Ashfield Suburb Review

Asian-influenced slice of Inner West convenience.

Summary: Ashfield is a well-balanced suburb in the Inner West which boasts good public transport connectivity, school access and overall amenities, as well as a range of housing options. It’s become a darling of the Chinese community and much of its small-scale retail reflects this almost mono-cultural bent, while it also suffers from some significant traffic and parking issues for drivers. It can feel a little crowded and soulless at times, and its price is no longer a major selling point as property prices have continued to climb.

Key stats

Ashfield is a suburb that walks the line between providing enough space to feel truly “suburban” while still containing all the major amenities and city connectivity that make it feel like an extension of Sydney city. It’s quite a strange mix of that signature, red-brick British old home style that’s somehow had a layer of Chinese influenced plopped on top of it, and feels fairly unique as a result.

Initial impressions when walking down its main high street are of it being a sort of “Chinese Newtown”, with its long main shopping avenue along Liverpool Road being the most obvious example.

Double-story storefronts that date back decades and offer a range of family-owned dining options, bakeries, butchers and the like which provide seemingly countless opportunities for a meal, yet its decidedly mono-cultural leanings make this a little bit deceiving.

They’re mostly oriented around Chinese cuisine, with a smattering of the occasional Turkish diner or Japanese (run by Koreans) sushi train, and as a result there’s not much actual diversity in the food on offer. What IS on offer is a ton of convenience – Ashfield has pretty much every kind of shop one could need within its limits, from chemists to doctors/dentists, clothing stores and more.

Its most obvious is the centrepiece of Ashfield Mall, which is much larger and more comprehensive than it seems from outside. It’s quite a good shopping centre in terms of scope – it’s home to a K-Mart, which may not seem like much but is fairly rare as far as dense inner Sydney suburbs go – as well as supermarkets and all sorts of brand stores, and its proximity to public transport make it highly accessible.

The Transporter

Public transport is going to be the main source of Ashfield’s appeal for many. Connected to heavy rail, its station ranks as major enough to garner stops from a number of the limited-stop express trains. This means the prospect of a 15 minute commute to the Sydney CBD is a possibility, while its local trains help round out its schedules and open up more options for exploration.

Bus connectivity here is also quite good, with lines that run in multiple directions through a number of neighbouring suburbs. As always, buses are only as good as the roads they run on however. Unfortunately for Ashfield, while both Parramatta Road and, to a lesser extent, Liverpool Road offer good car access, they’re are also infamous for traffic congestion making commuting by car a pain.

Its main streets are also quite narrow in general, and good luck finding parking if visiting from elsewhere – parking rangers are quite strict in the area at all hours of the day.

Ashfield is convenient, but litter is a problem

One of the other major factors to note is there seems to be a propensity for many locals to simply throw garbage on the streets. It’s not uncommon along the main strip to see discarded trash on the footpaths going ignored, which adds an extra layer of grime that the suburb doesn’t really deserve. There’s also some mild aircraft noise, although nothing in comparison to some of its other surrounding Inner West suburbs which fall more directly under the flight path.

Head into its back areas however, and another side to Ashfield opens up. Many of its residential streets are quite charming – if old – and boast a good mix of solid brick constructions that have stood the test of time with a fair bit of nice greenery mixed in.

“Many of its residential streets are quite charming – if old – and boast a good mix of solid brick constructions that have stood the test of time.”

While its housing blocks trend toward the smaller side, they offer the chance at some extra living space at a location pretty close to the Sydney CBD. Ashfield Park also offers a very large and well maintained public green space with large kids play areas, cricket and rugby facilities, and plenty of shade.

For families, Ashfield is particularly well equipped with an array of schools on offer both within the suburb itself and a short drive away in its neighbours. Both private and public options at both levels of education make it one of the most robust offerings for parents with kids of school-going age, which is a definite plus.

While the suburb boasts a decent blend of older freestanding housing and more modern high density apartments, the mix of both foreign investment and limited availability have made Ashfield no longer as much of a bargain as it used to be. In the past it could be considered as a “budget” alternative to the likes of Summer Hill or Petersham; nowadays, property prices are as high as one might expect from a well-situated Inner West suburb.

There’s not a widespread availability of houses, and a $1.5 million pricetag for an older 3-bedder is a common occurrence. Apartment rentals are more reasonable, with $500 for a 2 bedroom not out of the question and for those commuters who want to base themselves in the Inner West it’s a pretty solid choice.

The Verdict

With a fairly low crime rate, excellent location, its rail connectivity and a good mix of housing types, Ashfield has a lot going for it. It’s a solid choice for families looking for a balanced slice of inner-suburban living, for CBD commuters who want easy access to many of the key Sydney suburbs for dining, work and entertainment, and is really well rounded when it comes to the necessities of daily life.

It’s also very niche in terms of atmosphere and demographic however, and feels like a little bit of an isolated cultural pocket surrounded by other suburbs that otherwise feel quite different. If that “flavour” is one that appeals to you, then it should rank highly on your list of suburbs to consider as its convenience on multiple levels is hard to ignore.