The best area / town near Sydney

Fisher1 · August 23, 2014

Hi all

Next time we are in Sydney we want to do a reccie of the housing market.

If you were a planning to migrate on a parent's visa and settle within easy (1-2 hours) reach (preferably on a rail route) of Sydney .... where would you go to find a real community rather than dormitory community, with the chance of making social contacts and finding plenty to do.

Also has to have reasonably priced property i.e. 6- 800,000 Au$

I haven't mentioned Sydney suburbs because I'm assuming they would all be out of our price range but all suggestions gratefully received!

August 23, 2014

I've moved your thread in to the New South Wales section.

I love Newtown, Pyrmont etc but could never afford to live there.

Quoll · August 23, 2014

An hour would be suburbs basically. Train isn't like UK trains - not such a comprehensive network. You could do worse than look around Camden, Bowral, Mittagong and that sort of area. If you're ok with a 2 hr drive you could look at Goulburn - real estate pretty cheap down there as there isn't much employment any more (it's becoming a bit of a dormitory town for Canberra as property is well cheaper).

The Southern Highlands is a nice area, inhabited largely by retirees so lots of retiree type stuff to do

Edited August 23, 2014 by Quoll

MARYROSE02 · August 23, 2014

I don't know where the 'dormitory communities' are in Sydney!. For $600,000 to $800,000, you may as well look around Penrith, and Campbelltown, and perhaps The Central Coast as well, as you will find plenty of nice homes in those areas. Come to think of it, you might get something decent a bit closer to Sydney too.

Work your way through www.domain.com.au with your price range, and see what comes up.

canadianaussie · August 23, 2014

I'd be looking south - Kiama, Gerringong areas. Best part of oz in my opinion.

LKC · August 23, 2014

You could look at Engadine area. Lots of amenities, very family friendly/community orientated, under an hour to Sydney CBD on the train or in the car, and within your budget. Still classed as Sydney metro too. We have been really happy in this area. Other than that I would be looking at a bit further south towards the Illawarra, maybe Kiama as someone else has suggested. Central coast is nice too.

Freckleface · August 24, 2014

If you aren't interested in being close to beautiful beaches you could look at places such as Leura in the Blue Mountains. Trains to Sydney generally run about every 60 mins and more frequently in peak times.

If you like the idea of living near beautiful beaches you should consider Kiama (as others have mentioned). I think to catch a train from Kiama you sometimes have go to the train station where you get a bus from there to Dapto or Wollongong and then transfer to the Sydney train as not all the trains stop at Kiama. Apart from doing part of the trip in the bus it doesn't make much difference as NSW rail provide the buses.

You will find a wonderful sense of community in the Blue Mountains area as well as the Kiama area.

The Southern Highlands (Bowral, Mittagong etc) are also nice but not a patch on the Blue Mountains or Kiama areas IMO.

MARYROSE02 · August 24, 2014

Having more time, later this morning, with no more EPL to watch, I did a search on Domain, in the $600-$800 000 range. I found some properties around my brother's area - Picnic Point/Revesby/Panania/East Hills. Possibly in the top end of your range, but still 'in there!'

I like that area and my brother has been there for twenty five years, raising his family, and now an 'empty-nester'. I think his wife wants to move to Mt Arran area, where their daughter lives. I might do a search there. Come to think of it, Camden has that 'small town ambience', as do, perhaps, Windsor and Richmond, the latter two having raliway stations, both 'Macquarie Towns' too, if you appreciate a little history.

If you are going to be working in Sydney, then the further you move away, the longer you are spending commuting. Just going to Penrith from Surry Hills wears me down, three hours commuting for four hours work. If I was full time, it would mean closer to eleven/twelve hours away from home.

Getting to the bus stop/railway station from your home, maybe having an extra bus journey to the station, or a drive, getting from the station or bus stop at the other end, maybe another bus ride, or changing trains, all add up.

Saturday and Sunday are worse than weekdays now, bloody track work taking the trains 'off line', 'I turned down overtime because the trains were replaced by buses between Blacktown and Central (or was it Blacktown and Penrith?), Soccer Mums and Dads' all on the road. It took me nearly an hour to go 14 kilometres yesteday arvo, from Surry Hills to the M5 at Kingsgrove. Whichever road I turned down seemed to be the same!

It's probably worth looking at suburbs/towns at various times of the day as what seems quiet during the day, might seem like a full car park in the evening, and any streets within easy walking distance of a station are usually stuffed with cars all day.

UNDER OFFER

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[h=3]16a Glenview Ave, Revesby[/h]5 beds, 3 baths, 1 parking

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$749,888[h=5]BRAND NEW Beautiful and 5 bedroom Duplex in heart of Revesby !!![/h]Come and see this beautiful 4 bedroom + study brand new dream Duplex in Revesby. The ground floor comprises entry ha...

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[h=3]15 Valmay Avenue, Picnic Point[/h]3 beds, 3 baths, 2 parking

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$735,000[h=5]Location, Location ![/h]Superbly positioned in a peaceful and sought after cul-de-sac location, this modern duplex home presents an outstanding buying opportuni...

