[Naom]

Dear all,

My husband has recently got a new job.His work place would be in Paramatta.we would arrive in Sydney in the first week of May'2012

We would like to live in between Paramatta and Sidney city center.I was wondering which suburbs are the best to live in.We have two years old son as well.we intend to put him to a nice preschool right away.

I would appreciate any help
regards
Naom

 

[naoto]

There are plenty. Depends what are you looking for. Indian ? Westmead and Harris park. Family? Summer hill and ash field. Funky and alternative? Newtown, Petersham and Lewisham.
Sydney is as diverse as the world itself. Every suburb has its own character, taste, feel and crowd.

 

[Naom]

We are looking for family secure and safe areas with good pre schools and community.Secondly we dont want to live far away from CBD max 20 minutes by car .
we can pay around 400--500 australian dollars per week.
what would you recommend ?

 

[Guest]

I like westmead, my inlaws live there. Lots of old people but also very family friendly with the childrens hospital right on your doorstep and the huge paramatta park right there.
Not overly expensive either and only 30-50 mins on the train into Sydney depending what train you get. And almost every nationality is catered for because many people live there because they work in the hospital which obviously includes loads of migrants.

 

[Naom]

Thanks for your reply.i really appreciate it.Westmead seems to be a bit far away. i was wondering what could be the best option between CBD and Paramatta ?

 

[naoto]

Ashfield or Summer Hill are probabily your best options. Price is very reasonable. No crime whatsoever. Good schools and close to City and Parra. Both have excellent train network.

 

[Naom]

thanks for the info..I will look into the details.

 

[dunsford5678]

Hi Naom

Take a look at Hunters Hill/Gladesville. A lovely area on the harbour and about 20-30 minutes to the city by bus, car or ferry. The trip to Parramatta will take around an hour.

 

[Naom]

Oh these suburbs really look lovely but unfortunately would be too far from my husband's work place.btw Does these areas have good connection to Paramatta ?

 

[dunsford5678]

Oh these suburbs really look lovely but unfortunately would be too far from my husband's work place.btw Does these areas have good connection to Paramatta ?

There is an M52 bus to Parramatta that takes around an hour. If you want the minimum travel to Parramatta and be 20 minutes from the city then you really need to stick to Summer Hill/Ashfield/Petersham as already recommended. It's not quite as glamorous but perfectly OK, and it's much more within your budget and the trip would only be about 35 minutes to Parramatta.

 

[smartypants]

There are some dangerous crime-ridden suburbs between Paramatta and CBD so be careful. I was told to avoid the areas between Granville and Strathfield - areas like Auburn and Homebush – as well as Redfern, King's Cross and Darlinghurst. You might like Glebe, Rozelle, Balmain but again those would be far from the station. Houses in these areas are oldish, so keep that in mind. If you're up for living in a modern apartment, you might want to try the CBD / Inner City area itself. If you're okay with a 40 min commute, I've also heard good things about the Eastern Suburbs.

Also, keep the path of the airplanes in mind if you're picking a place west of the CBD. If the noise of the planes bothers you, of course.

If you look at the map, the vague rule of thumb is:
East of the CBD is where singles, young couples and surfers live. Places like Woollahra, Double Bay are very upmarket and expensive.
South of the CBD is where the established families live (places like Sutherland Shire).
North of the CBD (across the harbor) is where upper-middle-class and well-to-do families live. North-East is where surfers and beach-dwellers live.
West-Southwest is where the working families live.
West-Northwest is where middle-class families live.

These are not hard boundaries of course. But it is what I was told to go with when looking for a place and where I wanted to live.

$400-$500 a week is a bit low and you will need to go a bit higher for the better places.


Note that I'm new here myself so my knowledge is just what I've heard so far.

 

[joekanga]

Hi guys
I'm coming to Sydney on the 4th of march on a 457 visa. My company told me they are gonna put me up some place near my office for a month so when I get used to the place I can move out and find a place to live by myself. They will also provide me a car. My company's office is situated at Lonsdale Street
Leichhardt‎ New South Wales‎ 2040. I was told its in the suburbs. Which is the best n safe place close to my office where I can get shared flat for the time being, bcoz my wife n daughter will b coming after 4-5 months. Also is there any good school in this area. My daughter goes to grade 8.
Thanks guys
Really appreciate all the info
Joe

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum

 

[joekanga]

Hi all
I'm coming to Sydney on the 4th of march on a 457 visa.
My work address is Lonsdale Street
Leichhardt‎ New South Wales‎ 2040. I was told its in the suburb. Can someone guide me as to which is a nice n safe place to live. My boss said he will put me up for a month till such time I get used to the place n also give me a car. My wife n daughter will come to join me after 4-5 months.
Is there any good school in this area for my daughter she's in grade 7.
Cheers
Joe

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum

 

[Naom]

@ smartypants Dont you think 400 --500 dollars per week is a reasonable amount ? I have seen lots of apartments and houses on net which are even cheaper than this. but again its depends on the area. We just want a house in a secure environment , and close to basic facilities ( schools shopping etc ).
How much should we pay per week to get a house in a nice area ?

 

[Guest]

It really does depend on the area & the house. If you fancy a cupboard size bedroom & your washing machine on brackets over the bath, I've seen it in loads of apartments, in a rough area you can rent for $350!

Something in a nicer suberb which is family friendly could cost you $900 a week!

 

[smartypants]

@ smartypants Dont you think 400 --500 dollars per week is a reasonable amount ? I have seen lots of apartments and houses on net which are even cheaper than this. but again its depends on the area. We just want a house in a secure environment , and close to basic facilities ( schools shopping etc ).
How much should we pay per week to get a house in a nice area ?

It depends on the area, of course. But typically, in any area, you don't want the cheapest ones because they're cheap for a reason. And it also depends on what kind of place you're looking for: 1BR, 2BR, a house, garage-space included or not and so on. Until you come here, stay for a month or so in temporary acco, you're not going to know what the areas are like or the houses and which ones you want to go for.

 

[smartypants]

BTW, another thing to keep in mind is that $500 a week in rent doesn't mean you will pay $2000 a month.

This is how they convert from weekly to monthly:

weekly rent / 7 = daily rent
daily rent x 365.25 = yearly rent (some may use 365 and skip the leap period)
yearly rent / 12 = monthly rent

So: $500 a week ==> $2174 a month