lissysarah

Hello

Can anyone suggest any suburbs within 1 hour maximum commute of central Sydney?

Would need to find 4 bed accomodation for 500-650,000$. Would like to be costal, with shops, restaurants, train nearby.

Any areas to avoid??

Thanks very much

hubbard

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you are unlikely to get a coastal 4 bed property for $500k -$650K even in an hours commute of Sydney. We too are moving to Sydney in the next few months and are looking at the North West suburbs, and house prices sure are steep unless you want to live West Sydney which seems to be the cheapest area. In your price range you are likely to have to forgo living near the coast or up it be at least another $200K. Check out domain.com.au. It will give you a good idea of prices. Rent wise to get a decent 4 bed house near coast prices seem to be $550 pw upwards.

joho

We live in Umina which is about 1hr 15mins to Sydney by train. House prices here are not to bad and you could pick up a 4 bed house for about $500k or less, with pool, you may have a 5+ min walk to the beach though. Woy Woy train station is 5 min drive away.

Jo

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Central Coast not a bad option. Also try Ettalong?

Moving further out - Wyong is Sydneyside of Gosford - further away.

Gosford and Terrigal, Cincumber, Avoca etc further away still. All the beach towns are OK, but Gosford town centre faily ordinary. Umina and Woy woy definitely closer.

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bondipom

Hour and 15 sounds very optimistic. Central coast is not a convenient commuting area. Cheap and good for Bogans though. Ashame developers are ruining the place. It is becoming a giant suburb with very few jobs.

Stu.E

Gosford- Not too bad. My girlfriends mum still lives there. Terrigal is nice but vastly overpriced now. You'd be lucky to do the commute from any of these places in an hour tho.

Wyong/Woy Woy - Chavsville (especially Wyong)!

Badge

Yes the Central Coast is more like 1hr 30-45. Can you believe I can't remember even though I did it quite a bit? Certainly couldn't remember Woy woy or Uimina - only that it is closer. Many people do , however, commute from the Central Coast - can't say I ever noticed an abundance of bogans when I lived there for 4 months and flitted in and out. I was lucky enough to live in one of the more exclusive areas though.

Looks like Woy Woy, Umina and by defintion, Ettalong, have gone to seed now and the beach towns (on the other side of Gosford) have kept exclusive/overpriced but even further away.

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joho

What are Bogans????

gedge

blackjeanus mulleticus maximus

Sandra

1 hour via train? bus? car? Mixture?

http://www.wilmap.com.au/nswmaps/sydney.html

Houses like others have said, can't say this amount would get much the North Shore near beaches and the train link is not near the beaches. Possibly check the burbs map and compromise on one of your requirements. Not on a train link but I hear Frenchs Forest get good reviews - do you also need schools - public or private?

This is a timetable of some of the services for the Upper North Shore There are other providers for other areas.

http://www.forestcoachlines.com.au/

I live in St Ives and that takes 45 mins on a very good day (school holidays usually) from leaving my door at 7.25 to being dropped in town. Most days that say journey is 1 hr. I tried the same journey taking the car to Gordon Station and parking and then catching the train - 1 hr 15 min and I had to stand.

Transport links are excellent from some areas and crap elsewhere. I know the next burb out from me Terry Hills seems to have a better bus service than ours but then then do not have a regular decent direct bus to the station, which is more useful at weekends to us.

I think it would be wonderful to live in Manly and get the ferry in each morning but I am sure that can be a pain if the ferries are not running or choppy waters?

The mate I work with lives in Gladesville and that is 7km on a map - she leaves at 8.00 in the morning and gets here at 8.50! And that is regular days.

I personally would not live father much North than a couple of stops past Hornsby for the commute on the North Side via the train you will have the odd day over an hour even then. I am counting door to door here at peak times. I can make Hornsby in 40 mins no problem if I can catch the right train but with work commitments and not being able to walk out the door to catch the right bus or train commuting here is as bad as any city you work in.

Check out the bus and train timetables for the areas you might be interested in, there are good internet links for most areas transport.

Obviously I am only talking a very small point of the Sydney comute that I know about from experience. I have also worked with people who work in Chatswood who travel from Cronula and Arncliffe and other areas south and many drove (parking can be expensive if not supplied) and if getting in early and leaving late/early they managed well enough.

Good luck