Eastern Beaches or Northern Beaches Sydney.

[Dawnlouise]

Hello, I am a 40 year old, young at heart, female surfer, who travels, dives likes a beer and the out doors, social yet loves privacy and I work in the city near Hyde Park as a session stylist for magazines.

I currently live in Maroubra...which is nice, but lacks a social scene...the journey by bus is direct and easy and the beach is quiet. My house is fab, I am not a Bondi type, but I need a bit more as I want to find a base with networks, and was thinking maybe I should pack up bad head to Manly?

Has anyone got any info or advice at all?? I've only lived in Oz 6 months. .

 

Thank you. .

 

Coogee so a no also...rubbish surf.

[Bungo]

I moved to Aus as 40 year old female too (have returned now) and lived further up on the northern beaches (Narabeen, Collaroy) It has a nice cafe culture further north but I don't know that it had a buzzing nightlife (not my interest). I would think Manly would have a bit more of a social scene in the evening.

 

I would be very happy to live in Manly. But as you are so close by, the best thing to do is to just spend a few weekends up there and get a feel for the place.

 

People often say the commute is awful from the northern beaches, I thought it was a very enjoyable commute and I did it every day for five years from much further north than you are thinking.

[Dawnlouise]

You have just answered most of my questions. Thank you....the commute was a worry, it will take longer but I will have more space than a bus gives and more time to wake up.

I don't want a massive social night out but where I am we have one restaurant and one bar....so finding local networks in my suburb is hard.

 

Thank you.

[MARYROSE02]

Move to the inner city. I love swimming but I prefer to drive to whichever beach takes my fancy on the day. Maroubra is a little out of the way, more like eleven kilometres from the CBD compared to seven for Bondi/Bronte/Clovelly/Coogee.Whichever beach you live, you are going to be out of the way to a certain extent.

 

Live in the inner city - Surry Hills in my case - and you can walk to the CBD if you want and bus or train takes your there in a few minutes. If you want to go for a swim after work, it's not that far, or you could use the pool at Prince Alfred Park, which is heated for year round swimming. (I don't actually like swimming pools, and I prefer the likes of Bronte or Red Leaf.)

 

If you move to the Northern Beaches (and I like Narrabeen having lived there on two occasions) you face the same potential problems of being isolated.

[Dawnlouise]

I have been in Oz for 7 months already and I currently live in Maroubra and haven't found the travel to bad, I read on my way home and relax. I surf and dive and moved to Australia to live near the ocean side. I'd rather travel to a beach home than live in a city as I'm a beach girl. I lived on the beach in the Uk. I know if I lived in the city I would become low.....but I just don't know if Manly would be a huge travel experience. Some say it's a nightmare and some say it's a pleasant journey. Bondi for summer looks a bit crazy.. Thank you Maryrose for the info.

[northernstyle]

i'm new too to oz, living in freshwater for the last 3 months. bit like you in that in my 40's like the outdoors, the odd beer, dive and kayak. no surfing but plenty of surfers in this area, freshwater always has surfers out; and queenscliff or curl curl just round the corner. Manly plenty of choices socially. Can't help with whats its like to commute, but see plenty getting the ferry into the city daily. i certainly enjoy taking the ferry rather than the bus into the city, but its does take a little longer.

[MARYROSE02]

I have been in Oz for 7 months already and I currently live in Maroubra and haven't found the travel to bad, I read on my way home and relax. I surf and dive and moved to Australia to live near the ocean side. I'd rather travel to a beach home than live in a city as I'm a beach girl. I lived on the beach in the Uk. I know if I lived in the city I would become low.....but I just don't know if Manly would be a huge travel experience. Some say it's a nightmare and some say it's a pleasant journey. Bondi for summer looks a bit crazy.. Thank you Maryrose for the info.

 

I've always lived close to the beach, and in England we had two, a couple of miles cycle ride, Lepe and Calshot. Maroubra is probably the sort of place where you need to be a local to fit in. I loathe the Seals buillding, and don't understand how that got planning permission as it towers over everything else.

