Christian crawford Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Hi everyone, My wife and I (mid-30s, no kids) are moving to Sydney from the UK in August (2 year work contract) and looking for some advice on best beach neighbourhoods to live. I'm going to be working in Huntingwood in the west of the city but our dream has always been to live in the northern beaches, like Manly. Does anyone have any idea what the daily commute be like from Manly to Huntingwood? Also we'd appreciate any other beach suburb recommendations, Manly is the obvious one but I'm sure there's lots of other great spots! thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Blimey, Manly to Huntingwood would be an horrendous commute. Trip planner is showing two to two and a half hours to get there by public transport. Driving yourself would be awful too and you’d have to pay tolls each way on the M4. Living in the eastern suburbs and commuting from Bondi or Coogee beaches would be slightly quicker but still not something to undertake lightly. I wouldn’t even consider living near the beach if I was in your position. I’d be checking out inner west suburbs to live and just go to the beach at weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian crawford Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share Posted June 23, 2018 4 hours ago, NickyNook said: Blimey, Manly to Huntingwood would be an horrendous commute. Trip planner is showing two to two and a half hours to get there by public transport. Driving yourself would be awful too and you’d have to pay tolls each way on the M4. Living in the eastern suburbs and commuting from Bondi or Coogee beaches would be slightly quicker but still not something to undertake lightly. I wouldn’t even consider living near the beach if I was in your position. I’d be checking out inner west suburbs to live and just go to the beach at weekends. Thanks Nicky, appreciate it. I'll have a car and when I checked google earth it showed it as a 1hr (60km) drive each way, which is just about acceptable. However I haven't checked this route at rush hour, so would that make a big difference to the duration of the commute? Any nice neighbourhoods in the inner west suburbs that you'd recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 What’s your budget? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, Christian crawford said: Thanks Nicky, appreciate it. I'll have a car and when I checked google earth it showed it as a 1hr (60km) drive each way, which is just about acceptable. However I haven't checked this route at rush hour, so would that make a big difference to the duration of the commute? Any nice neighbourhoods in the inner west suburbs that you'd recommend? Traffic in Australian cities isn't as bad as in the UK, but it can still make a huge difference to your trip in rush hour. To give you an example, I used to live in Oatley, which is 20 minutes' drive to the CBD on a quiet evening. In rush hour, it takes an hour on a good day. On a bad day, I've taken over two hours to get to work. Your commute wouldn't be as variable as that, because most of your trip from Manly would be going against the flow of everyone else. The heavy traffic is always from the suburbs INTO the city in the morning, and OUT of the city in the evening. However, I still think your trip would be more like 1.5 hours most rush hours. The inner west has some great neighbourhoods, it's where all the trendy young professionals live. Edited June 24, 2018 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian crawford Posted June 24, 2018 Author Share Posted June 24, 2018 9 hours ago, rammygirl said: What’s your budget? Budget is around $1000-1200 per week. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian crawford Posted June 24, 2018 Author Share Posted June 24, 2018 6 hours ago, Marisawright said: Traffic in Australian cities isn't as bad as in the UK, but it can still make a huge difference to your trip in rush hour. To give you an example, I used to live in Oatley, which is 20 minutes' drive to the CBD on a quiet evening. In rush hour, it takes an hour on a good day. On a bad day, I've taken over two hours to get to work. Your commute wouldn't be as variable as that, because most of your trip from Manly would be going against the flow of everyone else. The heavy traffic is always from the suburbs INTO the city in the morning, and OUT of the city in the evening. However, I still think your trip would be more like 1.5 hours most rush hours. The inner west has some great neighbourhoods, it's where all the trendy young professionals live. Thanks Marisa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxh Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 On 23/06/2018 at 17:32, Christian crawford said: Does anyone have any idea what the daily commute be like from Manly to Huntingwood? I could hazard a guess - bloody awful I'd be surprised if you got away with 90 minutes each way on a good day - plus there will be a fair few tolls to pay which will soon add up. As someone else mentioned, the Inner West might be your best choice. We lived there for a while, and just visited the beach as and when - in fact if we were going for a day, we'd jump on the ferry to Circular Quay, then over to Manly. The ferries are also a great way to travel up to the city for a night out. Manly's lovely - as is most of the Northern Beaches area, but I'd think again about living there with where you'll be working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sualg Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 We live just off the beach at Narrabeen, I commute to St Mary’s in 75mins and my wife to the Olympic Park every day. We have now been doing this since we arrived in Oct last year. I leave at 6;45am for an 8am start. It’s a long commute but no worse than my daily commute in the U.K. i spend a lot of time travelling to and from work but feel its worth it to live right by the beach. There are quite a few of us that do similar trips, so don’t give up on your dream 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian crawford Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 Thanks everyone. We're now looking at Mosman - seems to have a great beach and a bit of a shorter commute. Does anyone know this area and would you recommend it as a nice place to live? We like eating out, an active life (running, swimming etc) and an area with a community feel to it. