trabonita Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Niagra Park, Narara, Wyoming, Lisarow? We are about to embark on our trip to the Central Coast NSW to check out the area and I have a good idea of some areas I want to look at. However, when looking on realestate.com you seem to be able to get a lot more for your money in the above areas, is it because they are more isolated/further from the beach or are they not so nice areas? I'd appreciate any advice on areas to avoid too and I know everyone's tastes are different but there must be areas that are known to be rough? All advice/opinions gratefully received! Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEscapePlan Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi I grew up on the Central Coast, so I know it fairly well. Niagara Park, Narara and Lisarow are all on the train line between Newcastle and Sydney. They aren't very close to the beach, but the good news is that you can easily drive to many beaches from there. You can drive out to the peninsula to Ocean Beach at Umina, or drive to Terrigal in about 15-20 minutes. All are family type areas. Gosford close by has been in a decline since Erina Fair (the massive shopping centre at Erina) was built in the late 1980s. The local government have tried and tried to regenerate Gosford, but to no avail as yet. That has given that end of town a bit of a bad rep in some ways, but Lisarow, Niagara Park and Ourimbah are all fine. Wyoming has a reputation for being a bit rough. I lived there for a year in 1998, and had no trouble at all. If you are planning to commute to Sydney for work, you could also look at Tuggerah, Woy Woy, Umina, Berkeley Vale and Killarney Vale - these are all easy access to train stations. One thing to be aware of is that the trains that stop at the minor stations (Ourimbah to Narara) are all the slow trains. The fast trains will stop Tuggerah - Gosford - Woy Woy etc. Berkeley Vale and Killarney Vale are towards the northern end of the Central Coast, but are decent places to live. Bateau Bay still has some affordable properties - but on the west side, all the ones near the beach have been snapped up. If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me, I'm happy to answer any questions you have. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trabonita Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Thanks you've been really helpful! I might send you a PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEscapePlan Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 If you let me know roughly what your budget/ wants are I might be able to tell you more, because I've kept a close eye on the CC property market. I'd love to go back and live there one day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Personally, I'd avoid West Bateau Bay unless you know it - some streets are good, but some bits are horrible, and you really need to know the area to know where to avoid (my husband has worked all over the coast, and twice had trouble while working in the bad bits of Bateau Bay). East Bateau, on the other hand, is nice. Wyoming is considered not a great place to live, by my friend who lives there, and Berkeley Vale is also a place to suss out before deciding to live there (according to one of my in-laws who owns a house in that suburb). But I guess a lot of that is completely subjective; though I keep my eye on the crime round-up that the local free paper publishes, which lists 8 or so crimes by suburb, and there are some areas that have a definite pattern... In general, the further away you go from the beach, the cheaper property prices tend to be; so you tend to get a bit more for your money. If you're looking at Lisarow, I think it's also worth considering Tumbi Umbi, Ourimbah and Fountaindale. I don't think that Niagara Park is anything special, and neither is Narara, as far I'm concerned (though the friends we have that live at Narara really rate the schools, and for them its train station and proximity to the M1 is really important for commuting). I've got friends who live at Chittaway Bay, and they love it there (though being on the lake carries the risk of flooding from time to time!). The most popular/obvious places to live for people coming from Sydney and overseas are Terrigal, Avoca Beach & North Avoca - and as a result those suburbs are very pricey! Personally, I think there are other suburbs that are at least as pleasant to live and that don't come with the hefty price tag (or Summer tourists!). Happy to respond to a PM if you want any more info. Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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