# Pleasant Suburbs in Western Sydney?



## chiefeagle (Jul 16, 2010)

Hi Everyone, 

I'm new here. Have really appreciated the threads I've been reading so far. 

So, I'm in the process of relocating to Sydney from the San Francisco area. I'll be arriving in 2 weeks. I have a temporary place set up for a few weeks until I find something permanent. I'm a single male in my mid 30s, starting a job in Bankstown. So I'd like to find a nice area to live in the Western suburbs.

Here's my criteria:

1) I need a neighborhood with a lot of variety of good cheap ethnic restaurants

2) I'm not a big city person. I like treelined streets, somewhere pleasant for evening strolls and bike rides. Hoping to find a quiet bungalow style apartment, or an apt in a building of working people. Apt doesn't need to big, just quiet. 

3) I'd like to be relatively close to the Blue Mountains. I'll be spending more time there I think than the Beach. 

I notice mixed reviews about places like Parramatta and Fairfield, although on paper they kinda sound close to what I have in mind. 

I was hoping you could recommend areas to narrow my search, based on my criteria. I guess I'd be open to anything in the western suburbs or "innerwest" area. Or maybe there are neighborhoods even further West or North I should be looking at? Though I do want to avoid a very long commute to my office. 

Any tips on neighborhoods would be much appreciated. Also, if someone could give me a ballpark idea of what would be reasonable rent, that would be a big help.

cheers,
Eagle


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## Aussiejock (May 26, 2007)

Hills District? North of Parramatta. Lots of suburbs.


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

chiefeagle said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I'm new here. Have really appreciated the threads I've been reading so far.
> 
> ...


If you have the money to live closer then living in western Sydney is crazy!! Fairfield and Parramatta mayeb the better of the suburbs but you are still highly likely to be knifed if you walk aroudn by yourself too many times essentially eventually your luck will run out.

Blue Mountains??? are you kidding it's awful out there!!!! huge social problems and you won't make friends with anyone out there as well. Stay closer to the city where you'll mee likeminded peopel liek yourself more. Western Sydney is an awful place to migrate too.


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## chiefeagle (Jul 16, 2010)

LOL, thank you for the candor. So how about some of these neighborhoods:

Burwood, Croydon, Ashfield, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill.

Would I get knifed at these on a daily basis? 

Curious to hear what the social problems are out in the Blue Mountains area too, if you'd like to explain.


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## chiefeagle (Jul 16, 2010)

I hear Hills District is the "Bible Belt" of Sydney, what's that all about?


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## rpkbuviki (May 2, 2010)

*Beautiful suburbs in western suburbs*

Hi Chiefeagle

My sis lives in Western Sydney for the past 8+yrs and I have been to OZ couple of times. From my sisters lifestyle, I strongly say "*IT'S NEVER CRAZY TO LIVE IN WESTERN SYDNEY"*. 

Based on the three points you have mentioned, the best suburbs in western sydney I can suggest you are *BAULKHAM HILLS, CASTLE HILL, WESTMEAD, WENTWORTHVILLE, PENDLEHILL, GIRRAWEEN, SEVEN HILLS, KELLYVILLE, GLEN WOOD, BELLA VISTA and STANHOPE GARDENS*.

These suburbs not only have the lifestyle you mentioned also have good family people as well really good schools.*BAULKHAM HILLS, CASTLE HILL, WESTMEAD, WENTWORTHVILLE, PENDLEHILL, GIRRAWEEN and SEVEN HILLS* are good old suburbs which mean they have very well established schools and very descent crowd of people. You can also check by googling that the crime activities is very low in these suburbs compared to the PARRAMATTA & SYDNEY , reason being they have lot of floating crowd in them.

You can do more research on these suburbs to know the pros of living in these suburbs form people who haved lived in the City and moved to these suburbs like my SIS. They surely can give you more insight.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SEARCH :clap2:.

lane: Rpkbuviki
Here I Come OZ




chiefeagle said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I'm new here. Have really appreciated the threads I've been reading so far.
> 
> ...


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## Aussiejock (May 26, 2007)

chiefeagle said:


> I hear Hills District is the "Bible Belt" of Sydney, what's that all about?


That's because the Hillsong church is based here, but I can assure you that it has no impact on 99.9% of people who live here. You go to church or not - it's up to you. I've lived in the Hills for 40 years and am very happy here, without going to church. It has everything you seem to want. Tree lined streets, easy access to the Blue Mountains, plenty of restaurants serving various cuisines. You can bikeride from Northmead to Baulkham Hills without touching a main road, from there to Dural, and beyond, you only have to cross the main roads,if that is what you want to do. 
My youngest son, who lived in Strathfield, then Paddington when he left home, was married last November and bought a house in the Hills. He and his wife reckon this is the best place in Sydney.


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## rpkbuviki (May 2, 2010)

You can also check the following link for more info http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...a/29218-sydney-suburbs-good-2.html#post335353

lane: Rpkbuviki
Here I Come OZ


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## chiefeagle (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks Aussiejock, I'll ask the agent who's helping me with my search to set up some appointments for the Hills.

My only concern with it is looks like the commute to Bankstown would be a bit longer than I was hoping. 

Do you have any feelings on these innerwest suburbs like Croydon or Burwood? They sound like maybe the best compromise when you factor in commute, and all my other factors.

Thanks again for your feedback.


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## chiefeagle (Jul 16, 2010)

Thanks so much for the tips. I'm looking into those suburbs you suggested now


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## Aussiejock (May 26, 2007)

chiefeagle said:


> Thanks Aussiejock, I'll ask the agent who's helping me with my search to set up some appointments for the Hills.
> 
> My only concern with it is looks like the commute to Bankstown would be a bit longer than I was hoping.
> 
> ...


My son commutes to Moorebank from Northmead. Don't know how long it takes but he seems happy. Will ask and let you know. I think Bankstown would be slightly less. Please don't take that as gospel. 
Wouldn't advise Burwood, not sure about Croyden.


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## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

I live in the Northern Beaches (Northeast Sydney). However have many friends in the Hills area. The nicer suburbs are Castle Hill and Baulkum Hills. The main drawback at least is that you have to take the M2 alot (toll road) and public transport is underserved (meaning lots of takers, but not much service). You would have to drive awhile to get to any beach but otherwise you would have everything else (malls, parks, schools). The best thing about the Hills is that you can afford a house there, in most other parts of Sydney you would be looking at a unit for the same money.

Don't worry in any way about 'Bible belt', unless you're churchgoing it isn't even noticeable.


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## Johnfromoz (Oct 20, 2010)

Why would anyone who works in Bankstown want to commute between The Hills and work? There are plenty of treelined streets and suburbs around Bankstown itself. Beautiful Georges river flows nearby. I would recommend suburbs like Condell Park, Revesby, Padstow, Panania, East Hills, Bass hill and Georges Hall. 

I would avoid areas around Mount Druitt and Doonside. A lot of less well off people live in some of these areas and some years ago even public buses stopped running as they got their windows smashed in broad daylight. 

What concerns a variety of ethnic restaurants then Bankstown, Hurstville, Cabramatta, Fairfield and Marrickville are good choices. In Marrickville there is even a restaurant that is booked out several months ahead. There also used to be 2 excellent chinese restaurants right opposite this place. They are always packed since food is so good. The third one next door is practically empty.


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