Calling All Sydneysiders...

[shaggerz]

Hey guys,

My partner Rebecca has been asked to move to Sydney for work. This is of course an absolutely massive decision for us, so it helps to be as informed as possible before we make the critical decision.

So could anyone who lives in Sydney give us some advice? We are looking at 2 bedroom apartments for preferrably less than $300 a week. What suburbs should we be looking at? Which should we avoid? Rebecca's office would be at North Sydney and (assuming I can get transferred to our Sydney office) mine would be at Regents Park, although that is less critical as my job is field service. We are looking at Penrith or Ryde at the moment.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated thanks guys!

[Torniquet]

i'd be choosing ryde over penrith =)..

i could give a list of suburbs to goto and ones to not goto..but i really wouldnt have a clue about prices of rent and stuff..

I work in regents park acctually, what sort of work do u do?..company?

[shaggerz]

I work for Bytecraft Systems... fixing POS (yes that means "piece of ****" as well as "point of sale") equipment for a few major corporations.

Your "go" and "no go" list would be quite helpful I reckon I wouldnt like to move to some hole where all women are black eyed, bare foot and pregnant

[Scooter79]

I used to live at Penrith. If she's travelling to North Sydney expect to allow up to 3 hours driving time in the morning. Sydney traffic is a nightmare. Thats one reason we left. You might find something around the Hills area for $300p/w but allow up to $20 in road tolls each day getting to and from work. Rent is rediculously expensive. My best advice is look on realestate.com.au and search for rentals in particular suburbs and compare prices. Avoid St Mary's, and Mt Druitt. It's junkieville and your car won't last to long without secure parking. You could end up having to pay upwards of $350p/w for a decent area in 'reasonable' travel time. Might be worth while looking up central coast region if your work is in north Sydney.

[ProphetVX]

Ryde is a 30-40min drive to north sydney in peak hour....
Penrith is at least an hour on sundays. I wouldn't want to even imagine what it's like in peak hour. That motorway is a carpark every morning, and it's not a short drive.

I know which one I'd be choosing. Penrith is the last place I'd consider if I had to work in North Sydney.

For $300 you'd be best looking at around Ryde for northern sydney, Homebush, Rockdale/Kogarah/Hurstville, the Sutherland Shire or Parramatta in southern sydney for a reasonably sized 2 bedroom place around that pricepoint.

All would be within 40-60minutes from Nth Sydney via trains. Hour and a half via car in peak hour.

You may be lucky and find a place around Glebe/Leichardt/Annandale for around $300-350 for a small 2 bedroom place. Which is a 10 minute bus ride into the sydney CBD and a further 10 minute train ride to Nth Sydney from there.

[TTRMC]

Originally Posted by Scooter79

I used to live at Penrith. If she's travelling to North Sydney expect to allow up to 3 hours driving time in the morning. Sydney traffic is a nightmare. Thats one reason we left. You might find something around the Hills area for $300p/w but allow up to $20 in road tolls each day getting to and from work. Rent is rediculously expensive. My best advice is look on realestate.com.au and search for rentals in particular suburbs and compare prices. Avoid St Mary's, and Mt Druitt. It's junkieville and your car won't last to long without secure parking. You could end up having to pay upwards of $350p/w for a decent area in 'reasonable' travel time. Might be worth while looking up central coast region if your work is in north Sydney.

3hrs to get to Sydney from Penrith? u mustve been in the thick of peak hr! I was getting an hour and 45 mins from Katoomba (going speed limit) to Haymarket/Central. But that was at 4am

As stated by Scooter above Avoid:

Mt Druitt
Blacktown (anywhere near mt druitt)
Rooty Hill
Doonside
Wetheril Park (more abandoned cars than a wrecking yard).
Hoxton Park (Lotsa shootings there a few years back)

For a good place near Penrith look at Cranebrook, awesome big houses (nice condition but fairly cheap), good family area but VERY popular. Prob get a 4brm house with 2 car garage n a backyard for $300 p.w.

But yeh if you can find a place nearer to Sydney go for it! peak hour is always a killer if you are working a 9-5 job.... if train its about an hour from Penrith Station to Central. No station at Cranebrook so u would have to get a bus then a train

[TTRMC]

Originally Posted by ProphetVX

Ryde is a 30-40min drive to north sydney in peak hour....
Penrith is at least an hour on sundays. I wouldn't want to even imagine what it's like in peak hour. That motorway is a carpark every morning, and it's not a short drive.

