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Summary: Mostly known for being home to Sydney Airport, Mascot has become a hotspot for mass, high-density residential development that has markedly changed its face, both for better and for worse. It has such a wide variance in its positive and negative factors – good location, bad traffic, great amenities, plenty of noise, et al – that its appeal as a place to live will likely depend on individual tastes perhaps more than any other suburb in inner Sydney at this point. These wild contrasts between highs and lows make it nothing if not interesting; it’s a living case-study in rapid Sydney urban planning and development. Read Review

Summary: Situated on the outermost fringes of what most would consider Sydney’s “Inner West”, Burwood is renowned for two main things: its range of shopping, and its Chinese community. Amenity-wise, this is one of the most well-equipped suburbs in all of Sydney, with a diverse range of large and small-scale retail, as well as heavy concentrations of restaurants. It’s busy and bustling at most hours of the day in its central portions, while its suburban streets are wider, quieter, and quite expensive. It’s a bit noisy and not exactly diverse, but its location and connectivity both definitely work in its favour. Read Review

Summary: Centrally located and with a diverse mix of people, industry and commerce, Waterloo is fairly well-balanced, yet doesn’t stand out in any one area other than its physical position. Its connectivity and proximity to Sydney city is a major plus, yet it does not boast any outstanding features that would set it aside as a place to live compared to a number of the suburbs which surround it. Traffic and infrastructure issues are a factor, and there are portions of the suburb which remain a little dodgy, although it offers easy access to some good public spaces nearby. Read Review

Summary: A land of long driveways, immaculately-kept gardens, and sprawling grand homes, Killara on the North Shore is an impressive concentration of greenery-draped wealth. Freestanding houses here rank among the upper tier of northern Sydney, however there’s enough of a selection of modern apartments to keep things viable for others at earlier stages of life. It’s leafy, it’s safe, it’s quiet, and it’s not too far a commute from the CBD – as long as you’re happy with not much to do at all in your own backyard, and willing to fork out some cash. Read Review

Summary: Heavy with new constructions and faced with ongoing traffic issues, Alexandria has some challenges to face. It’s a shame, as it boasts an ultra-convenient location for those looking to access the Sydney CBD, has a well-connected rail station nearby, and is a hub for a lot of startup and creative industry types that’s quite cool. Add in a duo of large, great parks and varied food and dining options and there’s plenty to like – if you can deal with its core, base-level cons. Read Review

Summary: Fairly self-contained and with a distinct, charming vibe quite drastically different to its surrounding Inner West suburbs, Summer Hill boasts a cosy, intimate feel with a very communal atmosphere to boot. Oriented around its main village-style shopping street, the suburb is dotted with a range of lovely low-density housing of a number of interesting architectural styles, with streets that present a good balance of greenery versus gentrification.

There’s a heavy heritage feeling here that gives it character, and it’s extremely well positioned in terms of commute and access to Sydney city. All this adds up to highly in-demand housing that brings along with it accordingly high property prices – its only real downside.
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Summary: Situated in a convenient location within easy distance relative to the Sydney CBD, Zetland is a rapidly-developed “pop-up suburb” packed with modern, high-density apartments and with a very modern-day design layout. It mixes together nice public spaces with clean roads and shopping facilities to feel fresh overall.

Almost everything in the suburb is shiny and new, however how long this will last – and the quality of its constructions – remains to be seen. It also faces some major traffic issues, and is quite sterile as a whole while also lacking in character or nightlife.
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Summary: Edgecliff is an inner eastern suburb of Sydney that feels a little like a “bridging” suburb without much individual identity, yet a great centralised location. Sandwiched between the high-end Rushcutter’s Bay and Double Bay and the grit of Kings Cross, it has some positive and negative elements of both. It’s got all the amenities one could need for daily life and good connectivity to the CBD, and those who can deal with a bit of traffic noise can snag themselves a very practical spot within easy reach of multiple attractions, shopping options and career opportunities nearby. Read Review

Summary: A high-end, green and peaceful slice of suburbia, Lindfield’s popularity has grown in recent years with additional modern developments helping to round out what is overall a grand old suburb. It’s highly leafy, clean and visually appealing while still having city connectivity courtesy of its rail line.

It’s also almost utterly lacking in activities and things to see and do, while its large and often impressive housing blocks carry with them prohibitively high purchase prices out of reach for many. Read Review

Summary: An excellent all-rounder of a suburb with close to no major faults, Artarmon addresses so many of the needs one could want in a place to live – to the point that we crowned it #1 on our list of “Sydney’s 10 Most Underrated Suburbs”.

Oriented around a frequently-serviced train station on a main line, with a plethora of both budget and expensive accommodation options, and both bigger-box warehouse type shopping and smaller boutique sections of stores and cafes, it can thus fit the needs of many kinds of residents looking for a home on Sydney’s North Shore. Price of property is its only major limiting factor. Read Review