Opinions on Abbotsford/Chiswick area?

Hi there,

I have been living and working in Sydney for a year now and am currently exploring various suburbs as I intend to move. At the moment, I live in Kirribilli which is a great suburb but you don´t get a lot of value for money there (ok, not suggesting, Sydney is good value for money anywhere...), most apartments are old, dark and have old appliances. I got lucky as my current apartment has been renovated but it´s still very dark and I decided that I need more natural light

Therefore, I would like to move into a modern apartment, they usually have bigger windows and just have a more "open feel" to it.

I have started to spend my Saturdays exploring various suburbs and inspecting a few apartments. I quite like the area of Zetland and Waterloo, its proximity to the CBD, Centennial Park and Eastern Beaches but some areas of Waterloo/Zetland are not so great for commuting as the train station (Green Square) is often quite a walk. Don´t want to rely on a bus as I work in Wynyard and the commute will probably be painful and slow due to all the construction that is currently going on on George St. So train or ferry would be ideal.

At the same time, I have looked into other suburbs, mainly the Inner West. Quite like the area of Erskineville, however, similar to Kiribilli, small apartments and very expensive.

Not keen on Alexandria, just don´t like the feel of it, very industrial.

Had a look at Rhodes and loved the Waterfront and the look of the new apartments - however, it was just a little too far out for my likings and I found it lacked a bit of atmosphere.

I am a 40 year old, young at heart, female. Not into clubbing but like the convenience of having a few cafes/restaurants/shops nearby.

Love running and nature - so could never move to a built up suburb like St. Leonards or Crows Nest. And not very keen on hipster areas like Newtown - these are the areas I love to visit, but don´t feel the need to live there.

At the moment, I am looking at other suburbs in the inner west (I like Balmain, but similar to Kirribilli, lots of older apartments for $$$) and the area Abbotsford/Chiswick jumped into my eyes. These suburbs seem to have quite a few modern apartments and are right by the water. Ok, no train station - but a ferry wharf which would make the commute a pleasure.

Now, I know I need to go there myself to get a feel for the area but just wondered if anybody can share their views about this area? Too isolated or nice place to live for a single person? Will probably get a car as well.

My budget (ideally for a 2 bdr) is $700 ($750 at a push) and it looks like I would get something fairly decent there.

Any opinions much appreciated!

Both nice but fairly quiet. Leafy and close to water - nice - only local shops and cafes/restaurants. Check the ferry times but to these suburbs up the Parra river the service tends to be quite infrequent and/or slow. Bigger shops at Drummoyne but Victoria Rd makes the main strip there pretty horrible

Agree with you about Rhodes, it's very well connected with the train but it is a bit far out and not really singleton oriented

Consider the north side of Leichhardt and Annandale as well - tons of cafes, restaurants etc in these suburbs and in nearby Glebe. The north side is pretty close to Iron Cove for running and waterfront. May be a shortage of newish flats as well but they do exist.

I'd also consider sticking on the North Shore where you are now and looking at Neutral Bay, Cremorne & Cammeray. There are lots of flats around these areas of all ages and both suburbs have plenty of spots that are close to water/nature/running opportunities even if the main drag along Military Rd is built up.

I lived in Chiswick for a year and a half until July there. It's a nice enough area but there is literally nothing there beside the apartment complex except for a convenience store and an Italian restaurant, albeit a very good one. There are frequent buses and ferries to the city if you want to go for a night out but it gets old after a while.

As already mentioned check out Rozelle/Balmain, Glebe, Neutral Bay. Northern beaches may be worth a look too, Manly etc?

Come to Rozelle/Balmain. Quieter than it used to be but still good pubs, restaurants, cafes. $700 pw will get you something half decent