Suburbs commutable to W Sydney

[BiscuitBeast]

Hi all,

I am after some in put into family friendly suburbs commutable to western Sydney (60-75 mins max). We are a family of 4 (DD7 and DS10). We prefer to live away from the hustle and bustle but close enough that you can drop in at convenience. We all enjoy the outdoors - I am an ecologist who loves the Australian flora and fauna. Priorities are good schools, clubs/activities, hikes, local cafes/bars/shops/restaurants - a solid community feel.

We've previously lived just outside of Melbourne for a few years and loved it there. DH career now may take us to Sydney.

We would be looking to rent initially, maybe $1200 p/w thereabouts.

Any thoughts?

Western Sydney (parramatta?) is quite nice and easy to get to with the new North connex by car and the new rail link too, so that’s handy.
I would recommend around Chatswood - it’s a very family friendly area and as it’s full of Chinese families, there are loads of shops and cafes open in the evening. It’s got a nice vibe and is really really well connected for west and the city.
Another option is Hornsby. This is leafier and a bit further out but is undergoing a big redevelopment over the next few years and it’s friendly and close to the bush.
Other areas like Beecroft, Epping and Bella Vista are really nice too and well connected, or Thornleigh too.

All these areas have great schools as well.

Thanks for all these suggestions @Ozgirl75. I will look into each of them. It's nice to have some recommendations.

I live on the Northern Beaches and regularly go to Chatswood for my Asian food shopping. It does have a great community feeling if you are Chinese, and school are overcrowded and kids have staggered breaks because playgrounds are too small. Also not much hiking happening in Chatswood. It is full of high rises. Maybe the suburb next to it, Roseville would be a better option.
Bella Vista has certainly improved since the train got there, but it is far.

Look at the train map here https://transportnsw.info/document/1433/sydney-trains-network-map.pdf and try to look for suburbs on the direct line to where you need to be, because Western Sydney is quite vague. Western Sydney is big. Greater Sydney is a lot bigger in size compared to Greater Melbourne.

Trains do not run frequently. sometimes you have to wait 18-20 min , even on the main lines, because it is not the tube as we know it in the big European cities, it is mostly the state train lines that go underground as they cross Sydney.
If you have to take two trains it might increase a lot your commute if you have to wait 20 min for the next train.
I would avoid anything Western from Blacktown (included) .
The suburbs between Roseville and Hornsby are nice but pricey.

Forget the Northern Beaches, Mosman, because the traffic to get towards the city is insane.
Many have taken the Central Coast options and it is this train line https://transportnsw.info/routes/details/intercity-trains/ccn/02CCN
Sometimes you are further out, but that line is quicker.

Are you coming from the UK or are you in Melbourne right now?

Hi @Cormoran

We'll be coming from the UK. Thank you for your thoughts. We aren't Chinese, but happy to integrate with other cultures. In Melbourne we lived very close to a large Greek community and loved the restaurants, local markets and shops. Overcrowding does not appeal in the slightest. There is also certainly flex to increase our budget.

I was just reading a Reddit thread on the heat sink effect that W Sydney suffers compared to other areas. Reads as though the councils are working to tackle this but a work in progress. As my husband will need only to work from his head office two days per week and have domestic and international travel we could look at living in a suburb closer to the airport and coast. Maybe further south, but on previous visits I know traffic can be hideous commuting into the city. Trains any better from the south?

Western Sydney is a big area, whereabouts are you needing to be near? That will guide options. Why not just live in western Sydney itself? There is a bit of a stigma around the region which in my view isn't justified and millions of people live there quite happily. If parks and greenery are your thing, somewhere along the Georges or Cooks River may be nice. Suburbs in the inner west like Marrickville sound like they may be up your alley too, and Marrickville is on the Bankstown line for trains (though that train line is going to shut temporarily for a while in 2024 so worth keeping in mind!).

@Languorous Strathfield is where head office is located. I'll have a look at your suggestions. Thank you.

@Cormoran why would you advise avoiding Blacktown and beyond W?

This is Blacktown. I can't see how it fits good schools, nature, the love of outdoor and it is far too close to Mount Druitt, the worst suburb of Sydney.
A lot of youth crime. Browse some of the articles on the Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/topic/blacktown-73k

I was going to suggest looking at the Northern Suburbs of Wollongong (e.g. Thirroul, Austinmer) - much calmer than Sydney but with enough going on, proper community feel, nice schools, very close to beaches and the bush. But maybe too far for Strathfield, looks about 1hr45 on the train.

Chatswood itself is busy (but not Britain busy, more bustling that busy) but there is loads of lovely bush nearby.
Hornsby is right on the bush - we live near there and have covered big sections of the Great North Walk. Hornsby Shire is known as the Bushland Shire, but it’s a pleasant little “town” too with a Westfield and lots of cafes and restaurants. It’s also safe with good schools, and near the entrance to the north connex road and the M1 for getting up the coast. The only downside is that it’s about 50mins to an hour from the beach. If you can spend more, subs like Wahroonga or St Ives are lovely, leafy, closer to the coast. Wahroonga is on the north line but St Ives closest station is Gordon and I’m not sure what parking is like there.
I don’t really know Western Sydney at all - I have been to Parramatta a few times and there is an excellent boys private school (Kings) over that way but I’m less up to date with the commuting as I work locally.

The problem with Chatswood are the schools. They are amongst the most overcrowded in the Sydney area. Many kids cross the Roseville bridge to go to Killarney Heights.

Upper North Shore is nice. Lindfield is on the train line and I like the concept of their school, the Learning Village.

