Small Families

Summary: Carlingford is a physically big and highly diverse suburb that spans three council areas and borders several different regions of Sydney. As a result, it’s home to one of the widest varieties of property types, atmospheres and services on offer of any suburb in Sydney, with some parts of it quite different to the next. It’s absolutely abundant in services and retail, has some very impressive pockets of greenery and nature, and major through-roads that connect to all the key parts of Sydney. Existing issues with accessing the CBD are about to be even more exaggerated as one of its key benefits is about to disappear, however. Read Review

Summary: Technically located on the “tip” of where the Western Suburbs begin, Padstow is a pleasant and well-balanced slice of suburbia that offers both well-sized living spaces and solid value for money.

It’s got good connectivity by both road and rail, and its relatively central position between east and west makes access to either side quite reasonable. While around a quarter of the suburb is light-industrial, it still offers good greenery and also escapes some of the crime stats from which a few of its neighbouring suburbs suffer. Read Review

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: 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: Largely dominated by the impressive University of Sydney complex offset by clusters of terrace-heavy residential in its west, Camperdown’s an inner city Sydney suburb with quite a lot packed into a physically small area. It’s got several major public services and parks – including one of the flagship public spaces in Sydney – and is fringed by diverse suburbs on all sides that each offer something different within walking distance. It’s pricey, encircled by busy roads and doesn’t offer much in terms of shopping or dining itself, but all of that and more is right on its doorstep. 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: One of Sydney’s true “cafe capitals”, Neutral Bay is a wealthy slice of Lower North Shore living that still offers enough diversity of housing types to keep things fairly demographically varied. It’s centrally-located and is utterly decked out in amenities in terms of dining and small-scale shopping, and its hillside aspect overlooking the water is often highly impressive. It’s also as pricey as one might expect given its location, and its traffic and road issues often border on nightmare levels. Read Review

Summary: A suburb of extreme contrasts, a single street in Rhodes is all that separates one of Sydney’s highest-density concentrations of modern apartment living with light industry and spacious, older freestanding properties right on the waterfront. It’s a spot that continues to see rapid construction which has brought with it an array of restaurants and other amenities, and it’s got nice waterfront parkland areas plus good city connectivity. It’s a bit pricey and noisy, however, and all these modern constructions have made traffic a non-starter. 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