Reviews

Summary: Sydney’s flagship suburb for same-sex pride has come a long way since its dirty past of brothels, drugs and gang activity. While it still has its grittier elements, Darlinghurst now serves as a desirable springboard to city life brimming with restaurants and pubs, with the city just down the street; however it’s very much a matter of sacrificing size for convenience and a little grit, as it’s largely apartment-only living on offer here. Read Review

Summary: This ritzy North Shore Sydney suburb is teeming with wealth, boasting some of the most expensive properties in the region in a desirable location surrounded by greenery, water and some gorgeous slices of beach. Mosman as a suburb is also strangely quite isolated, however, with a disconnect from public transport and a nightmare road renowned for its terrible traffic putting some dampers on its otherwise gleaming facade. Read Review

Summary: An incredibly pretty, charming and surprisingly accessible suburb surrounded by waterfront with a likewise incredibly high barrier to entry, Kirribilli is as beautiful as it is out of reach for the majority of Australian property owners. There’s a reason it was chosen as the site of the governor-general’s house, as its outlooks are some of the greatest Sydney has to offer, and its proximity and connectivity to the CBD are all better than many of its neighbouring or fellow-elite peers. Read Review

Summary: Up-and-coming in terms of both desirability and price, “Ersko” has become a darling of the young professional and hipster communities, with its mixture of easy access to Sydney city, greenery and growing array of cafes, pubs and bars all positive points in its factor. Soaring costs and the effects of gentrification are creeping in, however, and buying a slice of Erskineville life may soon be out of reach of the average income earner – if it isn’t already. Read Review

Summary: An historic and undeniably charming suburb that exudes affluence, Balmain is a lovely slice of land dotted with sandstone-brick buildings dating back to the origins of Sydney. It’s got a lot of character, pockets of greenery, is packed with quality places to eat and drink, and its waterfront views are stunning. A prohibitive pricetag for buyers and terrible commute traffic – plus a disconnect from the heavy rail system – hold it back from being ideal, however. Read Review

Summary: The flagship suburb of the Northern Beaches, Manly is set on a physically striking slice of headland that is renowned for the quality and variety of its lovely beaches. It boasts an airy, open feel that’s far more “tropical” than the core areas of Sydney further south, and has become a magnet for tourists and expats alike due to its bevy of dining and drinking options. Distance from the Sydney CBD and eye-watering property prices hamper its viability somewhat, and thus it largely remains “a nice place to visit” rather than to live for those without very deep pockets. Read Review

Summary: A small suburb in inner Sydney with a heavy “college town” feel, Chippendale oozes convenience with a location that grants it immediate access to a wide array of restaurants & stores, major train stations, a striking new modern parkland, and its main hub of the University of Technology Sydney nearby. It’s bordered by busy roads, dominated by students and largely apartment-style living, however, so families or those who want some extra space may want to look elsewhere. Read Review

Summary: A central Sydney suburb with a difference, Pyrmont is extremely pleasant to walk around and simply “be” in, with its waterfront location and ample parkland feeling overall very vibrant and clean. Its proximity to a huge array of things to see, do and eat just around the corner is a huge plus, while still feeling somewhat separate from the Sydney CBD. High prices for small sized properties, a disconnect from heavy rail, and plenty of ambient noise make it a suburb far more suited to young professionals looking to rent than average families looking to stay, however. Read Review

Summary: A suburb on a main train hub that has popped up seemingly out of nowhere in recent years, Wolli Creek is a centralised concentration of modern high-density apartments that is clean and moderately visually appealing, if a little soulless. It’s heavily Asian-dominated and features plenty of authentic eats close by, and offers speedy access to the Sydney CBD.

The potentially dubious construction quality of its newer highrises makes this a suburb you may likely be better off renting in rather than buying – at least for the time being. Read Review

Summary: A prime example of the trend of inner-city gentrification at work, Surry Hills – a formerly slummy haven for dodgy activity – has over several decades transformed into one of the trendiest and most convenient suburbs in Sydney.

Sitting right on the edge of the CBD and populated with a mixture of hip cafes, cool pubs, startup and established businesses, and terrace-and-tree lined streets, it now ranks as one of the inner city’s most desirable places to live – for the lucky few who can afford it. It’s also not without ongoing crime issues, with one of the highest overall crime rates in the city despite ongoing gentrification. Read Review