[weaseltron]

Hi everyone!

So I am new to these forums and I must say there is a huge amount of information here, I think I will be working my way through it for a long time!

Im sure there is a thread (or 12) for this question but here goes anyway.

My situation is this:

Myself and my wife will be moving to Sydney very soon. She has a job lined up and I dont, although I do plan on getting one asap.

We are looking to move to a nice, safe area ideal for raising kids. We would like good restuarants, schools, parks, pubs and overall a nice environment for young children to grow up. Our days of nightclubs are finished!

Our budget is probably around the 400-500 per week mark although this can go a little higher if need be. My wife will be working either in the Bankstown or Penrith areas so somewhere with decent transport links (max 1 hour commute by bus/train) would be good to know. I have seen that maybe Bella Visa/Baulkham Hills areas are nice - what is transport like for these places?

I have been reading so much conflicting information that it would be good to know what you guys think. What is the general crime rate in Sydney anyway, compared to say London/Edinburgh or similar?

Thanks in advance for any help, as I say, if this question has been asked many times please point me in the right direction!

 

[Guest]

Well dont live in Penrith lol Bankstown is OK, not somewhere I would want to be as it can be a rough and ready but many people like it.

I love Paramatta, my in laws live in westmead and where I hope we return to in a few years. Westmead is definitely a place for families, huge park, childrens hospital and good schools. Both the suburbs you mention are ok just a little far from public transport if you need that

The train line is pretty good from paramatta up to Penrith and down to the city. Buses are hit and miss everywhere bar the city in Australia.

$500 sounds ok for a nice apartment might go up a bit once you start needing more rooms but you should get 2 possibly 3 bed for that. Look on Real Estate, Property & Homes For Sale - realestate.com.au

Crime, no worse than London but no better just different I'd say. But thats for the city, out in the burbs its much less unless you live in one of the bigger towns with problems, like Penrith!

Great your wife has a job lined up What does she do? What visa are they sponsoring you for?

You can look on here for jobs now so you can see what might be about SEEK - Australia's no. 1 jobs, employment, career and recruitment site

 

[weaseltron]

Hi _shel, thanks very much for the information.

We are at very early stages now so not sure re. visas etc yet. I like to research early though!

If you dont mind me asking, what exactly is wrong with Penrith? I hear a lot of people saying certain areas are rough/dodgy etc, could you expand on this? I think Parramatta looks decent too although again people say avoid it at all costs, any clue why?

What about Glenmore Park around the Penrith area?

Thanks for the help

 

[Guest]

Penrith has a lot of drug crime, biker gangs youth stuff like you'd find in inner cities. Its the biker stuff that gets me, they're shooting each other, control the drugs for huge areas and just not what I would like to live near.

Parramatta in the city in the eve can get a lot of anti social stuff, drinking & drug related stuff but thats only in the city centre and the closest suburbs where most people dont live unless they are from there and usually not working or very low paid etc as the housing is cheap & not so nice to go with it. Bit further away & its fine, you can walk from the city to westmead in 30 mins through the park & its not like that at all.

Penrith is similar in that the further you live from the centre the nicer it is but that distance reaches further. Having to live in the sticks isn't my cup if tea.