Reviews

Summary: A picturesque and well-groomed suburb spanning back from the banks of the north side of the Parramatta River, Putney is a showcase of just how gorgeous suburban Sydney can be – if you’ve got the money for it. With about as pretty an aspect as one could hope for without directly facing Sydney Harbour, it’s a suburb where the fruits of capital growth are in plain sight. Large, architecturally-designed houses on big blocks, slices of lovely waterfront parkland and highly family-friendly leanings in general, its only major downsides are traffic/access issues, a lack of nightlife, and the general price of admission. Read Review

Summary: Seldom-discussed yet solid all-round, Carlton offers a good blend of peace, access, greenery and choice to make for a suburb that needs to be considered in your Sydney search. It’s in a position that provides access to plenty of different “types” of Sydney nearby while being safe and pleasant in and of itself – and having a decent bit of Euro-influenced character to boot. Freestanding home prices aren’t great, but its apartments and other housing alternatives represent pretty good variety and value overall. Read Review

Summary: Aspirational, peaceful and highly green, Roseville is a high-end North Shore suburb that’s a land of sprawling and manicured gardens largely dotted with impressive Euro-influenced older brick homes. It’s located in a desirable position which provides peace and quiet without sacrificing distance or connectivity from Sydney city, and has a massive shopping counterpart right next door. It’s no surprise, then, that it brings equally massive pricetags, and is not what anyone would ever call “lively” despite some handy amenities. Read Review

Summary: Packed to the brim with a staggering array of housing options small, medium and large, Rouse Hill offers an extensive array of places to live for nearly all life stages and budget levels. Formerly a region of lush pastureland, it’s now a still-mostly-green land of rapid change with nearly every vacant block currently under some sort of development. This has brought with it a massive array of demographic shift, amenities and services for families in particular – a necessity given its access times & traffic issues to and from Sydney city. Read Review

Summary: Walking the line between greenery, value, high-end and working class very well, Kingsgrove is down-to-earth and unpretentious Sydney suburbia in full swing. Boasting good diversity in both property types and people, this is a suburb in which decent proximity to Sydney city comes with personal space and a very good array of amenities. There’s plenty of quality local dining dotted throughout, a solid selection of schools, and enough to see and do to keep things lively. Traffic and price are issues, but it’s quite well-balanced overall. Read Review

Summary: A high-end slice of the “Hills District”, Castle Hill was formerly a secluded and peaceful slice of escapism amongst the greenery for those looking for big, spacious housing blocks outside Sydney. It’s undergone significant change, with the rapid development of its urban centre, Metro connectivity, substantial amenities and an increasing number of highrise apartment blocks changing the landscape entirely. It still offers plenty of space, quality schools and some great views for those with money, but distance from Sydney city combines with the increasing traffic and crowds to dull some of its shine. Read Review

Summary: A suburb of notable contrasts, Homebush is a land where the ‘class gap’ in Sydney is highly evident. The variance in upkeep and atmosphere from one street to the next couldn’t be more different, with graffiti and rubbish-strewn sections on one side of the road and elaborate, stately mansions right nearby – often right alongside each other. It offers some unique features in terms of great sports-oriented parklands and outlet shopping opportunities, and boasts decent connectivity, but it’s got traffic issues, and property prices can be eye-watering for anything outside of a dingy apartment. Read Review

Summary: A very good value option of a suburb for those who like things with a little more space but retaining a touch of grit, Mortdale offers a balanced lifestyle at a pretty good price. Its distance from Sydney city is very manageable, it’s got a decent mix of amenities for daily life, and there’s a good mix of both large and small-sized housing options to cater to all income levels. It’s not particularly exciting or beautiful and it’s lacking in larger-scale shopping options, but as a choice for middle-class people on a non-ridiculous income it’s got everything one could need with a fairly nice community vibe to boot. Read Review

Summary: Dominated by large, impressive houses on big, roomy blocks and with wide and spacious streets to boot, Concord is an immaculately-kept suburb as a whole. The amount of living space on offer here is impressive given its decent proximity to the Sydney CBD, while its central retail and shopping strip is both charming and well-equipped. It’s highly green and family-friendly, too, although its slight disconnect from rail transport (for the time being) is a factor and a lack of high-density apartment options means it’s going to be limited to a select cashed-up demographic as a feasible place to live. Read Review

Summary: Blending together elements of the Inner West and the Canterbury-Bankstown region with obvious strong slices of Greek heritage, Earlwood is a highly family-oriented suburb in which you’re actually likely to know your neighbour’s names. Largely low-density residential homes on big blocks coupled with a gradually gentrifying main shopping & cafe strip, the suburb’s largely quiet and peaceful but also a little rough and ready. Rev-heads in particular seem to love it, and a bit of a disconnect from public transport means you’ll likely be driving to and from here. Read Review