 

My favourite beach at the moment is probably Bronte, which does usually have good surf - it looked big on Tuesday arvo. I am scared of the surf but Bronte has two pools, a natural rock pool, which I stayed away from because even there, the waves looked big, and the 'proper' ocean pool. Most of the Bronte surfers enter the water from the edge of this, which looks more frightening to me than actual surfing, watching them pick their way over the rocks.

 

Bronte does not have a pub, but it does have a cool strip of cafes and restaurants, some of which are licensed, and open into the evening. I think that if you were going in one or other of them on a regular basis, post-surf, you would soon establish yourself as a 'local.' There is also a strip of shops about 500 metres up McPherson Street including a cafe/bar which looks OK. Is it 'Three Blue Ducks?' It's got a good name! At Bronte in summer, I like to sit on the promenade until late in the evening. The people there are a mixture, all ages, locals, families, surfies, backpackers, though there are no hostels there.

[h=3]Honest, Innovative and Local | Three Blue Ducks Bronte and ...[/h]www.threeblueducks.com/

 

 

The closest pub is the Clovelly Hotel, which is pretty popular. The 378 bus goes from Bronte via Bondi Jn to Central, turning left from Liverpool into Elizabeth Street.

 

My other suggestion is Cronulla, as it has a train to the City - just under an hour to Martin Place - there is plenty going on there, and surf beaches. It's just as nasty to park as Bondi, although further up towards Wanda you can usually get a parking place.

 

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[Bungo]

I have been in Oz for 7 months already and I currently live in Maroubra and haven't found the travel to bad, I read on my way home and relax. I surf and dive and moved to Australia to live near the ocean side. I'd rather travel to a beach home than live in a city as I'm a beach girl. I lived on the beach in the Uk. I know if I lived in the city I would become low.....but I just don't know if Manly would be a huge travel experience. Some say it's a nightmare and some say it's a pleasant journey. Bondi for summer looks a bit crazy.. Thank you Maryrose for the info.

 

I just don't get why anyone would say the commute is bad from Manly (although I know they do)! Look at a map, it is hardly any distance. If it were me, I would get the ferry occasionally, but not every day as it takes 30 minutes and then obviously there is the queuing and boarding time. I don't know how long the bus takes, but I have come from two or three times as far and not found it bothersome.

[JockinTas]

I used to live up the hill from Manly at Fairlight. Walked down to the ferry to commute to work every day. Glorious trip.

[MARYROSE02]

I just don't get why anyone would say the commute is bad from Manly (although I know they do)! Look at a map, it is hardly any distance. If it were me, I would get the ferry occasionally, but not every day as it takes 30 minutes and then obviously there is the queuing and boarding time. I don't know how long the bus takes, but I have come from two or three times as far and not found it bothersome.

 

The 30 minute voyage is OK, but the distance you live from the ferry at Manly and the distance you work from Circular Quay could make a signifcant difference to your commuting times. The only time I used the ferry for commuting, I was working at Garden Island Dockyard, which added another half an hour to my commute.

 

DawnLouise works at Hyde Park which is a 15 minute walk or mucking about on the train, one or two stops, to St James or Museum, or the bus up Elizabeth Street. Unless she gets a place overlooking the ferry at Manly, there's another 5, 10, 15 minute walk or even bus ride to get to the ferry terminal, and that all adds up.

 

She gets on the bus at Maroubra and it's a single trip to Liverpool Street, or Elizabeth Street, wherever she has to get off, which is why I thought Bronte, with its 30 minute trip, or Cronulla, with its 50-60 minute train would be suitable. The train from Cronulla is longer, but I think trains are usually more pleasant than buses, and less likely to have to stand up.

I hate commuting which is why I moved to Surry Hills in the first place, though my last job involved my longest ever commute, to Penrith, and again, like the Manly Ferry, it wasn't the actual train trip, but all the mucking about at either end which got me down. Yes, it was a couple of minutes to walk from Penrith to the office, but the train going either got there just after my start time, or I had to wait for 3/4 of an hour, and coming home, there was a half hour wait for the train.

[jumpingjellybean]

I don't want a massive social night out but where I am we have one restaurant and one bar....

 

Personally I don't like Manly, as I find it overbearingly crowded most of the time. Nowhere to find any peace and quite there. And parking and traffic is impossible. But if you can bear all that or indeed thrive on it, then I reckon it would be a great suburb to live in.

