Sydney City

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: 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: A small suburb in inner Sydney with a heavy “college town” feel, Chippendale oozes convenience with a location that grants it immediate access to a wide array of restaurants & stores, major train stations, a striking new modern parkland, and its main hub of the University of Technology Sydney nearby. It’s bordered by busy roads, dominated by students and largely apartment-style living, however, so families or those who want some extra space may want to look elsewhere. Read Review

Summary: A central Sydney suburb with a difference, Pyrmont is extremely pleasant to walk around and simply “be” in, with its waterfront location and ample parkland feeling overall very vibrant and clean. Its proximity to a huge array of things to see, do and eat just around the corner is a huge plus, while still feeling somewhat separate from the Sydney CBD. High prices for small sized properties, a disconnect from heavy rail, and plenty of ambient noise make it a suburb far more suited to young professionals looking to rent than average families looking to stay, however. Read Review

Summary: Essentially an extended corner of the Sydney CBD, Ultimo differs slightly from absolute-central Sydney in its disproportionately high percentage of students which call it a temporary home. Ultra-convenient given its proximity to everything else within walking distance nearby, the suburb offers easy access to everything Sydney has to offer – although the associated high prices, crowds and noise make it a definite choice for those who don’t need too much space or greenery to be satisfied. Read Review