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.

[Low_VX_Taxi]

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

[Low_VX_Taxi]

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]

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.

[Lost_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

[Scooter79]

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

Until early 2005 I lived in Kingswood. Bit of a dump. There was a public phone box near the front of my place and most nights there was one bogan or another screaming into the phone "Where's my f***** money ya c***. I'm gonna f***** kill ya if ya don't gimme ma money". Then you get the bogan couples screaming at each other from oppostie sides of the main road. God I hate white trash. Two reason why we moved away from Sydney was 1) we were sick of the traffic/lifestyle and 2) real estate prices. We're currently renting a 4 bedroom home, double garage the size of a small workshop under the house and 180 degree views of the ocean and headlands from the front windows, all for $300p/w. We just bought a place of our own and moving in next month. Only 12 years old in a nice area, 4 bedder, double garage 2 living areas and an office for my wife cos she works from home for $380,000. No way in the world could you get that in Sydney nowadays.

On the topic of travel time, on an average day it would take me nearly an hour to get from Kingswood to Westmead during peak hour on the M4 car park (motorway).

[Low_VX_Taxi]

Until early 2005 I lived in Kingswood. Bit of a dump. There was a public phone box near the front of my place and most nights there was one bogan or another screaming into the phone "Where's my f***** money ya c***. I'm gonna f***** kill ya if ya don't gimme ma money". Then you get the bogan couples screaming at each other from oppostie sides of the main road. God I hate white trash. Two reason why we moved away from Sydney was 1) we were sick of the traffic/lifestyle and 2) real estate prices. We're currently renting a 4 bedroom home, double garage the size of a small workshop under the house and 180 degree views of the ocean and headlands from the front windows, all for $300p/w. We just bought a place of our own and moving in next month. Only 12 years old in a nice area, 4 bedder, double garage 2 living areas and an office for my wife cos she works from home for $380,000. No way in the world could you get that in Sydney nowadays.

On the topic of travel time, on an average day it would take me nearly an hour to get from Kingswood to Westmead during peak hour on the M4 car park (motorway).

Speaking of good real estate, my mum n sister are looking near Wollongong for a new house/unit (to buy), the inlaws are looking out near Ulladulla to buy a business and move.

[andrewmac]

For about an hour out of the city you should look at parramatta's outlying areas.
Not parramatta its self but
North parramatta
Northmead
Winston hills
Westmead (Some areas a bit dicey)
Toongabbie
and if moving a little further up Baulkham hills but thats a bit more expensive and trains are not as easily accessible.
Ive lived in Northmead my whole life and have found is not too far from anywhere, its an hour to the city (train) bout 30 min from further out west and plenty of transport and shops around.
Ive also never had a big crime issue either so theres a few decent areas around thats don't cost the world.

[Scooter79]

Have you searched realestate.com.au for rental prices yet? That will be your best indicator.

[ProphetVX]

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

West Ryde has a train station.
As does Pymble.

Both are reasonably priced areas from memory. As for being around $300 I couldn't tell you. Your best bet is checking the surrounding areas for prices on rental sites.

My advice would be if you're looking to drive to work, look at the northern suburbs. Catching the train and you're looking at much cheaper and larger accomodation in the southern suburbs.

[andyman]

no offence but why would you want to live any where near sydney, its the most over crowded, over priced dirty crap hole ive every been too, ive only driven to moorebank and even there i was run off the road by a considerate person who stayed by my side as my lane merged into his

[Scooter79]

no offence but why would you want to live any where near sydney, its the most over crowded, over priced dirty crap hole ive every been too, ive only driven to moorebank and even there i was run off the road by a considerate person who stayed by my side as my lane merged into his

lol... mate, why do you think we packed up and moved to Kiama. My in-laws live at Eastwood (near Ryde) and we're up there every couple of weekends. The longer you stay away the worse the traffic seems when you go back.

[andyman]

lol... mate, why do you think we packed up and moved to Kiama. My in-laws live at Eastwood (near Ryde) and we're up there every couple of weekends. The longer you stay away the worse the traffic seems when you go back.

ive been up there a few times, we usually catch the train from home and go up, about 2 hr, to walk around and look in shops etc, first time was in 2000 around the olympics, it was really good, cleanish, all round good trip,

went up 2 years later and it was disgusting just filthy, impatient, etc, just wasnt a good trip all round dont really wanna do it to soon again,

kiamas nice just pricy lol

[Fekason]

Hi,

It appears your better half is happy to use the train. It is worth noting that trains that start at Emu Plains (one station past Penrith) travel into the city, over the harbour bridge, through North Sydney and on to Hornsby (and perhaps Berowa). The 7:09am from Penrith gets to North Sydney at 8:24 am. The 7:53 am from Hornsby gets to North Sydney at 8:24 am as well.

If the better half getting to work during business hours is the major priority, then it might be a good idea to look along the suburbs on the Penrith/Hornsby line as no train changes would be needed. I would not plan on driving in peak hours.

Check the following link for the train timetables for Sydney:

CityRail - The Timetable

I live at Penrith because I work in the area. It is cheap, and OK if you avoid Kingswood, Lemongrove and parts of Cranebrook (the public housing part).

Glenmore Park is the newest estate in the area. It is OK for drivers, but I find that my passengers get car sick if I drive on the winding roads into and out of there - and I am a relatively sedate driver. It is the last place that I would want to live.

If I were in your shoes, I would try to live somewhere along the Hornsby line. Pymble would be good as it is near Ring Road 3, which gives a relatively straight run to Regents Park. However, it might be relatively expensive.

Good luck

[ProphetVX]

no offence but why would you want to live any where near sydney, its the most over crowded, over priced dirty crap hole ive every been too, ive only driven to moorebank and even there i was run off the road by a considerate person who stayed by my side as my lane merged into his

There's your problem.
You haven't even been close to sydney.

I'd love to live down the coast or up on the central coast for a year or two. Good luck finding a job in my industry there though. Unless you're a coal miner there isn't any money to be made whatsoever down in kiama. The slow lifestyle would be good for a while, but it'd get boring after a few years IMO.

[andyman]

There's your problem.
You haven't even been close to sydney.

I'd love to live down the coast or up on the central coast for a year or two. Good luck finding a job in my industry there though. Unless you're a coal miner there isn't any money to be made whatsoever down in kiama. The slow lifestyle would be good for a while, but it'd get boring after a few years IMO.

ive been in the city a few times walking, ive seen what its like, ive driven to the outskirts once and been to the airport once (wasnt driving),

how much do you spend on petrol a week?, how long does it take to get to and from work? how much does toll roads cost each way, each day? how big a house or flat do you get in a reasonable suburb?

so in other words im saying how much money do you blow each week just living in sydney/melbourne/brisbane etc to do a job with the same amount of pay when you could live 2.5 hours away without the expenditure? (hypotheitcally speaking, not specifically your job but like a bank manager, mechanic, butcher etc)

[andyman]

There's your problem.
You haven't even been close to sydney.

I'd love to live down the coast or up on the central coast for a year or two. Good luck finding a job in my industry there though. Unless you're a coal miner there isn't any money to be made whatsoever down in kiama. The slow lifestyle would be good for a while, but it'd get boring after a few years IMO.

whats your job if you dont mind me asking