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxh Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 I think most people would agree that yes, Mosman would be a nice place to live. It's classed as one of Sydney's 'premier' suburbs, and has the price tag to match. Having said that, Military Road is always in the list of 'worst/busiest roads in Sydney', and trying to get a park anywhere near Balmoral beach on a nice weekend is tough. Not an issue if you live near the beach though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 2 hours ago, Christian crawford said: Thanks everyone. We're now looking at Mosman - seems to have a great beach and a bit of a shorter commute. Does anyone know this area and would you recommend it as a nice place to live? We like eating out, an active life (running, swimming etc) and an area with a community feel to it. Mosman is a nice place to live, very handy for the city and plenty of restaurants, cafés etc. It's too Sloane Ranger for me (as is most of the Lower North Shore) but that may suit you for all I know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joebloggs Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 On 28/06/2018 at 07:01, Christian crawford said: Thanks everyone. We're now looking at Mosman - seems to have a great beach and a bit of a shorter commute. Does anyone know this area and would you recommend it as a nice place to live? We like eating out, an active life (running, swimming etc) and an area with a community feel to it. Thanks again. Mosman is very nice, $1000-$1200 pw would get you a 2BR unit, although rather limited as most of the suburb is very large expensive houses. Its closet to Neutral Bay which has plenty of affordable restaurants etc. Commute to Huntingwood by car would be improved from mid 2019 as the M4 east opens, you would cop a hefty daily Toll but luckily over $25 pw of tolls and you wont have to pay rego. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian crawford Posted July 8, 2018 Author Share Posted July 8, 2018 2 hours ago, Joebloggs said: Mosman is very nice, $1000-$1200 pw would get you a 2BR unit, although rather limited as most of the suburb is very large expensive houses. Its closet to Neutral Bay which has plenty of affordable restaurants etc. Commute to Huntingwood by car would be improved from mid 2019 as the M4 east opens, you would cop a hefty daily Toll but luckily over $25 pw of tolls and you wont have to pay rego. Thanks Joe, much appreciated. What do you mean "you won't have to pay rego"? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieRoo Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Rego = road tax. My son is a similar age and used to live close to the CBD as did most of his friends. I can understand why you would want to live near Manly but you will have to put up with a truly hideous commute. If I were your age and wanted to have an enjoyable two years in Sydney, I would get an apartment at Barangaroo. All of the harbour and city stuff on your doorstep including a ferry to Manly. And if you drive to work at Huntingwood you get to travel in the opposite direction to most of the traffic. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joebloggs Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Rego or Car Registration is your road Tax, it’s usually $400-$700 per year depending on the size of the car. if your weekly tolls is more than $25 pw then you won’t have to pay it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sualg Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 27 minutes ago, Joebloggs said: Rego or Car Registration is your road Tax, it’s usually $400-$700 per year depending on the size of the car. if your weekly tolls is more than $25 pw then you won’t have to pay it. Sorry to be a bit off topic. I wasn’t aware you didn’t have to pay rego if your toll fee is more than $25 per. Mine is over $70. How can you reclaim your rego? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joebloggs Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 13 hours ago, sualg said: Sorry to be a bit off topic. I wasn’t aware you didn’t have to pay rego if your toll fee is more than $25 per. Mine is over $70. How can you reclaim your rego? It only started last week https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/toll-relief-–-faqs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tootsie Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 On 23/06/2018 at 17:32, Christian crawford said: I'm going to be working in Huntingwood in the west of the city but our dream has always been to live in the northern beaches, like Manly. Hello Christian This is totally possible. On average, the trip would take you approx one hour. However, Sydney traffic runs on a knife edge, and therefore on any given day, it could possibly take up to two hours. Two hours daily stuck in Sydney traffic gets boring very quickly But to live in such a nice place, then sometimes you have to make sacrifices to achieve it. It is that simple. And if you don't want to make sacrifices, then just move closer to work, or get a job closer to home. But really depends on what time you leave Manly - you would have to leave