Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

I like Hornsby :thumbsup: :)

My advice is genuine....I just get a bit uptight that people rule out hundreds of suburbs....it's like they are saying "Mark you did your research, did your reckie, risked everything to buy a place, but you're wrong. You can't possibly be happy living there". All I am saying is that Sydney is HUGE and diverse and people should do their own research and find what suites them, without having their options slashed in (I was going to say one sentence) three words.

We decided we didn't want to work in the CBD, we're not ones for clubbing it every weekend (or any weekend :lol:) & we wanted a lot of space for our $.....so the western suburbs seemed ideal for us.

Think I'll collect up the toys I have scattered from my pram now :rofl:

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

Marrickville is ok, I wouldnt say no if someone bought me a house there. Its not all great but its ok and affordable and is an up and coming suburb so hopefully prices wont drop.

redfern - have to say stay away (and I mean STAY AWAY) but on the very fringes now there are some bargains - you would have to live and understand that area though.

Rent, enjoy, eat out, walk around at 2am then you will find out. Rent somewhere like balmain, paddington, bronte, n shore where you will be pretty safe then go from there. Choice will depend on where you need to go to in the day

Viv

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

Well you've had those well-known voices of experience give their opinions - Syedney (been here about a fortnight), KnockoffNige (been here about three months) and dmpp (been here for a whole five months).

I've lived in Sydney for nearly 30 years and know it quite well. Most of that time I've lived in the eastern suburbs which is undoubtedly the best part of Sydney for:
1. convenience to the city
2. proximity to the harbour and ocean
3. temperate climate
4. shopping, schools, hospitals etc
5. night-life, bars, cafes, restaurants
6. few or zero flies, ticks, bugs, snakes, bushfires etc

That's not to say that other parts of Sydney don't have some of those things too - it's just that the east has all of them.

If you want any night-life - in fact any sense of life at all - do not live in Cherrybrook. It may look flash in the photos but it's the original McMansionland and deep in the bible-belt of the Hills District.

Everywhere in Sydney is a trade-off between desirability and price. Only you can work out how much you're prepared to compromise on either. There are no undiscovered, hidden gems of suburbs that have nice cheap houses yet are close to the city and beaches. There are some areas that are better value than others - but they are mostly the suburbs that you've been told (by people who probably passed thru once, if at all) to steer clear of.

If you're going to be renting, then this your chance to live somewhere really nice. Forget about renting houses (unless you're really rich) and rent an apartment in a nice harbour-side or beach-side suburb. What's the point in being in Sydney and living miles away from everything that makes it great, if you don't have to? :)

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

I half agree with this...Specially the "do your own research"...That's because evryone has thei own definition of ideal place and have different needs in regards where they want to live and how (maybe closer to work, maybe closer o the beaches)...

But I don't agree on focusing solely on crimes alone...And specifically Government figures...These are all massaged accordingly ;)

Anyway, you need to define what's the minimal criteria for where you're going to live:
1) What's your budget?
2) have you got little ones? (wher are the schools etc)

etc...

Good luck

Don't despair...For what's it worth, Sydney is still vastly safer than anywhere in UK!!

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

I've lived in the suburbs below at various times:

Redfern - Areas surrounding Surry Hills Village Shopping Centre is nice and clean. Cleveland St/Crown St - good cafes, restaurants etc. However the downside is it can get very hot and humid in the summer with not much wind.
Avoid areas especially around Redfern train station at all costs as it's next to "The Block" - crime such as muggings, robberies and bashings very common (I never use that station at all). Beware of "strange" people - when I moved into a house on Baptist Street years ago - a man was stalking me, following me to my place etc which went on for 4 weeks (Apparently he used to live in the house before me and had a dispute with flatmate over furniture etc!)

Darlinghurst/Kings Cross - Nice area with lots of old houses but like Surry Hills - very hot and humid, not much wind due to sheltering effect from local hills. Great cafes and restaurants. Lots of nightclubs/clubs on Oxford St (Darlo) but avoid on Friday and Saturday nights - lots of drunken people around causing problems. Very limited residential car parking. Quite a lot of junkies shooting up in streets, alleyways and laneways. People fighting, harassing for money/ciggies and bashings too common. Very unsafe at night on weekends including Friday nights.

Bondi: - I live right in the middle - midway point of Bondi Beach and Junction. 10 minutes walk either way. Can get very crowded and noisy in summer with backpackers/tourists. Catching a bus is a nightmare during the busy season - always full/overcrowded, I just walk to the Junction and back as it's quicker!
Lots of backpackers drink on weekends so expect to hear them shouting at all times. Bondi is usually much cooler than the city/western suburbs which is why I like it here as get frequent cooling winds off the sea whereas the city/west stays uncomfortably hot and steamy. Bronte to North Bondi coastal walk excellent - right next to the sea with views. Beach is ok - crowded which is the price to pay for being so (unfortunately) renowned internationally. Some good cafes/restaurants around. Lots of single/couples with no children. High % of apartments, Bondi is one of the most densely populated places in Sydney/Australia. Westfield Bondi Junction has lots of excellent shops and is one of the biggest centres in Sydney, if not Australia. Proximity to the city for work is excellent too as is Centennial Park - about 10 minutes walk from where I live.

