Dear all,
We are going to be moving to Sydney later this year (August-ish), from the UK, and we are trying to find a place to live. In fact we're trying to find where to start looking, really. I had a quick tour about the inner west suburbs while there last time (for the job interview) and some were pretty nice, and I also had Manly suggested as a viable option (but I haven't seen it). I wouldn't mind the ferry commute, at least for a few months until we (gack) buy a place. I'll be working at the University of Sydney main campus, so I guess we are looking at places on the train line in to Redfern too.
We have two cats, and one baby, so we have to think about child care as well.
We figured on not spending more than $400 a week – is that reasonable?
Does anyone have any ideas where might suit us?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

www.131500.com.au
www.realestate.com.au
www.domain.com.au

will get you started. How big a place do you want and how lively an area?

Just move to a suburb where a rugby league club is present.

No no no, it would have to be union if anything. To be honest, I don't really, ahem, care about rugby... A more salient point would be whether there is a decent tae kwon do club handy.

Then you are going to the wrong city because union is just about as popular in Sydney as throwing marbles! ;D

League rules im afraid!

There is plenty of Union in Sydney including a Super 12 team. Eastern Suburbs has plenty of Union clubs and I am sure there are a few all over Sydney.

BTW The Super 12 game a week ago sold out Aussie Stadium.

Ok, so the part about not really caring about rugby aside ;-), can one get a reasonable place to live in say the Western suburbs, within a 30-40 minute commute to Redfern station, with 2 bedrooms and a garden? For under $450 a week? Or am I barking up the wrong eucalypt?

Whoopee! League gets the highest tv ratings in Aus for any show!

State of Origin dwarfs Stupid 12 and any Aus Wannabies games by half. Anyway how can you live in Bondi and be a unionite? :scared:

I just find League as exciting as watching italian football. Technically excellent but at its worst mind numblingly boring. International rugby union gets as much attention as state of origin. Leagues problem is that it is only a provincial sport.

The biggest participated team sport in Australia is football played with the feet. The football world cup ratings were up there with state of origin and the grand final last year.

With union I like the flow of the game. Champions League football is what I really miss. My bloody shift clashed with it this morning.

You can definitely rent in the west for that price. A 2-br semi in Parramatta can be rented for less than $250 a week - but you don't have to go that far out. For $450 you can be much closer than 30-40 minutes away.

You could get a 2b/r house in Balmain for $350-400, which is a much nicer area and far more central. Checkout Newtown/Rozelle/Drummoyne/Ashfield as well. With a budget of $400 you should be able to get something decent in the inner west. Most rentals for that price closer to the coast would be units, not houses, but there are zillions of 2/br units to rent all along the coastal suburbs for less than $400.

LOL, when where you last in Sydney?
Actually, since the decline of league as a top draw sport, most of the disgruntled former fans have crossed over to the Swans.

Union has always had a huge following, but keep in mind it's considered by most of us Aussies to be a private schoolboy's sport.

Not necessarily true, but that's how it is seen.

Maroubra Junction has a very large Tae Kwon Do (hope thats spelt right) centre, as well as being on the bus to Central/Uni etc. You'll get a 3 bedder for about $400, but not anything less.

A nice house anywhere for under $400 could be tricky if you want an ok commute. Yuo might want to look at splashing a bit more on the rent and save on the train/bus money.

You might look at the Moore Park Gardens end of Redfern (the cafe society low crime end).

I'd suggest for a leafier quieter outlook try Como/Jannali on the main train line to Redfern (about 20 mins tops), also reasonable and closer on the train (though more urban) Hurstville/Carlton/Kogarah.

On the sport front:

The demographic for AFL is very upper/middle class. Ditto the union.
What I would say about union is that they were dead set keen on increasing participation numbers and attendances at games and this hasn't really materlialised post RWC.
The main threat to League will always be AFL from this point on. Rugby just won't take off. There are max 6 home games in the super 12 per season, of which 3 occur before League and AFL have started. There is no free to air TV coverage of this tournament and the cable ratings for the biggest game were 50% of that which a poor league game would get.
That said 'event' games like the Bledisloe rate highly. Beyond Super 12 club rugby is woeful and watched by men walking the dog.
You don't have to like League, but if you live in this town you have to accept it is king in a way that football is back home. And thats not going to change in the short term.

If you go to Melbourne you wouldn't actually believe there is any other sport on the planet apart from AFL.

btw - $75 for the cheapest seat to watch the Socceroos. Are they mad?
That equates to the most exe seat at any Super 12 game, AFL game, and is more expensive than a ticket to the NRL grand final.

Having lived in Sylvania Heights, I'd go along with Jannali/Como as great places to live. Keep in mind that the Cronulla train bypasses them (or did).

Kareela and Oyster Bay are between where I lived and Como. Definitely higher up on the price range (especially Oyster Bay) must you may find something relatively cheaper in Kareela.

I'd take Kareela over Jannali or Como any day, and both of those over Sutherland.

Hurstville and Kogarah etc, are a little older and more established. If you're going to go St. George (that area) you might want to investigate Sans Souci, Blakehurst or maybe Brighton le Sands.

Nice parts of the world.

Before I moved to the US I lived at Summer Hill which is about as "inner western Sydney" as one can get. Very genteel area, full of old brick homes, lots of culture and restaurants and Wests Leagues Clubs (24/7 drinking and gambling! )

It's pretty built up and moving around Summer Hill or Ashfield by car can be an exercise in frustration, but the public transport is more than adequate.

RichS I was going to arrange for a few to go to the Socceroos until I saw the price. Bloody rediculous. Rugby Union has always been and will always be a niche sport. Marketers love the sport because the current fan/participation has a lot of disposable income. Internationals and Super 12 seem to be very popular but after that there is only the regional competitions which are small scale.

The dropping of Super 12 by Channel 7 doesn't surprise me, especially as it was announced after the Wallabies lost the World Cup.

Last year mate I was in Sydney and League is the number One sport in the city. Ok rugby onion fever was climbing all to a giant flop!
League is on the up,maybe you should stop reading the Sydney Morning Herald! A pro union/toffs paper.