Caringbah Suburb Review

Grand homes and streets being modernised.

Summary: Formerly home to streets lined with grand old homes from the glory years of the early to mid 1900s, Caringbah like many other higher-end Sutherland Shire suburbs is modernising and losing some of its character. It’s got plenty going for it for families, however, with quality schools nearby, nice leafy roads, peace and quiet, plenty of parkland, and a heavy rail station for city access. There’s not much to actually “do”, in the suburb overall though.

Key stats

One of the old-time heart suburbs of Sutherland Shire, Caringbah is essentially two suburbs in one.

In its northern portion, it’s a place of high-density retail and bits of industry oriented around its train station, while its south is a land of leafy, wide streets dotted with impressive, large-scale freestanding homes. It’s a pleasant all-rounder suburb that’s particularly family friendly, although there’s not much to see or do and distance from the CBD can be a factor.

Caringbah’s a suburb with a face that is gradually changing. Its period-era, multi-decade-old homes are slowly being stripped out one by one and replaced by more modern and minimalistically designed buildings, which simultaneously adds a layer of freshness while stripping it of some of its character.

As with many of the suburbs of Sutherland Shire, living here is all about the extra space you get in return for distance from the city. Nice, wide streets where you can actually park multiple cars outside your house without – *gasp!* – paying are part and parcel to living here, and wide median strips and towering trees line its pathways.

Caringbah has long been quite a prestigious and well-equipped suburb, balancing together house size with convenience courtesy of its central retail area. The suburb has a train station that sees regular services that run on time and provide direct access to Sydney city.

It’s not the fastest of train trips – expect about a 50 minute train ride to Town Hall – but it is reliable. Driving into the city will take around 40 minutes on an average day, so having a roughly equivalent and less-stressful alternative is a bonus.

Its blend of space and services does, however, mean that property prices remain quite high and stable despite its distance from the CBD. The market here has held its strength even despite recent overall downturns in Greater Sydney – as a result, decent 3 bedroom houses still hover around the $1.2 million mark for purchase.

Caringbah offers wide streets with plenty of greenery

Rental prices for apartments are fairly affordable, with a decent 2 bedroom available for less than $500 per week, with a greater concentration of apartment blocks in the northern portion of Caringbah for those looking for high-density accommodation.

Location, Location, Location

The suburb’s physical location is another point in its favour as well. Bordered on either side by the waters of Woolooware Bay and the waterways of Port Hacking, there’s plenty of nice scenery and opportunity for aquatic activities nearby.

In addition, the excellent beaches of Cronulla are only a short trip away and rank amongst the best in the entire Greater Sydney region. It’s a good balance between full-blown suburban life and not being too greatly land-locked like a number of other Shire suburbs further inland, and not having to grapple with the over-crowded beaches further north.

“Bordered on either side by the waters of Woolooware Bay and the waterways of Port Hacking, there’s plenty of nice scenery.”

Caringbah’s most likely going to be of interest as a place to live for families; the chance at a bigger house with a proper yard and more space in general is its major appeal. There’s also a range of great schools at both the high and primary levels to choose from nearby, and enough amenities, dining and hotel/pub for a drink down at the local to round things out.

While there’s some small scale retail in its central area for all standard daily needs, the massive Westfield Miranda complex and its cavalcade of shopping opportunities are just a single train stop – or short drive – away.

The suburb is also home to some great walks, reserves and green spaces, most notably in its southern portion towards Lilli Pilli and Port Hacking.

Standard Suburban Living

Its main downsides as a place to live are its mixture of distance and price, but also that some areas – particularly up north – do also have some elements of shadiness. It can be a little dodgy-feeling, particularly at night around some of the high-density apartment blocks and on its main high street towards the station.

It’s quite safe overall however, and reflects the relatively low crime statistics of Sutherland Shire as a whole.

Lastly, it’s a fairly “vanilla” suburb in terms of there not being much to do – there’s no real single notable highlight or attraction (unless you count high tea in Camelia Gardens as your idea of a “good time”), and its central area is a little bit bland and generic.

The Verdict

Caringbah is a solid choice for families large and small who want the mix of space, greenery and quiet that Sutherland Shire provides without being too disconnected from “true” Sydney. It’s a little on the pricey side considering its distance, however its overall package is pretty, well-equipped and visually appealing.

Younger professionals and/or uni students looking for a good time would likely want to look somewhere further north “across the bridge”, however.