I know which one I'd be choosing. Penrith is the last place I'd consider if I had to work in North Sydney.

For $300 you'd be best looking at around Ryde for northern sydney, Homebush, Rockdale/Kogarah/Hurstville, the Sutherland Shire or Parramatta in southern sydney for a reasonably sized 2 bedroom place around that pricepoint.

All would be within 40-60minutes from Nth Sydney via trains. Hour and a half via car in peak hour.

You may be lucky and find a place around Glebe/Leichardt/Annandale for around $300-350 for a small 2 bedroom place. Which is a 10 minute bus ride into the sydney CBD and a further 10 minute train ride to Nth Sydney from there.

Dont know if you would know but do they have a train station at Ryde? last time I was there there wasnt....

[Julie]

Originally Posted by TwinTurbos ROCK MY CHASIS

3hrs to get to Sydney from Penrith? u mustve been in the thick of peak hr! I was getting an hour and 45 mins from Katoomba (going speed limit) to Haymarket/Central. But that was at 4am

As stated by Scooter above Avoid:

Mt Druitt
Blacktown (anywhere near mt druitt)
Rooty Hill
Doonside
Wetheril Park (more abandoned cars than a wrecking yard).
Hoxton Park (Lotsa shootings there a few years back)

For a good place near Penrith look at Cranebrook, awesome big houses (nice condition but fairly cheap), good family area but VERY popular. Prob get a 4brm house with 2 car garage n a backyard for $300 p.w.

But yeh if you can find a place nearer to Sydney go for it! peak hour is always a killer if you are working a 9-5 job.... if train its about an hour from Penrith Station to Central. No station at Cranebrook so u would have to get a bus then a train

lol I grew up in Cranebrook.. it depends which part of Cranebrook u are looking at theres some real nice areas BUT theres also some real ****holes where I wouldn't have dared to walk through even in the day lol. Keep away from the housing commision ghetto end of cranebrook and you'll be alright.

Glenmore Park is right near Penrith also be worth looking at- although the roads are set out ridiculously and its like getting in and out of a rabbit warren everyday. Its a newer area than Cranebrook, mostly nicer houses but rent was dearer last time I noticed.
Most of the other suburbs surrounding Penrith are much a muchness. I wouldn't go out Mt Druitt/St Marys way. Also Kingswood which is right near Penrith and has a train station but I'd avoid there its a bit of a crap hole.

I can't tell you much about Ryde sorry

[fabz]

so when you thinking of going?

[AttaBoy]

How does it feel like leaving all your friends and family?? Not a good feeling eh??

[shaggerz]

few months I guess fabz

thanks for the advice guys... its helping

My job is field service so I'd be driving around for a living anyway.... no real need to go in to the office every day. Rebecca plans on catching the train and a one hour train ride is acceptable... thats about how long it takes to get the train from Cleveland to Brisbane CBD anyway.

EDIT: Attaboy: thats the thing thats the largest motivating force for me to stay here.

[TurboXS (Pete)]

Not sure of the prices.

Trains go to both North Sydney and Regent's Park but of course it depends on how close to the station your work is. Driving to Regent's Park is fine as you would be going against the traffic if you were in Ryde.

I'd suggest a suburb along the Northern Train Line. Strathfield to Hornsby. One train from these suburbs to North Sydney. Two trains to Regent's Park.

Some places such as West Ryde/Meadowbank also offer buses and ferries to the city.

For a new comer this also means that the city and the coast is not too far away so you can spend your spare time exploring the city or down at the beach. Olympic Park is also close by.

Shopping Centres are everywhere in Sydney so no suburb has any real advantage over another.

Generally fairly safe areas but like anywhere things can and do happen.

[tara1]

West Ryde has a train station, as does Meadowbank. I live near Ryde at the moment, and it's a pretty good place to live, nearly halfway between the city and Parramatta. You should be able to find a 2 bedroom unit in ryde / West ryde for that price, depends on whether you want a garage / carport etc. Getting to the city during peak hour by car is pretty yuck, I'd say the train is the way to go. Hope this helps