My wife, son and will be emigrating to Australia, and we have initially thought about Sydney (my wife has relatives in Sydney), as we figure that there'll be more jobs around in a major city.
However, I have done a lot of reading on these forums and others, and it seems that more people are negative about Sydney than positive. The following things concern us:
* what is public transport like around Sydney?
* what are schools like around Sydney?
* are most of the suburbs quite nice?
* are house prices horrendous in the suburbs? How about renting?
What is nice about Sydney, it surely can't be all bad?!
I think you have to read between the lines a lot on this site. There is tonnes of great advicee from great people on here, but there are also a few knobs kicking around.
We're heading down under in July/Aug. I've been doing loads of research. A lot is going to depend on where you currently live. If you're used to large towns and cities then i think you'll be surprised. If you live in rural england then it propbab;uly wouldld be a shock, but then so would moving to London.
From what I can work out public transport is pretty good, although there can be build ups of traffic if you're driving.
We're going to look at Manly, Mosman, Double Bay, Woolahara initially. Yes property is expensive, but it's one of the majour capitals of the world. We're going to rent until we know it's definitely for us.
Can't answer your question on schools as we don't have kids yet.
For me what's nice about Sydney is being abel to walk along the beach after work. The outdoors livestyle, amazing beaches, the ocean, the people a happy go lucky, the food is great.
Sure it'll be tough adjusting, missing family , and life long friends, but you've got to give it a go if you can!!
Thanks for your reply, very interesting. We currently live in a large town outside of Bristol, so we are used to hustle and bustle, no big deal there.
We are definitely going to rent first, but want to try and rent in the right area- as finding we have rented in the wrong place means ripping our 11 year old out of school yet again and resettling him in another suburb of Sydney.
Let me know how you get on with your suburb searching!
OK if you live near a station, otherwise expect clogged roads/overcrowded buses and expenive tolls. (And remember Sydney is biiig ... 80km to the outer suburbs like Penrith!)
* what are schools like around Sydney?
Depends where you live (state schools) or what you can pay. Some shockers out west.
* are most of the suburbs quite nice?
No, some are dismal, almost ghettoes. But there are plenty of nice ones if you have the moolah.
* are house prices horrendous in the suburbs? How about renting?
Yes, expensive compared to wages. Rental market is very difficult now.
HI, i agree with you that everyone is v negative abt sydney. if your family are there i would certainly base yourselves there. we are currently in brisbane city and when i compare rents/house prices with similar style suburbs in sydney it is not a whole lot more really. Allegedly you can earn more money there as well.
we will probably move down there and having kids i know it is stressful abt pulling them in and out of school. we are looking at coastal areas north of manly (dee why, collaroy)a bit further up. by sea yet far enough out of the city. the schools looked pretty good too although i know it can be difficult to know what to do.
My wife and I have been in Sydney since early January and we’re loving it so far. It’s beautiful, friendly and there is loads going on. Great restaurants, markets, beaches and bars and plenty to keep you busy sports/cinema/music wise. I find it cheaper to live here than Edinburgh for just about everything - clothes are about the same, electronic goods are cheaper, food and restaurants are miles cheaper, books are more expensive (join the library ;) ), booze is more in bars but about the same in bottle shops. It's worth moving to Sydney for a pint of Nelson's Blood in the Lord Nelson alone :D .
We live in Crow’s Nest about 10 minutes north of the bridge, which is a great area with loads of nice restaurants. My journey to/from work is about 25 minutes door to door (we are near a station). Has to be said that the roads look pretty hellish though and when I do drive it’s usually pretty hectic but certainly not as bad as the M25 ;) .
Property is about average price for a big city (way cheaper than London) but there are still some good value purchases in Eastern Subarbs, Inner West and parts of North Shore. If you go further out it’s a good bit cheaper than my personal experience of the UK. Rent is not too bad (we pay 800 quid a month for a modern 1 bedroom with gym, pool etc but we are pretty close to the centre of town) but the process of renting is crazy! It’s not uncommon for about 50 or 60 people to turn up to view a place in one 15 minute slot. You usually have to decide right there and then if you want it or not and get your application in at the first possible opportunity. Repeat viewings or arranging a private viewing are generally not possible.
