katieoz Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Hi, We are looking to move back to Sydney and have a 4yr old and 3yr old. We will move just before or after my daughter 4yrs starts school in Jan 19 and looking for a family area with a commute to Randwick or Westmead for hospitals. We are looking at the Shire for affordability but wanting somewhere that has good schools with some cafes and facilities nearby. Are there any suburbs anyone can recommend? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Gymea. It's also worth considering the St George area which has similar pricing but closer to town. Oatley has a village feel, but you may struggle to get the kids into the local schools because they are SO popular. Mortdale and Penshurst also worth considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 It depends a bit on your budget. We lived near Engadine (in Woronora Heights) and loved it there. There is a real village-type feel to Engadine, with a central shopping area with a community centre (little high street with bakers, butchers, cafe's, greengrocers, hairdressers, post office etc), a leisure centre with a gym, swimming pools etc, lots of play parks, four really good primary schools (Engadine West - where my kids went, a great school, Marton, Engadine Central and St John Bosco - Catholic), close to but slightly back from the main highway, safe and low crime. There is a train station, it is close to the Royal National Park (for walking, cycling and beaches), and it is easy to reach the south coast area. It is one of the cheaper areas, but house prices have gone up over the past few years. As Marisawright says, Gymea might also suit, or Gymea Bay, but you'll probably find house prices are a bit higher. Gymea is kind of sandwiched between some fairly busy roads, which might not suit you. The shopping area in Gymea has similar things to the one in Engadine. There is a big development going in in Kirrawee, which will increase traffic in the area, but the same is true of most areas of Sutherland Shire to be honest. You could also have a look at Heathcote, which is slightly further out than Engadine. I've not lived there myself, but it is similar to Engadine and the schools are highly though of. If you've any more specific questions, give me a shout. We moved away in September, but it won't have changed that much in the time we've been away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieoz Posted March 5, 2018 Author Share Posted March 5, 2018 2 hours ago, LKC said: It depends a bit on your budget. We lived near Engadine (in Woronora Heights) and loved it there. There is a real village-type feel to Engadine, with a central shopping area with a community centre (little high street with bakers, butchers, cafe's, greengrocers, hairdressers, post office etc), a leisure centre with a gym, swimming pools etc, lots of play parks, four really good primary schools (Engadine West - where my kids went, a great school, Marton, Engadine Central and St John Bosco - Catholic), close to but slightly back from the main highway, safe and low crime. There is a train station, it is close to the Royal National Park (for walking, cycling and beaches), and it is easy to reach the south coast area. It is one of the cheaper areas, but house prices have gone up over the past few years. As Marisawright says, Gymea might also suit, or Gymea Bay, but you'll probably find house prices are a bit higher. Gymea is kind of sandwiched between some fairly busy roads, which might not suit you. The shopping area in Gymea has similar things to the one in Engadine. There is a big development going in in Kirrawee, which will increase traffic in the area, but the same is true of most areas of Sutherland Shire to be honest. You could also have a look at Heathcote, which is slightly further out than Engadine. I've not lived there myself, but it is similar to Engadine and the schools are highly though of. If you've any more specific questions, give me a shout. We moved away in September, but it won't have changed that much in the time we've been away! Hi LKC do you mind if i asked where you have moved to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 @katieoz, I don't mind at all. We moved to Scotland. Nothing to do with the area we were in, it was just time for us to return to the UK. We missed family, the kids were coming up to high school age so it was a kind of now or never moment, and lots of other reasons. We really liked Engadine, the school was great and there were lots of things to do. The girls used to do swimming lessons and gymnastics, we used to do lots of bushwalking, it's close to Miranda for things like the cinema, shopping and restaurants, and also not too far to the airport. OH used to cycle to the train station and then get the train to Hurstville for work. It was just a really lovely little suburb. Slightly apart from the rest of Sutherland Shire, so a bit more laid back, but still convenient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted March 5, 2018 Share Posted March 5, 2018 I don't know if I would like to commute to Randwick or Westmead from anywhere in the Sutherland area. Would it be an hour's drive? Public transport to Randwick would mean train and bus whilst Westmead would mean a long train ride into the city and out again. Gymea to Randwick - 43 minutes / 25 kilometres. by road - minimum 1 hour and 10 minutes by public transport. Gymea to Westmead hospital 55 minutes / 35 kilometres by road and 1 1/2 hours by pubic transport. I just compared it to my own commute from Surry Hills to Parramatta and it sounds about the same by road or train 40 minutes 26km but I know that to drive it would be a hellish experience whatever time of the day. Driving in Sydney is various degrees of horrible. Those times to Randwick and Westmead are at 0930 and the same trip at 0730 would almost certainly be far more unpleasant whether by road or public transport. The interminable light rail work around Anzac Pde and Alison Road might make Randwick an even more unpleasant drive. Will they EVER finish the bloody work?! It has taken them 18 months just to do 100 metres of Devonshire Street between Elizabeth and Chalmers Streets. I drove through Randwick on my way back from South Coogee on Friday, South Coogee/Maroubra would not be a bad commute to Randwick if you could afford it. And Parramatta area would be handy for Westmead. Parramatta is booming now although it's all blocks of units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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