places in between. Moss Vale and Berrima are quite upmarket and have many wealthy residents. Berrima has lots of upmarket arts and craft stores and is a haven for wealthy Sydney-siders on the weekends. These websites may interest you:

http://www.highlandsnsw.com.au/.
http://www.camdenonline.com.au/camden_index.php

Just to give you your bearings about the area - Campbelltown is about an hour by train to the Sydney CBD and is on the fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area. Camden is around 20 mins drive further west of Campbelltown (via M5 freeway) and the other areas you mention are in between.

Wol

Moss Vale upmarket? Have you been there?

Because a dozen or two hobby farmers have their acreage for tax reasons in an area doesn't make it wealthy - and Moss Vale is really run down.

ezzie

Yes, I found it depressingly deserted. The rest of the Southern Highlands are quite nice...but give me the Lake District any day - rain an' all!