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Chambers Fleming Professionals…

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[h=3]7 Fletcher St, Revesby[/h]4 beds, 1 bath, 2 parking

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$749,000[h=5]SOLD BY LUCY CLARKE - 0407 919 408[/h]Situated in this quiet cul-de-sac is this lovely brick veneer home situated on a great size block of 556sqm (approx) wi...

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[h=3]Milperra[/h]3 beds, 3 baths, 4 parking

$769,000[h=5]BUILDERS OWN HOME[/h]*** DEPOSIT TAKEN *** Nestled on a generous 804sqm parcel of land you will discover this beautiful family abode. Perched high in the ...

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PRDnationwide Riverview

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[h=3]50a Sherwood Street, Revesby[/h]4 beds, 2 baths, 2 parking

Forthcoming Auction[h=5]Less than 1 year old â?? Walk to station[/h]An offering of unquestionable, architectural pedigree, this exceptional master built 4 bedroom residence defines the ultimate in contemp...

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Alliance Real Estate Panania

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3FatCats · August 24, 2014

Hi all

Next time we are in Sydney we want to do a reccie of the housing market.

If you were a planning to migrate on a parent's visa and settle within easy (1-2 hours) reach (preferably on a rail route) of Sydney .... where would you go to find a real community rather than dormitory community, with the chance of making social contacts and finding plenty to do.

Also has to have reasonably priced property i.e. 6- 800,000 Au$

I haven't mentioned Sydney suburbs because I'm assuming they would all be out of our price range but all suggestions gratefully received!

Go to the Blue Mountains! Leura will likely be pricey, but there are plenty of other villages/small towns where your budget will buy a nice property. Train line is OK, drive also not bad, stunning countryside, community spirit, cute houses....actually, this is probably the only area I would consider living if we ever went back to Oz. Do let us know what you decide!

MARYROSE02 · August 24, 2014

Go to the Blue Mountains! Leura will likely be pricey, but there are plenty of other villages/small towns where your budget will buy a nice property. Train line is OK, drive also not bad, stunning countryside, community spirit, cute houses....actually, this is probably the only area I would consider living if we ever went back to Oz. Do let us know what you decide!

It's a long train ride to the city from the likes of Katoomba and Leura. I work with people at Penrith, who live that way, and their travel times are as long as mine, not so bad when we all work at Penrith, but two hours on a train each way must be wearisome, particularly if you have to add on travel to the home station, plus, maybe changing trains at Central/getting on a bus. If you are happy with the commuting, then no problem, and lots of people do it! It's much the same if you live on The Central Coast or in the Wollongong area.

The Blue Mts trains are limited stop between Penrith and Central, but all stops through the Blue Mts. I imagine that driving to Sydney must be at least as bad, and probably worse. I occasionally do drive from Surry Hills to Penrith, which takes a minimum of 65 minutes, usually more, and Parramatta Road is traffic lights Hell until you get to the motorway at Concord.

Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a job in Katoomba, Wollongong, or Gosford, well, that is different!

Kapri · September 22, 2014

Hi all

Next time we are in Sydney we want to do a reccie of the housing market.

If you were a planning to migrate on a parent's visa and settle within easy (1-2 hours) reach (preferably on a rail route) of Sydney .... where would you go to find a real community rather than dormitory community, with the chance of making social contacts and finding plenty to do.

Also has to have reasonably priced property i.e. 6- 800,000 Au$

I haven't mentioned Sydney suburbs because I'm assuming they would all be out of our price range but all suggestions gratefully received!

Newcastle / Lake Macquarie is a great area.

Central coast would be closer - there are some fab areas and some very bogan areas.

September 22, 2014

if your migrating on a parents visa from north wales you would love the Blue Mountains. 1.5 hrs from sydney by rail / train 3 - 4 bd house for $ 500 - $ 900,000 AUD community feel. Fresh air. Bush fire risk in some areas but its Australia. Your gonna get that in a lot of places. All good unless you want to be by the beach then 1.5 hrs up or down the coast for similar lifestyle.

Hi all

Next time we are in Sydney we want to do a reccie of the housing market.

If you were a planning to migrate on a parent's visa and settle within easy (1-2 hours) reach (preferably on a rail route) of Sydney .... where would you go to find a real community rather than dormitory community, with the chance of making social contacts and finding plenty to do.

Also has to have reasonably priced property i.e. 6- 800,000 Au$

I haven't mentioned Sydney suburbs because I'm assuming they would all be out of our price range but all suggestions gratefully received!

Fisher1 · September 22, 2014

Thanks very much everyone, for your opinions. It's really interesting and helpful to know what other people think of the different locations and their drawbacks.

We have already visited the Blue Mountains and its on our list, but intend to visit some of the other places mentioned next time we are out. This is going to be a slow process I think, so we've got plenty of time!!!

Really appreciate the time you all took to reply, especially the estate agent's examples.

Thanks!!!!

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