early to achieve a good run. Because once rush hour traffic (school run) hits, everything grinds to a halt very quickly. I currently live in Bilgola on the Northern Beaches, and it is the most wonderful lifestyle imaginable. I adore living here and don't want to live anywhere else. And I am currently working in Lane Cove. On paper, it looks like a horrendous commute......but it is not. On a good day it takes me 40 minutes door-to-door by car, or 60 minutes by public transport. I don't mind a 40 - 60 minute commute at all (I did a longer one when I lived in the UK). But some people do mind. Just depends on how you feel. I would ignore all the wowsers. And see how it works for you personally. And if you don't like it, then move closer to work. I leave home at 6am to beat rush hour traffic. Leaving home early is the "sacrifice" I make to live in my chosen location. Lucky I start work at 7am, but if I started at 9am, I would simply go to the gym before work to fill in the time. If you want something badly enough (living by the beach) then you will find ways to make it work. Hope it all works out for you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian crawford Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 16 hours ago, Tootsie said: Hello Christian This is totally possible. On average, the trip would take you approx one hour. However, Sydney traffic runs on a knife edge, and therefore on any given day, it could possibly take up to two hours. Two hours daily stuck in Sydney traffic gets boring very quickly But to live in such a nice place, then sometimes you have to make sacrifices to achieve it. It is that simple. And if you don't want to make sacrifices, then just move closer to work, or get a job closer to home. But really depends on what time you leave Manly - you would have to leave early to achieve a good run. Because once rush hour traffic (school run) hits, everything grinds to a halt very quickly. I currently live in Bilgola on the Northern Beaches, and it is the most wonderful lifestyle imaginable. I adore living here and don't want to live anywhere else. And I am currently working in Lane Cove. On paper, it looks like a horrendous commute......but it is not. On a good day it takes me 40 minutes door-to-door by car, or 60 minutes by public transport. I don't mind a 40 - 60 minute commute at all (I did a longer one when I lived in the UK). But some people do mind. Just depends on how you feel. I would ignore all the wowsers. And see how it works for you personally. And if you don't like it, then move closer to work. I leave home at 6am to beat rush hour traffic. Leaving home early is the "sacrifice" I make to live in my chosen location. Lucky I start work at 7am, but if I started at 9am, I would simply go to the gym before work to fill in the time. If you want something badly enough (living by the beach) then you will find ways to make it work. Hope it all works out for you Many thanks Tootsie much appreciated. We decided on Manly and an early start as a sacrifice for the beach life and it’s working out fine so far (6 weeks in). Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 On 08/07/2018 at 14:23, Joebloggs said: Mosman is very nice, $1000-$1200 pw would get you a 2BR unit, although rather limited as most of the suburb is very large expensive houses. Its closet to Neutral Bay which has plenty of affordable restaurants etc. Commute to Huntingwood by car would be improved from mid 2019 as the M4 east opens, you would cop a hefty daily Toll but luckily over $25 pw of tolls and you wont have to pay rego. per week??? are you sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Perthbum said: per week??? are you sure? Yes, per week. When we left Sydney four years ago, you'd expect to pay at least $600 a week for a 2-bed unit in an ordinary suburb. Mosman is pretty upmarket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tootsie Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 On 08/10/2018 at 04:10, Christian crawford said: We decided on Manly and an early start as a sacrifice for the beach life and it’s working out fine so far (6 weeks in). Thanks again! Lucky lucky you Apart from never being able to find a decent parking spot easily...........I LOVE Manly. It has such a great energetic vibe to it. Did the Shelly Beach to Manly Beach walk recently, and it was so pretty. I love the cafe Banana Blossom (Asian salads) there, and I go to a yoga centre there too It would be my second choice over Bilgola Christian - as a matter of interest, how long does it take you on average to get to work each day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian crawford Posted October 13, 2018 Author Share Posted October 13, 2018 16 hours ago, Tootsie said: Lucky lucky you Apart from never being able to find a decent parking spot easily...........I LOVE Manly. It has such a great energetic vibe to it. Did the Shelly Beach to Manly Beach walk recently, and it was so pretty. I love the cafe Banana Blossom (Asian salads) there, and I go to a yoga centre there too It would be my second choice over Bilgola Christian - as a matter of interest, how long does it take you on average to get to work each day? Hi Tootsie, I leave at 6am and usually arrive just before 7, so under an hour. Can take a little bit longer coming home at night depending on when I leave, but rarely more than 1hr 15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 46 minutes ago, Christian crawford said: Hi Tootsie, I leave at 6am and usually arrive just before 7, so under an hour. Can take a little bit longer coming home at night depending on when I leave, but rarely more than 1hr 15. What would it be like if you left it a bit later in the morning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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