ergomaniac2k Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hi there, We have recently emigrated to Sydney and looking for our first rental property. Our current short list comprises of: - - Chatswood (where I will be working); - Asquith; - St Ives; and - Frenchs Forest Do any of you have any experiences of living in these areas? FYI - We are in our early 30's and have no kids, our interests include, walking, running, cycling and being generally being outdoors. Thanks in advance. Chris and Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Don't k ow Asquith but the others are all perfectly fine areas. Maybe a bit suburban though for a young couple, I would see if you could get a bit nearer to one of the beach suburbs maybe, although would need to drive to work in Chatswood then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 If your Chatswood workplace is within easy walking distance of the railway station, then consider living in Surry Hills in the inner city, where I live, so allow for my bias, but you can find a place walking distance to Central station, and get a train to Chatswood in 20-30 minutes (I'll have to check the rail website.) Of course if you like Chatswood itself, then live there and walk to work, or perhaps get somewhere around North Sydney or Crows Nest or Neutral Bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Franklin Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Hi Chris and Sarah, I've been here 10 years, and moved to the Northern Beaches from the Eastern Suburbs last year. The only thing I regret is not moving here sooner... Since it you sounds like you enjoy the outdoor life, you might want to consider living closer to a beach. To summarise the places you've mentioned: Chatswood: great shopping, on a good train link to the city, densely populated, multi-cultural Chinese (so some great places to eat :-) St Ives: on the same train link to the city, suburban commuter belt, private schools, families Frenchs Forest: half way between Chatswood and the coast, not great public transport (buses), a bit sleepy, large hospital being built and major road upgrade (so probably some disruption in next couple of years) Asquith: sorry, I don't know And a couple of places you might want to consider by the ocean: Manly: Great compromise between the city and the beach - 20 minutes on fast ferry to city, 30 minutes drive to Chatswood (bus service is poor - takes 1 hour), excellent lifestyle (cafes, restaurants, bars) and also busy with tourists in the summer, lots of expats live here, relatively expensive accommodation Narrabeen / Collaroy: surfy village atmosphere, 30 minutes drive to Chatswood (again bus service is poor), 40 minutes bus to city, fewer going out options but more genuine 'Australian' experience (1 cinema, half a dozen places to eat), more families, teens and early twenties - 30 somethings tend to move to city then move back when they settle down, amazing outdoor lifestyle on your doorstep I hope this helps. I live in Mona Vale so am a bit bias toward the beach - was there yesterday and water was so warm :-) Happy to answer any more questions you have. Cheers - Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 We have recently emigrated to Sydney and looking for our first rental property. Our current short list comprises of: - - Chatswood (where I will be working); - Asquith; - St Ives; and - Frenchs Forest Do any of you have any experiences of living in these areas? FYI - We are in our early 30's and have no kids, our interests include, walking, running, cycling and being generally being outdoors. None of those suburbs seem like the right place for a young couple with no kids - far too quiet. I'd second the Northern Beaches idea - I don't suggest it too often to new migrants, because the transport to the rest of Sydney is poor. However, if you're working on the North Shore it becomes feasible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hi Chris and Sarah, I've been here 10 years, and moved to the Northern Beaches from the Eastern Suburbs last year. The only thing I regret is not moving here sooner... Since it you sounds like you enjoy the outdoor life, you might want to consider living closer to a beach. To summarise the places you've mentioned: Chatswood: great shopping, on a good train link to the city, densely populated, multi-cultural Chinese (so some great places to eat :-) St Ives: on the same train link to the city, suburban commuter belt, private schools, families Frenchs Forest: half way between Chatswood and the coast, not great public transport (buses), a bit sleepy, large hospital being built and major road upgrade (so probably some disruption in next couple of years) Asquith: sorry, I don't know And a couple of places you might want to consider by the ocean: Manly: Great compromise between the city and the beach - 20 minutes on fast ferry to city, 30 minutes drive to Chatswood (bus service is poor - takes 1 hour), excellent lifestyle (cafes, restaurants, bars) and also busy with tourists in the summer, lots of expats live here, relatively expensive accommodation Narrabeen / Collaroy: surfy village atmosphere, 30 minutes drive to Chatswood (again bus service is poor), 40 minutes bus to city, fewer going out options but more genuine 'Australian' experience (1 cinema, half a dozen places to eat), more families, teens and early twenties - 30 somethings tend to move to city then move back when they settle down, amazing outdoor lifestyle on your doorstep I hope this helps. I live in Mona Vale so am a bit bias toward the beach - was there yesterday and water was so warm :-) Happy to answer any more questions you have. Cheers - Andrew Pretty good description of all those suburbs, including Narrabeen, where I lived for a while. The only thing I would query is about St Ives, which does not have its own station? I don't know far it is to a station? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi from Manchester Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Of all the places mentioned, I think Narrabeen is gorgeous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Franklin Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 You're right - St Ives doesn't have a rail station. It's about a fairly short drive from St Ives to Gordon, Pymble and Turramurra stations. But definitely worth checking out where to park - here's a link to official parking in the area http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/Services_facilities/Basics/Streets_roads_parking/Parking/Car_parks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelP Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I work in Chatswood. Nothing much there for a couple interested in walking/running/cycling. Little green space or cycling tracks. Lots of Asian restaurants and a Westfield. You might want to consider nearby Lane Cove (more green, including the river park with lots of running cycling options). North Shore is a bit dull for some. St Ives is full of Saffies and MAMIL cyclists (Middle Aged Men In Lycra). Most of the young people in my office live over the other side (inner west etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkyG Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 North Shore is lovely (for families) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harveysowner Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Hey all, Agree with most of above, you have to go a long way to beat 'The Beaches. We came over from the UK just over a year ago and are living in Manly. Can't really fault it, other than the hoards of people that come over on the ferry at the weekends in the summer. As stated above, it very much depends on where you need to be for work, Manly has suited us well as I need to get in to the CBD occasionally and the ferry is ideal for that. There are also decent bus routes out from here too if you need that. For all of your 'down time' activities it pretty much hits the spot too. I am a keen mountain biker, we walk a lot and kayaking has also become a favourite given the amount of water access. If you have cars then anywhere on the peninsula would be spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpingjellybean Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Chatswood (where I will be working) These are my opinions only: Asquith is a good choice. A relativity quick drive down to Chatswood. But super fast on the train. It is near the lovely "country" rural area of Galston and Dural. The bush fire trails around the area make for good outdoor activities (i.e.) has nice scenic bushwalks nearby, and an excellent new mountain bike bush track. It has a decent swimming pool and good shopping area nearby in Hornsby. You are also only about 30 minutes to the beaches of the Central Coast and an hour to The Hunter Valley which has lovely wineries and restaurants. St Ives - very crowded in - quite posh and stuck up Frenchs Forest - horrific traffic very congested - getting to and from Chatswood is terrible. According to Google maps it takes 15 minutes. Maybe it would at 3.00am in the morning! It took me one hour to make this trip last Wednesday and Friday nights. Otherwise somewhere like Mona Vale on the Northern Beaches would be perfect for you. Depends on your rent budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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