Retirees

Summary: Grand, historic and full of character, Haberfield is one of Sydney’s most charismatic suburbs that retains much of its legacy without the taint of more sterile modern development creeping in. Its Italian heritage remains obvious, not only in its excellent array of quality dining and cafes on offer, but the demographics and faces of its older residents as well. Heritage homes with picturesque gardens and quiet back streets contrast with some semi-industrial and traffic-packed parts of its extremities to form quite a contrast, however.

With a physical position that puts it within easy striking distance of the CBD along with its spacious, low-density housing blocks, it’s should be no surprise that Haberfield is highly expensive and priced out of reach for most. Add in traffic concerns with its arterial roads and some issues with aircraft noise, and Haberfield definitely isn’t perfect – but it certainly is pretty, and a part of Sydney everyone should visit at least once. Read Review

Summary: Tranquil, substantially green and overall upmarket, Denistone is a quiet pocket of classy North Shore goodness sandwiched between two drastically different suburbs on either side. It’s physically a relatively compact suburb which runs up a hillside, providing some often impressive views from atop its streetscape which is mainly dotted with large-scale freestanding homes.

Denistone has the benefit of a central location and good transport connectivity without any of the bustle or crime which usually comes along with these, and while that also brings a bit of a “retirement village’ vibe along with it, its level of peace and decent traffic situation helps balance this out. It’s great for those with pets and who appreciate greenery, but is a near-total wasteland in terms of amenities with little to offer outside of medical services. It’s also pricey, due to both the age and size of its many impressive homes. Read Review

Summary: Perhaps THE premier hub for Asian dining in all of Sydney, Eastwood consists of an ultra-dense central district packed to the brim with restaurants and services, coexisting alongside high-end, premier residential back streets for quite the suburban contrast. It’s a place that has experienced marked demographic change over the past few decades, and now provides an interesting mix of legacy stores and homes along with pockets of brand-new development added in.

It’s well-connected in terms of public transport by both road and rail, and has an extremely good array of suburban greenery which – along with its upper-tier education options – make it highly desirable for families as well. Some parts of its central area could use a slight facelift and it faces some significant issues in terms of both traffic & parking, while prices for its often-massive freestanding homes in particular may prove prohibitively expensive for most. Read Review

Summary: A suburb for those after a fairly premier, central spot and who don’t want to pay the absolute premiums of some of the truly elite Eastern Sydney suburbs, Kingsford is a largely residential slice of the city in which location is its primary selling point. Close proximity to educational facilities, beaches and even Sydney City itself coupled with its newly-added light rail system give Kingsford a connectivity factor that’s easy to appreciate.

It’s also a suburb with enough variety in housing – with a large contrast between its classy and expansive houses in the east and higher-density living in the west – to cater to both students and families, however it brings along with it high pricetags in return. Its amenities are increasingly solid if unspectacular and it’s not the greenest suburb in the world, while traffic is also another factor. It’s fairly peaceful outside of its central hub, while families will have multiple options for education nearby as well.
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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: 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: 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: 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