 

My favourite Northern Beaches suburb is Mona Vale. The commute into the city is fine. Good by ferry (get bus or drive to Manly then ferry to Circular Quay) and walk up to Hyde Park. A bit longer by car in rush hour traffic. I always leave home before "rush hour" anyway just to beat the crowds, so never really an issue for me.

 

Anyway Mona Vale is a great surfing and diving suburb. Right next door to Newport and Warriewood, two other great surfing beaches. The little village like atmosphere of Mona Vale is brilliant. Friendly I find. Great shops, cafes, restaurants, etc... it has a couple of decent bars/breweries with bands too, if you do want to have a night out. And if I need proper peace and quite, I head to nearby Church Point foreshore which is just so beautiful.

 

Takes about 30 - 45 minutes by car before rush hour to the city. This may seem a little far to you. But the gorgeous laid back lifestyle is worth small sacrifices like this I think. I don't mind a longer commute. Gives me time to catch up on reading, listen to music, watch tv shows or just shut my eyes and veg out.

 

Last week I saw a whale and dolphins frolicking in the shallows whilst I was walking along Mona Vale Beach. And that was followed by a picnic at Newport Beach, followed by the most glorious bushwalk along the cliffs near Whale Beach. Then I recovered at a wine bar at Avalon Beach, before heading home to Palm Beach. So plenty of potential surfing beaches for you to choose from.

 

If I had to live in the inner-city I would choose Surrey Hills. But I much prefer being surrounded by fresh air, sea, national park and wildlife; than crowds and cars.

 

Comes down to personal choice and rent affordability in the end

Edited August 1, 2015 by jumpingjellybean

[Bungo]

Personally I don't like Manly, as I find it overbearingly crowded most of the time. Nowhere to find any peace and quite there. And parking and traffic is impossible. But if you can bear all that or indeed thrive on it, then I reckon it would be a great suburb to live in.

 

My favourite Northern Beaches suburb is Mona Vale. The commute into the city is fine. Good by ferry (get bus or drive to Manly then ferry to Circular Quay) and walk up to Hyde Park. A bit longer by car in rush hour traffic. I always leave home before "rush hour" anyway just to beat the crowds, so never really an issue for me.

 

Anyway Mona Vale is a great surfing and diving suburb. Right next door to Newport and Warriewood, two other great surfing beaches. The little village like atmosphere of Mona Vale is brilliant. Friendly I find. Great shops, cafes, restaurants, etc... it has a couple of decent bars/breweries with bands too, if you do want to have a night out. And if I need proper peace and quite, I head to nearby Church Point foreshore which is just so beautiful.

 

Takes about 30 - 45 minutes by car before rush hour to the city. This may seem a little far to you. But the gorgeous laid back lifestyle is worth small sacrifices like this I think. I don't mind a longer commute. Gives me time to catch up on reading, listen to music, watch tv shows or just shut my eyes and veg out.

 

Last week I saw a whale and dolphins frolicking in the shallows whilst I was walking along Mona Vale Beach. And that was followed by the most glorious bush-walk along the cliffs near Whale Beach. Then I recovered at a wine bar in Avalon (:wink:) before heading home to Palm Beach.

 

If I had to live in the inner-city I would choose Surrey Hills. But I much prefer being surrounded by fresh air, sea, national park and wildlife; than crowds and cars.

 

Comes down to personal choice and rent affordability in the end

 

 

I will always say the commute from the more North Northen Beaches is not so bad, but there is no way on gods earth you can get from Mona Vale to CBD in 30 minutes! It would be 40 minutes at 3am maybe...

 

I was not as far north as Mona Vale and got the bus in at 6.25am (every day for five years) and that took 45 minutes with the benefit of bus lanes, the regular lanes would be jammed even at that time.

[jumpingjellybean]

but there is no way on gods earth you can get from Mona Vale to CBD in 30 minutes! It would be 40 minutes at 3am maybe....

 

Yes there is. I do it quite often.

 

As I said above, it takes about 30 - 45 minutes by car before rush hour to the city.

 

I usually go via the Wakehurst Parkway before (or after) rush hour traffic and on a good run it takes me about 30 minutes to drive from Mona Vale to the CBD.

 

Or occasionally I will drive to Gordon (20 minutes non-rush hour) and then down the Pacific Highway to the CBD (20 mins non-rush hour), so still only 40 mins from Mona Vale into the city.

 

I avoid rush hour traffic wherever possible. I also avoid the other main route via The Spit Bridge as it seems too long winded and congested to me.

 

Between a Sydways street guide book and a car Natsav - I can also avoid any trouble spots by taking back routes.

 

Never underestimate a back route (ohh now that sounds kinky!) :laugh:

 

 

 

[h=1][/h]

[Paul1Perth]

Although I live in Perth I've spent a lot of time in Sydney as our head office is over there. I love Manly and always make a point of getting the ferry over when I've had weekends there. The surf is pretty good, less crowded than Bondi, a lot of room to surf where you can find your own spot, great pubs and cafe's along the foreshore and between the ferry terminal and beach.

 

If you can afford to live there, close to the beach then you are on a winner.

 

Alternatively the post about Freshwater is spot on too. My eldest son competed in surf club comps for a few years and he went over a couple of times to compete in the Freshwater and Manly carnivals. Freshwater is a great spot and you could walk to some busy spots from there.

 

I can recommend the surf clubs as a good spot to meet people with the same mindset. Cheap to join and if you fancy doing your Bronze you get use of the gym, skis, paddle boards and all the other kit. If you don't and just want somewhere to socialise then they are great for that too. Not for profit means cheap beer and food and they are great at weekends.

 

Even if you are just a surfer and diver there will be some people at the surf club with the same interests.

 

Good luck.

[Dawnlouise]

Hiya

So this is what I decided and where I am heading

I found a studio flat, underneath a house on the beach at Narrabeen....when I say on the beach I mean 30seconds to water. The ocean and beach are outside my kitchen window and it's cheap enough to rent alone!!! I can not believe my luck, and yes it's further but as a female who gave up everything to live the surf and beach lifestyle I feel my wish has been granted.

I work in city so won't become isolated. And will live close by all the northern beaches...the bus to manly goes from the back of the house!!!

 

Thank you everyone. Im so glad I asked the advice. . Thank you.

[JockinTas]

Hiya

So this is what I decided and where I am heading

I found a studio flat, underneath a house on the beach at Narrabeen....when I say on the beach I mean 30seconds to water. The ocean and beach are outside my kitchen window and it's cheap enough to rent alone!!! I can not believe my luck, and yes it's further but as a female who gave up everything to live the surf and beach lifestyle I feel my wish has been granted.

I work in city so won't become isolated. And will live close by all the northern beaches...the bus to manly goes from the back of the house!!!

 

Thank you everyone. Im so glad I asked the advice. . Thank you.

 

Sounds absolutely fab! Enjoy :smile:

[jumpingjellybean]

I found a studio flat, underneath a house on the beach at Narrabeen....when I say on the beach I mean 30 seconds to water. The ocean and beach are outside my kitchen window and it's cheap enough to rent alone!!! I can not believe my luck.

 

Wow that sounds brilliant - well done - what a lucky find.

 

Good that you are close to a bus stop too - makes getting to and from work easier.

 

TIP: Running along side The Wakehurst Parkway in Narrabeen, there is a great walking & biking track that goes round the lake. It is called the Narrabeen Lagoon Trail and is a 8.4km loop:

 

http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/general-information/walks-trails-and-bike-tracks/narrabeen-lagoon-brochure-2015online.pdf

 

I have walked part of it only. A great way to exercise when you are not surfing.

 

And you are only ten minutes bus trip away from the great little beach village of Mona Vale; that I recommended previously.

 

Would love to hear how you getting on once settled after move - how you are coping with commute etc.....

 

Good Luck

Edited August 5, 2015 by jumpingjellybean

[Rallyman]

Can only echo what has been said about mona vale great place to live been here just over 2 years now ,often go down to warriewood beach get a coffee and sit on the beach and let the world go buy.

One thing I have noticed is rush hour is getting earlier by the year wakehurst park way is very busy at 5.45 in the morning now, the L90 bus is a good service into the cbd or the 155 to manly and get the ferry.

[Marisawright]

I just don't get why anyone would say the commute is bad from Manly (although I know they do)! Look at a map, it is hardly any distance.

 

You're forgetting the traffic. Commuting from Manly on the bus takes forever in rush hour, because the roads aren't big enough to have a dedicated bus lane and the traffic is often at a standstill.

 

The ferry is the only sensible option and a gorgeous way to start and end the day, but of course it's expensive compared to the bus.

[Bungo]

You're forgetting the traffic. Commuting from Manly on the bus takes forever in rush hour, because the roads aren't big enough to have a dedicated bus lane and the traffic is often at a standstill.

 

The ferry is the only sensible option and a gorgeous way to start and end the day, but of course it's expensive compared to the bus.

 

Please don't tell me what I am forgetting! Why on earth would I forget about traffic in a discussion about commuting for havens sake! Really very patronising. I have commuted into busy cities for 23 years, 5 of which from the northern beaches and I can assure you that I have heard about that traffic stuff.

[Marisawright]

Hiya

So this is what I decided and where I am heading

I found a studio flat, underneath a house on the beach at Narrabeen....when I say on the beach I mean 30seconds to water. The ocean and beach are outside my kitchen window and it's cheap enough to rent alone!!!

 

Sounds like you've found heaven! My niece's husband came to Australia because he loved to surf. He tried various places along the coast but Narrabeen was his favourite place to surf, even though they lived in King's Cross! In fact he loved it so much, they ended up divorced - because he spent all his time on friends' couches in Narrabeen, instead of with his wife or his employer! So if you meet a very tall ginger-haired Scot on the waves, don't say hi from me!

Edited August 5, 2015 by Marisawright

[jumpingjellybean]

One thing I have noticed is rush hour is getting earlier by the year wakehurst park way is very busy at 5.45 in the morning now.

 

Like everywhere really. They say that about 500,000 new people more to Sydney every year and they have to fit in somewhere.

 

About ten years ago, I use to leave home at 7am and there was hardly anyone else leaving my old suburb at that time. Honestly felt like everyone else had been abducted by aliens, and I was the only soul left on earth - it was that quite.

 

Nowadays at 7am that suburb is bumper to bumper with people trying to get out. Does not help there is only one road out of the suburb. Typical Sydney planning - hordes of people have moved into newly built units, but no extra road inter-structure has been put into place.

 

Again never underestimate the power of a back route.

[MARYROSE02]

Hiya

So this is what I decided and where I am heading

I found a studio flat, underneath a house on the beach at Narrabeen....when I say on the beach I mean 30seconds to water. The ocean and beach are outside my kitchen window and it's cheap enough to rent alone!!! I can not believe my luck, and yes it's further but as a female who gave up everything to live the surf and beach lifestyle I feel my wish has been granted.

I work in city so won't become isolated. And will live close by all the northern beaches...the bus to manly goes from the back of the house!!!

 

Thank you everyone. Im so glad I asked the advice. . Thank you.

I am sentimental about Narrabeen because I lived there on two occasions in the 1980's on Pittwater Rd, Lake on one side and ocean in the other. It was the last time we lived together as a family with my parents and brothers.

 

I drive up there every few months to indulge my nostalgia.

 

Maybe arrange a drinks session at the pub which I still want to call Royal Antler but it's long demolished.

 

Go up to Collaroy Plateau and take in one of Sydney's best but relatively unknown views!

[Dawnlouise]

If I see that ginger Scot I will be sure to drop in on him and ruin his surfing day!!!!

I am totally up for a drinking with anyone, who's willing and thanks for the tip at Collaroy...I will have a look.

Three weeks until I am in heaven then!!

Right now I am in a room in a house with 8 people. It's not my style but has served it's purpose. Cheap...and near Maroubra beach..but I am no young kid...and there's a lot to be said for sitting on your couch alone in your pants. Haha.

This time though I will have sunrises and dolphins!!

Argh!!!!!!!

[Dawnlouise]

Thank you everyone.....so much advice.....[emoji173]️