Reviews

Summary: Conveniently located relative to Sydney city, Rosebery is a fairly compact suburb where the old and new collide, and which has a lot of pretty cool stuff packed in to a relatively small space. Its southern portion is a pleasant mix of older low-level homes, local stores and leafy streets, while its northern slice is an extreme example of rapid, high-density urban development.

While it may be tempting to compare it to other suburbs in similar phases of development, Rosebery has far more character and communal atmosphere than most of these, with some other unique offerings that help it stand out. Its prices, slight rail disconnect and some traffic issues are its only real downsides. Read Review

Summary: A suburb for those after a chance at decent-sized living space without compromising on the best possible public transport connectivity to Sydney city, Sutherland is the key access hub of its namesake Shire. It boasts a good mix of home sizes and types, with some lower-priced options due to its abundance of older builds and continual new higher-density modern blocks being added all the time.

It’s not completely “beautiful” as a whole but is mostly green, spacious and has a number of pretty parts, and its central area offers a very solid selection of small-scale local services and food options. It has a handful of slight safety issues and isn’t the most lively of places for nightlife, but is quite well-balanced overall. Read Review

Summary: Formerly one of the true “wild west” suburbs of inner Sydney, in recent years Redfern has substantially – though not fully – had its face changed by the forces of gentrification. Nowadays it’s basically an extension of neighbouring Surry Hills, with a similar burgeoning cafe and pub culture dotted amongst its array of narrow, street-facing terraces and low-rise apartment blocks.

It’s hard to match for convenience with immediate city access and comprehensive public transport, and is highly walkable/bikeable. Redfern’s also still home to significant slices of public housing, an above-average crime rate, can be noisy and traffic-heavy, and retains a mix of quirky demographics from the high and lower ends of socioeconomic society. Read Review

Summary: Walking the line between the array of services of Bankstown and the decent amounts of greenery and personal property space for the price of Padstow, Revesby is a suburb more suited for those who prefer their slice of Sydney suburbia a little more active.

If the likes of Panania or Padstow are a little too boring or ill-equipped for you, Revesby provides an alternative with a lot more in the way of amenities and better transport while sacrificing some slight elements of safety and noise in return. It’s got excellent connectivity and an impressive level of house pride, though a lack of high-density apartments may price out some, and litter is a small black mark presentation-wise. Read Review

Summary: One of the most amenity-rich suburbs in all of Sydney, Hurstville is teeming with options for shopping, dining and services. It’s also one of the most mono-cultural, being home to the highest proportion of residents of Chinese descent of any suburb in Australia.

Combine the two, and you’ve got a suburb with a central area with an always-busy and distinct flavour that’s quite a contrast to the rest of its streetscape – which is mostly residential and home to large, freestanding houses or mid-rise apartment blocks. It’s quite safe, has great public transport connectivity, but can feel hectic and a little unkempt in spots, while multiple new constructions continue to make it even busier. Read Review

Summary: If you’re the type who prefers palm trees over gum trees and spends most of your non-work time wearing lycra, then Cronulla may just be the suburb for you. A highly scenic, nature-oriented seaside suburb with multiple top-notch beaches, life in Cronulla is all about being outdoors and active; it’s essentially a waste to live here otherwise.

With a central hub teeming with many newly-added cafes and eateries and a pretty robust nightlife scene, Cronulla also has slices of extremely high-end living with quiet back streets that cost a very pretty penny. Read Review

Summary: Quiet, conveniently located and heavily residential, Bexley is a bit of a sleeper suburb that’s not often talked about yet offers a surprising dose of upmarket living for a pretty good price. Given its position relative to the Sydney CBD and its overall balance of safety, amenities and home sizes, Bexley is probably still undervalued overall and – while it’s still not “cheap”, being Sydney prices – is worth considering as a slightly-cheaper alternative to neighbouring suburbs that still has good public transport connectivity. Read Review

Summary: A high-end land rich with massive, sprawling homes on expansive blocks and wrapped in slices of semi-tamed Aussie bushland, Beecroft is immensely green, highly peaceful – and appropriately pricey. It’s home to some truly palatial residences with long, gated driveways and three-car-minimum garages, without much high-density living to speak of. It’s safe, clean and highly retiree-and-family-friendly with some great schools on offer, but is also a little lacking in amenities for shopping and has a premium pricetag for somewhere relatively far from Sydney city. Read Review

Summary: Not-quite-Inner-West and not-quite-Western Suburbs, Campsie is a suburb that screams “potential” but is not quite all the way there just yet. There’s the skeleton of a well-balanced and desirable place to live here, with a good physical location that’s well-serviced by public transport, diverse housing options, plentiful amenities, and a range of wide green spaces that are roomy if somewhat unkempt & featureless.

It’s far safer than it used to be and has gentrified in spots, but it still needs a helping of “TLC” and additional maintenance/upkeep to help it reach the best version of itself. Read Review

Summary: Convenient, well-positioned and incredibly well-equipped with amenities, Rockdale isn’t the prettiest suburb in the world but packs a ton into a relatively small space. It boasts good connectivity to the city and elsewhere by both road and rail, and a wide variety of housing types suitable for a range of budgets and lifestyles. It’s also very busy in sections, with its main roads packed with traffic and a continually growing number of apartments adding to its population. It’s also decent value, considering its location. Read Review