Families

Summary: Wanting more room to move in the place you live without either being totally disconnected from the CBD or having to pay millions of dollars? Say hello to Panania. Situated on the fringes of Western Sydney, this is a peaceful and largely residential suburb of wide, quiet streets and large, low density houses both old and new. It’s highly family-friendly, quite safe and has enough small-scale shopping and dining to get by, while its rail connectivity is a major bonus. It’s far from exciting, but definitely functional. Read Review

Summary: Fringed by water and offering impeccable views throughout, Drummoyne is a scenic part of Sydney where old and new wealth collide. If you’ve ever wanted to feel poor, this is the suburb to visit, as multi-level mansions and freestanding homes on large blocks dominate with some great angles of the Parramatta River.

It’s highly decked out with amenities along Victoria Road and has pleasant public spaces, while its location provides centralised access to other parts of Sydney. Price and traffic are its main negatives, but it’s otherwise a highly desirable place to live. Read Review

Summary: The suburb with the cool postcode, Penshurst sits in what we consider the “sweet spot” in terms of location in Sydney. It’s not too far south to feel isolated, and sits right next to a busy shopping and retail hub, yet still manages to feel secluded and tucked away regardless. There’s also a distinctly British atmosphere here on its northern side – think men in white playing cricket on the green, and red brick houses fringed by hedges. It might be a little too quiet for some and is lacking in major retail, but the overall livability here is very high. Read Review

Summary: Boasting a lingering Italian influence and with an aspect that mixes together convenience and nature very well, Five Dock is quite distinctive as far as Inner West suburbs go. It’s largely populated by big, low-density freestanding homes with more living space than its peers, it’s highly safe, and its handful of waterfront parks are particularly appealing. Property prices have ballooned with gentrification, traffic isn’t amazing, and it’s a little disconnected from public transport, while aircraft noise can also be a slight factor. Read Review

Summary: A seaside suburb with a “permanent holiday” feel, Sans Souci is sleepy enough to feel like an escape yet well equipped enough to not need to trek elsewhere for daily life. It’s walking distance to slices of beach with some panoramic waterfront views and boasts one of the best foreshore areas of any suburb in what’s still “inner” Sydney. Main roads are right nearby, but it’s awkwardly disconnected from the city via public transport and its popularity as a holiday home area means prices have continued to climb. Read Review

Summary: One of the “gateways” to Sutherland Shire, Como is an upmarket, green suburb which sits perched overlooking the Georges and Woronora Rivers, offering the chance at some impeccable water views. This is a land of boat ownership and outdoor enjoyment, with some excellent public spaces that are a boon for kids and pets alike. It’s pretty, green, quiet and safe, however it’s notably lacking in amenities for shopping and dining, and its distance from main arterial roads offsets its train station’s connectivity to the city a little. It’s also not cheap. Read Review

Summary: Lovely Lilyfield is one of the greener suburbs of Sydney’s Inner West, with a pleasant abundance of spacious public parklands, ovals and other outdoor spaces dotted throughout. Its waterfront portion on the Parramatta River is particularly gorgeous, and abuzz with families and singles alike. Its location is also convenient, with the city not far away, and large homes and schools make it family-friendly. Prices are high, it’s a little lacking in amenities, and plane noise are its main cons. Read Review

Summary: Located towards the northern centre of Sutherland Shire, Jannali offers a solid blend of personal living space and connectivity to Sydney city – without breaking the bank. Wide, leafy streets that are clean and quiet allow those without ridiculous incomes to actually have a chance at a freestanding house, while its main shopping strip around its train station keeps things just lively and convenient enough. It’s got a handful of great schools and is highly family-friendly, although it’s a little lacking in parkland and there’s not too much to do for entertainment. Read Review

Summary: Large enough to almost be considered a self-contained town at this point, Hornsby is one of the most complete suburbs in Sydney when it comes to amenities. It’s lacking absolutely nothing in terms of services and shopping – both big and small-scale – and brings with it solid public transport connectivity too. A huge array of parks, playgrounds, schools and childcare add to this to make it perhaps the most family-friendly suburb in Sydney at good value to boot. Its only real negatives are distance, and a lack of nightlife. Read Review

Summary: A key transportation hub on the North Shore, Epping is both well located and connected for accessing other key urban centres nearby. The suburb features many larger, heritage-listed homes sprawling out from a small, concentrated shopping district around its station with back streets that are highly leafy and dotted with numerous parks. It’s eminently pet and family friendly, however the combination of traffic issues and price are both factors to consider when living here. Read Review