Howdy,
So moving to Sydney after the last few years in London and Tokyo.
I will be working in the CBD (Liverpool Street), sharing and after somewhere that is exciting, fun and with lots of young people i.e. not too suburban.
Also where do you live in Sydney and what do you like about it ?
Posted Jun 7, 2010, 9:04 AM UTC
[deleted]
The kind of suburb that's full of champagne socialists who vote Greens party and own designer dogs, but have their cars broken into by tweakers who haven't been driven out by the high prices.
Best description ever
Chippendale is nice enough, I lived there for a few years. It is noisy on the street though; I'm still amazed at how quiet the suburbs are at night.
Glebe is pretty good, very close to the the city, a few nice cafes and places to eat. And right next to Sydney Uni
I live in Alexandria. Nice and quiet, good cafes, easy walk to Newtown and Erskineville.
(Public transport is a bit of a pain, though.)
If you live in the Inner city, which is where most of the suggestions are, consider riding a bicycle to work. I think most residents there don’t realise how easy it is to get to the city from… Newtown, Camperdown, Leichhardt, Lillyfield, Marrickville to and from the city (including Liverpool Street).
If you live closer: Surry Hills, Broadway, or the CBD you could probably walk to work. I’m not familiar with Glebe.
I’m not big on cycling advocacy (no really), and even though there is a (by Sydney standards) large concentration of bicycle riders in the Inner West—stereotypically young, poor, university students etc, I think it is still an unappreciated underrated but very logical way of transport. I’ve never worn spandex/Lycra™ in my life.
Yeah i second Glebe. I'm currently at Kirribilli which is a dead zone for young people :p
Mosman here. Its like living in a bubble.
same. moved from newtown. It is fairly tragic here, but a very pretty suburb, and so close to the zoo!
I miss newtown.
I live in the same street as the aforementioned place :S
It's not all bad!
I lived in Glebe for 3 years on St Johns road, nice spot, lots of cafe's & the Different Drummer is a good night spot on Friday's and Saturday nights. But these days I would recommend living around Waverton, Wollstonecraft, Crows Nest area. I just find it to be a little safer at night, while still being reasonable in price and only 15 mins to the city by train or bus (When the trains are running that is).
I also think neutral bay is good/convenient.
It really depends on your idea of fun and how long you want to spend travelling every day.
I currently live in Lilyfield; which after a few years in the backstreets of Newtown, Darlinghurst and Summer Hill - it's refreshing to live somewhere with 'minimal' plane noise, quieter streets and less competitive public transport.
I work in Ultimo, so it's a 15 min bus ride or 10 mins on the tram (which, despite what others have said, is a pretty awesome option if it gets you from a to b - less people, comparable weekly fares and very frequent)
If you want something with more bustle, go for Glebe. Quick commute, close to cafes and markets - but most importantly, within walking distance to cheap supermarkets at Broadway.
Newtown's great for lifestyle, but the buses and trains can be often late and overcrowded and if you're into buses the traffic on King street makes the trip much longer than it should be. You also end up spending a lot of money on the great food rather than cooking it - I've been pretty thankful to have that temptation taken away from me.
Personally, I wouldn't go North of the bridge. I've lived there before and the commute is often gruelling for little social/entertainment reward.
On the safety thing, as a young woman that often finds herself walking home late at night - the only places I've ever had trouble is in the city. The Inner West is no more dangerous than anywhere else - in fact, it's a little safer than the suburbs as there are actually people around most hours.
Finally, I'd suggest getting a place outside of the CBD. I found that it was a constant buzz and very difficult to settle down every night. The apartments are usually much more expensive for much poorer quality and for a 15 minute ride every morning and afternoon, you could instead get out of the city headspace and enjoy your leisure time.
Good luck in finding a great place!
Neutral bay isn't that bad. Same with everywhere close to a ferry warf.
Nice work on getting everyone to disclose where they live.
Yep. The inner west is the place to be. Newtown or any of it's surrounding suburbs should fit your requirements pretty well.
I could never live in Newtown. Too self consciously hip. I occasionally stop by for dinners and to go to the second hand bookstores, but that's it. I think if you live in the Inner West (Newtown etc) you'll find that the trains are a bit of a pain in the arse, they don't run that frequently. Glebe is in a bit of a dead zone too, you'd need to use the tram.
Personally I'd suggest either trying to find a studio in Wynyard (where all the big city firms are), getting a town-house in Surry Hills (pretty trendy area, very central) or getting a place on the lower North Shore (great views, awesome location, where all the bankers live because it's cheaper than the CBD proper and so damn close to everything).
I live in North Sydney, which is on the other side of the Harbour Bridge from the CBD. There's nothing here except a couple of pubs and nightclubs, but the CBD, Crow's Nest (great cafes and stores, trendy without trying too hard) and Chatswood (mega malls and awesome Chinese) are really close. That's what I like the most, central location without a central price tag.
You can check transport times at 131500.info
After living in Tokyo for a few years, expect to be unpleasantly surprised.
The CBD is okay but a bit more expensive not only in terms of rent, but groceries, bars/drinks. Of course it is probably more convenient if that is where you are going to be working.
In Glebe you don't have to get the tram, and personally I wouldn't unless you need to be in the city in a hurry and work along one of the tram stops (because it's expensive and it doesn't go right down into the more central parts of the city like Town Hall/Wynyard). The buses are a bit slow & busy during peak hour though I will admit - especially if you are catching the ones that go up Glebe Point Road. I think if you work in the city from Glebe, walking or biking is probably the best option (& cheapest). You can walk straight through Pyrmont and be in the city in around 30-40 mins (approx 3-4km walking). The bus is fine for most other times (rainy/cold/dark days) and taxis are usually <$20 if you have a night out and miss the last bus.
Some of the other areas suggested are good too though, but it depends on what you're after exactly.
darlinghurst, surrey hills, bondi junction, newtown, enmore, ultimo, thereabouts are all good.
Rent isn't cheap, though.
I don't really live in Sydney, I live in Gosford. Don't move there, please. It may look nice but it's really just Campbelltown with a beach.
Whats wrong with it? Too many bogans?
It really is a different class of people up there.
Face it you moved to sydney because you are a cum drinking fag.
I would say Newtown for you. (newtown really is acctually a conglomerate of newtown, erskinville, enmore, st peters and camperdown.)
It can be a little dingy, but its very alive. Fantastic food, heaps of pubs, very steady night life and a very strong community of mostly young people.
It's quite safe, violent crime is low.
Transport is good, trains are regular, buses are very numerous.
It's really a personal thing though, but a lot of the suburbs around here are either not safe, fun, or cheap. Newtown manages to find a great middle-ground with its own community close enough to the city without being swallowed by it. A lot of people who visit seem not to like it, but since moving here I couldn't live anywhere else.
Other advantages of Newtown:
Great if you're part of a 'subculture'
Great for shopping (vintage wares, op shops, thrift, hardware, technology, music, alternative foods, etc)
GREAT for theatre/music
The art markets. Dear god, yes.
Pretty close to the city (within bike/walking distance)
Close to a good hospital.