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

[QUOTE=NickyC;7198476]Well you've had those well-known voices of experience give their opinions - Syedney (been here about a fortnight), KnockoffNige (been here about three months) and dmpp (been here for a whole five months).

How rude!!!!:frown: 30 years or 3 weeks its all about personal experience and the people here are just trying to help.

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

Just highlighting the fact that your statements - particularly this one:

were not based on fact or experience - that one doesn't even make sense! - but were made by someone who was effectively just passing through.

FYI most public transport to the suburbs north of Bondi beach go nowhere near it. The main thoroughfare to Double Bay, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Watsons Bay etc is either along New South Head Road or Old South Head Road. Neither of which are close to Bondi Beach. Even if they were, you don't tend to get tourists travelling to the beach at the same times as commuters are travelling (in the opposite direction) to the city. :lol:

I'd hate to think that people could be put off those suburbs because they believed what you said was true. ;)

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

[QUOTE=dmpp;7198618]
LOL!!

You could spend an eternity in one place and never know anything about it...It's not just the timespan...It's also quality and quantity of experience...I am not saying you haven't got any of these...Just saying three weeks/three days mean nothing if all one does is go to work/home back to work...Yippee!! trust me i know few people like that...

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

Well I guess y'all won't be moving to leafy, sleepy little McMahons Point now it's had a SWAT team raid. :lol:

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

:lol:

This made me laugh out loud. You are new to the forum right? If so you are forgiven.
I am the least likely person on this forum to defend where i live in Australia. I cant wait to get out of here for good. Just waiting for husbands spouse visa and we're off!!

I just wont accept incorrect information given to the OP, and giving that wrong information based on a very short experience of an entire area is not helpful, especially when myself, Nicky and other posters have lived here a long time and know it like the back of our hands.

But hey, I dont mind so much, not my problem. Its up to the OP who they choose to believe. :thumbup:

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

[QUOTE=dmpp;7194515] Anywhere north of Bondi will be a nightmire to compute to the CBD due to the number of toursists going to Bondi Beach. Also avoid Redfern.

I (pp) actually agree with dm's comment. Try getting to Bondi/North Bondi/Watson's Bay etc from Bondi Junction on the bus on a Saturday! Trust me, you will get very annoyed when 2,3,4..... buses pass right by as they are full of people (mostly tourists from what I remember) going to the beach (and rightly so).

I have also heard from people I work with (Australians) who live in Bondi/North Bondi that it is a nightmare getting a bus to Bondi Junction Station and back in commuter time.

So NickyC, the comment is based on fact!!!!!

Now can we put this to rest, it's no longer helpful to apia05 and other people arriving in Australia.;)

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

I'll quote you again. You said:

We were were discussing commuting which occurs Monday to Friday. Commuters travel TO the city in the morning and BACK from the city in the evening. Tourists tend to travel in the opposite direction - FROM the city in the morning and BACK to the city in the evening.

We were also discussing people who live north of Bondi.

No-one who lives in Watsons Bay needs to go anywhere near Bondi or Bondi Junction to get to or from the city. They'd catch a bus from Watsons Bay to Edgecliff and get the train from there or take the bus all the way in.

And if people who live in Bondi are having trouble with full buses on a Saturday, then it's hardly a commuting problem is it?

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

[QUOTE=dmpp;7198955]That makes no sense at all. Firstly the reference is to north of bondi, and the second is to commuting to the CBD. Saturday isn't during the work week and north bondi is hardly north of bondi, it's just round the bend.

Having lived in both bondi and bondi juntion (for months not years) I'd say they're ok for first arrival but I wouldn't live there longer term any more but there are some who love it for convenience - there are other nice places in the eastern suburbs (bronte, clovelly if you like beaches), woollahra, bellevue hill, paddington, surrey hills if not. Most of the area north of bellevue is lovely but very pricey exp on the harbour - as is most of the eastern suburbs really.

Northern beaches are also great - I like freshwater/harbord personally on balance of location/commute but as with anywhere on that side you are dependant on ferries/buses. Further north than that the beaches are stunning but there's a commuting issue, although I would love to live in say, Avalon.

As to the rest of Sydney - aside from going out in Newtown/Glebe which are ok but not my thing I don't know it so won't offer an opinion.

As someone else says, best thing to do is find a nice area to rent for intitially (and I think most can agree on the nicer arreas from a first-arrival point of view) and explore from there. Have fun.

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

Bet you're glad you asked now :rofl:

Re: Where to live in Sydney
 

Well, this is a forum after all...:p

It's supposed to generate some debates...

:thumbup: