Living in Parramatta

[ssiri]

Hi,

My partner and I have just moved from Buck to North Parramatta 3months ago - its close to relatives for my partner (who is Aussie), and a good location for transport, restaurants, events etc. Lots of development going on over here too. Just wondering if there are any other Brits around the place, or close by in surrounding 'burbs?

 

 

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Sounds a lovely location. I've never been

[MARYROSE02]

I work in Parramatta, though I live in Surry Hills, commuting from Central which takes about 20-35 minutes, depending on the train. I leave home by 4.15pm at the latest to get to work for 5pm and I get the 1016pm train back which has a few more stops, arriving at Central about 10.55pm.

I like working there but I'm not sure if I would like to live in Parramatta as most of the development seems to be high rise blocks of flats or offices including the Meriton 55 storey down by the river which is the tallest residential tower in either Sydney or Australia, perhaps even the Southern Hemisphere. Any building of three or less storeys seems to be set for demolition.

Occasionally, after work, I walk down Marsden St across the river and come back up Church Street where all the restaurants are. I didn't like commuting to Penrith which is twice the distance from Central but I preferred Penrith as a place to visit as it is more low-rise and perhaps more human-friendly.

[ssiri]

Hi MaryRose02 and Pom Queen,

Indeed, it is pretty built up around here - Parramatta aspires to be Sydney's second City/CBD. We are closer to the Rosehill side of things, about 10 minutes walks into Parramatta CBD, which provides a lovely view of the CBD without being right in the thick of it.  Yes, the Meriton Apartment complex is huge, and can be seen for miles around - it looks a bit lonely IMHO.  :-). Penrith is a lovely town too, visited some Aussie friends there, for a meal the other week. We live in Parramatta for family reasons, and because of the easy commute to work  - I commute into the Sydney CBD and my partner works about 15 minutes drive away.

There is some good shopping around here in Parramatta, and the restaurants aren't to bad - lots of variety, I've even come across a hairdresser who is a Brit! How long have both of you been in Oz, and are there more Brits about? If you fancy a meet up or if there is a regular Sydney meet up, please give us as shout.

[MARYROSE02]

On 20/04/2017 at 1:30 PM, ssiri said:

Hi MaryRose02 and Pom Queen,

Indeed, it is pretty built up around here - Parramatta aspires to be Sydney's second City/CBD. We are closer to the Rosehill side of things, about 10 minutes walks into Parramatta CBD, which provides a lovely view of the CBD without being right in the thick of it.  Yes, the Meriton Apartment complex is huge, and can be seen for miles around - it looks a bit lonely IMHO.  :-). Penrith is a lovely town too, visited some Aussie friends there, for a meal the other week. We live in Parramatta for family reasons, and because of the easy commute to work  - I commute into the Sydney CBD and my partner works about 15 minutes drive away.

There is some good shopping around here in Parramatta, and the restaurants aren't to bad - lots of variety, I've even come across a hairdresser who is a Brit! How long have both of you been in Oz, and are there more Brits about? If you fancy a meet up or if there is a regular Sydney meet up, please give us as shout.

I only just saw your post, sorry. I'm not as addicted to PIO as I used to be. (Work and uni has made inroads on my time). I first came to OZ in November, 1978, and both of my brothers followed in 1979. The three of us have followed different trajectories although we are all here in Sydney at the moment. I went back to England for a holiday after being retrenched in 1996, and stayed there (near Southampton) for 12 years. One of my brothers moved to the US after 15 years here, and the other one has hardly left OZ at all, having married and had two kids, now adults. He has just moved to Spring Farm, a new build estate near Camden.

Although I love living in Surry Hills I was vaguely thinking of a couple of possible moves, one to Parramatta (after seeing a swimming pool in the block opposite my office in Macquarie Street) so I could walk to work, and the other possible move to Camden to be closer to my brother and his daughter who also lives in Spring Farm. They both have lovely new homes but I don't like the new build estates because they rarely have the facilities I crave within walking distance. I've just been for brekkie with my brother in a cafe 1 minute's walk from my front door. Dozens of pubs, restaurants and cafes are within a few minutes walk as is the station and i have a bus stop outside my door, and Go Get Cars which I am going to join.

There was something in the budget about people over 65 being able to sell their homes (if they have lived in them for more than ten years) and put $300 000 into super. I'm not sure if that applies to me but it might so I'll hold off any possible move for a couple of years.

I'm not sure if I like Parramatta to be honest. There is something sterile and soulless about it, huge blocks going up everywhere and every home or low-rise block being demolished to build more huge blocks. There are blocks going up in Elizabeth St, Surry Hills but they are limited to a height of six stories. Unless Penrith has changed in the last few years (i've not been there since my job ended in Nov, 2014) it has remained more low-rise as has Campbelltown.

You must commute the opposite way to me as I go from Central to Parramatta, which is as quick as 20 minutes on the one stop (Redfern) train. I see that the crane at the top of the 55 storey block has gone. I always thought it looked like someone sticking their bottom out to have a dump. How did they get the crane down without using another crane?

I have plenty of Pommie friends but I don't go out of my way to find them. I was out with some of them last night as it happens in a tequila bar in Surry Hills although I left to join older Aussie friends. I like reading the English papers still and following the football - Tottenham Hotspur - but I no longer seek out fellow Brits. I'm not homesick nor an ex-pat. If I meet Brits I always ask where they come from, why did they come, do they like it (invariably yes because of the weather, lifestyle, etc - I've come across very few Poms or Irish (or any other country for that matter - French for example) who want to go home.)

It can be hard when you first arrive though. I used to hang out with a bunch of young English/Scottish/Irish guys for the first couple of years. Funnily enough I'm still hanging out with a bunch like that - rather flattering to have these young guys texting me "Dave, where are you? We're waiting at the pub - Trinity - for you!"

The other Friday night after work in Parra I met some friends in the Commerical hotel upstairs for a Giants supporters' group meeting to watch their game with St Kilda. The reason I mention it is that would be a good little social group for you to join. It was mostly couples - women love AFL as much as the blokes! I'm not a Giants fan - Swans - but I liked the feel of their camraderie. They had a cosy little spot in the corner of the pub.

Here's the link: (I took the photo) https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=parramatta giants supporter group

Here's another link for you which might provide some ideas for groups to join.

https://www.meetup.com/cities/au/parramatta/

If you want to come and do pub trivia on Wed night at the Strawberry Hills hotel I'll be there this week, (I'm usually at work) and my brother and a couple who come from St Claire. 730pm start.

 

[ssiri]

I only just saw your post, sorry. I'm not as addicted to PIO as I used to be. (Work and uni has made inroads on my time). I first came to OZ in November, 1978, and both of my brothers followed in 1979. The three of us have followed different trajectories although we are all here in Sydney at the moment. I went back to England for a holiday after being retrenched in 1996, and stayed there (near Southampton) for 12 years. One of my brothers moved to the US after 15 years here, and the other one has hardly left OZ at all, having married and had two kids, now adults. He has just moved to Spring Farm, a new build estate near Camden.
Although I love living in Surry Hills I was vaguely thinking of a couple of possible moves, one to Parramatta (after seeing a swimming pool in the block opposite my office in Macquarie Street) so I could walk to work, and the other possible move to Camden to be closer to my brother and his daughter who also lives in Spring Farm. They both have lovely new homes but I don't like the new build estates because they rarely have the facilities I crave within walking distance. I've just been for brekkie with my brother in a cafe 1 minute's walk from my front door. Dozens of pubs, restaurants and cafes are within a few minutes walk as is the station and i have a bus stop outside my door, and Go Get Cars which I am going to join.
There was something in the budget about people over 65 being able to sell their homes (if they have lived in them for more than ten years) and put $300 000 into super. I'm not sure if that applies to me but it might so I'll hold off any possible move for a couple of years.
I'm not sure if I like Parramatta to be honest. There is something sterile and soulless about it, huge blocks going up everywhere and every home or low-rise block being demolished to build more huge blocks. There are blocks going up in Elizabeth St, Surry Hills but they are limited to a height of six stories. Unless Penrith has changed in the last few years (i've not been there since my job ended in Nov, 2014) it has remained more low-rise as has Campbelltown.
You must commute the opposite way to me as I go from Central to Parramatta, which is as quick as 20 minutes on the one stop (Redfern) train. I see that the crane at the top of the 55 storey block has gone. I always thought it looked like someone sticking their bottom out to have a dump. How did they get the crane down without using another crane?
I have plenty of Pommie friends but I don't go out of my way to find them. I was out with some of them last night as it happens in a tequila bar in Surry Hills although I left to join older Aussie friends. I like reading the English papers still and following the football - Tottenham Hotspur - but I no longer seek out fellow Brits. I'm not homesick nor an ex-pat. If I meet Brits I always ask where they come from, why did they come, do they like it (invariably yes because of the weather, lifestyle, etc - I've come across very few Poms or Irish (or any other country for that matter - French for example) who want to go home.)
It can be hard when you first arrive though. I used to hang out with a bunch of young English/Scottish/Irish guys for the first couple of years. Funnily enough I'm still hanging out with a bunch like that - rather flattering to have these young guys texting me "Dave, where are you? We're waiting at the pub - Trinity - for you!"
The other Friday night after work in Parra I met some friends in the Commerical hotel upstairs for a Giants supporters' group meeting to watch their game with St Kilda. The reason I mention it is that would be a good little social group for you to join. It was mostly couples - women love AFL as much as the blokes! I'm not a Giants fan - Swans - but I liked the feel of their camraderie. They had a cosy little spot in the corner of the pub.
Here's the link: (I took the photo) https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=parramatta giants supporter group
Here's another link for you which might provide some ideas for groups to join.
https://www.meetup.com/cities/au/parramatta/
If you want to come and do pub trivia on Wed night at the Strawberry Hills hotel I'll be there this week, (I'm usually at work) and my brother and a couple who come from St Claire. 730pm start.
 

Sorry for not replying sooner, I've only just seen your post. Thanks for the info and the update. I'll check out the web links you provided. [emoji106]. The quiz, is it a regular weekly thing? We might pop down one night, if so.

I think I've got over the initial homesickness, and am slowly settling in - but do miss some things. At the moment I find it a bit intriguing that every one is rugged up in winter coats, scarves and gloves when it's not that cold (even with the wind/breeze). Does it get any cooler in the winter?


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[Toots]

11 minutes ago, ssiri said:

Sorry for not replying sooner, I've only just seen your post. Thanks for the info and the update. I'll check out the web links you provided. . The quiz, is it a regular weekly thing? We might pop down one night, if so.

I think I've got over the initial homesickness, and am slowly settling in - but do miss some things. At the moment I find it a bit intriguing that every one is rugged up in winter coats, scarves and gloves when it's not that cold (even with the wind/breeze). Does it get any cooler in the winter?
  

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Yes it will get colder as this is just the start of winter.  I too used to look at people rugged up when I thought it wasn't THAT cold.  In Sydney I only ever wore a raincoat.  Even after 30 years I never found it cold enough to rug up - not in Sydney anyway - did when going to the Blue Mountains in winter.

[ScottieGirl]

Evenings are cold, around 10c. Which as most houses and many small restaurants do not have heating I found very uncomfortable. I hate being cold.

[ssiri]

Evenings are cold, around 10c. Which as most houses and many small restaurants do not have heating I found very uncomfortable. I hate being cold.

In Britain our home wasn't south facing so I'd feel constantly cold when the sun wouldn't hit it. But here it's the same and even without the insulation, we've only turned the heating on a handful of times / for a couple of hours at a time when my other half needs it (my other half has acclimatised).

It seems to be a different kind of cold to Britain...I'm sure I'll acclimatise soon enough.



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[ssiri]

Yes it will get colder as this is just the start of winter.  I too used to look at people rugged up when I thought it wasn't THAT cold.  In Sydney I only ever wore a raincoat.  Even after 30 years I never found it cold enough to rug up - not in Sydney anyway - did when going to the Blue Mountains in winter.

Good to know. My winter gigs would only come out when the Mercury hits below 5, I'd expect. Currently even 7s and 8s in West Sydney are ok with a spring/autumn jacket on - where as back home I'd be rugged up!


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[MARYROSE02]

The mornings and nights can be cold but the temperature invarably goes up, often to around 20 degrees C. I've got shorts and sandals on at the moment but  when I go out I'll have a coat over my cardigan and a hat on. Yesterday I was cold in the shade but in a pool of sunshine it was almost hot. I have been swimming all year round though not this year and I find the water is cold but not unbearable and provided I am wrapped up with four layers I'm OK.

That quiz I mentioned at the Strawberry Hills is on every Wednesday night except if it clashes with the State of Origin matches. I can't go so much as I'm usually working but my brother goes and the couple I know from St Clair come every week too.

[ssiri]

The mornings and nights can be cold but the temperature invarably goes up, often to around 20 degrees C. I've got shorts and sandals on at the moment but  when I go out I'll have a coat over my cardigan and a hat on. Yesterday I was cold in the shade but in a pool of sunshine it was almost hot. I have been swimming all year round though not this year and I find the water is cold but not unbearable and provided I am wrapped up with four layers I'm OK.
That quiz I mentioned at the Strawberry Hills is on every Wednesday night except if it clashes with the State of Origin matches. I can't go so much as I'm usually working but my brother goes and the couple I know from St Clair come every week too.

That's what I'm finding too, but I think I've got a bit more to go before the scale tips from chilly to cold.... I've been assured it will happen sooner or later[emoji846]

Thanks for the update about the quiz.


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