Not sure about the community feel. Lindfield has many mansions and then on Pacific Highway the usual appartments and shops, but not really a centre with a community feel.

Manly village or Freshwater village have a strong community feel. Freshwater is out because transport would take ages, but Manly with the Ferry + train would get you to Strathfield in 55 min. Little Manly and its gorgeous Collins beach, even Fairlight, away from the busy part of Manly is lovely.
I admit, I am a beach girl, and I love living on the Beaches, especially when it melts with the bush. The Manly to Spit bridge walk is gorgeous or even the Manly to Collaroy walk where you have to walk through the bush at the back of Dee Why and then walking amongst the pelicans on the beach at Fisherman's beach. The Northern Beaches are very different from the Eastern Suburbs beaches. A lot of natural land.

By the way, Dee Why has the B-Line, a new fast bus line with only 1 stop per suburb. But, even with a bus lane, the bus has to go through the Spit bridge and that is at a standstill in the morning.

High School however could be an issues because there are only single sex high schools. Mackellar Girls and Balgowlah Boys, unless they pass admission test to Manly selective.

I know I said forget Mosman because of lack of train, but I didn't consider that the B Line stops in Mosman and schools are great there, and Mosman has a village mentality, albeit a very posh one.

Now going from the beaches to a train station is one thing, but going to the airport might be tricky depending on the time of day. My DH has no issues in the early hours, but he drives there. Anything before and around 7 is fine. Going at 8 is a nightmare.

@Cormoran @Ozgirl75 @rbe78

Thanks for the suggestions, plenty for me to start researching into. I do think we'd prefer to be nearer the coast rather than inland.

Those areas on the beaches are so lovely, but the commute would be such a ball ache. Commuting in Sydney is a bit painful to be fair. Manly is nice but when the weather’s bad the ferry gets cancelled and then you’re stuck with the bus. What about Hunters Hill or that kind of area?

If you’re going to Strathfield take a look at the areas on the Central train line - from (for example) Hornsby it’s 14 stops from Hornsby to Strathfield and takes an hour. But you also have Beecroft, Cheltenham and Epping which are very bushy and nice but also have good schools.

With the Fast Ferry, Manly is 15 min from the CBD. You step out of the ferry at the entrance of the train station and light rail (tram) terminus.

The Manly ferry is only ever cancelled during monster swell and it is quite rare. Monster swells are announced so you can plan the day at the office accordingly.

I have been on the ferry with rough weather many times and a couple of times with very very rough weather, with waves bashing on the windows. Ferry operators are used to big sea, it is after all, Australia. Crazy sea, crazy winds.

It is absolutely right to say that the Northern Beaches are not the best choice for a daily commute to Western Sydney. The lack of trains is both a curse and a blessing. I don't feel like I am in Sydney whilst I walk to the bakery in Freshwater. Kids go surfing before school, after school, and sometimes even during school with surf being the school sport. They hang out with skates and bikes in the afternoon, and have a very sweet life.

It would be very hard if not impossible to rent without being in the country. Once you come here, on a visit or on the day you move here, it will be easier for you to get a sense of where you want to be. Rent an AirBnb for a few days near the beach , and then another one for a few days in the inner West.

Walk around, take trains and ferries, possibly in high peak time, be out around 4 pm and see if and where there are kids around and what they do.

@Cormoran We are familiar with the northern beaches having spent time there over the years. That is holiday time though, so no experience of day-to-day family life and commuting.

I am definitely leaning towards more of a coastal setting than an inland one.

We'll have more of an idea on what expectations are re DH new role over the coming weeks which will help towards our decision making.

Good luck - there are so many lovely parts of Sydney, I’m sure you’ll find somewhere fab.

Thanks @Ozgirl75 there is certainly lots to pick from

Blue Mountains are lovely. Glenbrook in the Lower Mountains is 1Hr 29Mins to Sytarthfield by train.

Zero point in recommending Manly or Fairlight on a 1200 a week budget for a three bed family. There's literally no options in that price range for that criteria. Or any surrounding suburbs on northern beaches for obvious reasons. You could live in Chatswood but it's a shit commute.

If you're prioritising schools I'd consider the hills area. It's where we live and a 30 min drive to Strathfield. We're right on the bush but can also get the M2 into Wynyard in 30 mins and to the Blue mountains in an hour. We go to Balmoral when we want the beach. Parking is shit but it's still only a 30 min drive.

Sutherland Shire is lovely and would be a great fit - backs onto National Park and surrounded by beaches and two rivers. 1200 a week would get you a lovely home. Bit trickier getting to Strathfield but might be worth it?

For what it's worth, until relatively recently Strathfield was always part of the Inner West - Rookwood cemetary being a useful demarcation point. If you're in reach of the trainlines that go through Strathfield commuting should be reasonable I would have thought.

One thing to assess with commutes is how you get to a station and how long that takes. Years ago my sister was at school up towards Hornsby and my father worked in Chatswood. When my parents investigated moving somewhere on the North Shore as it seemed to make more sense, it was going to take us all longer to get places unless we had a house very close to the trainline (which was not so affordable). So we stayed in Strathfield (we were on a bus route to the station, when I was older I walked if I had time).

I do remember it being a bit of a trek to the beach any time we went, even 40 years ago.

I was at a city school that had few students from west or inner west, but when we reached house-buying ages a lot were discovering the inner west!

I can't help much on current stuff though as it's over 20 years since I've lived there, and you don't catch up with the new transport routes on short visits home. Good luck with the move.

Thanks for the new recommendations.

It transpires the office may relocate to either the CBD or N beaches next year. Not sure that will change an awful lot of what posters have previously recommended? Driving to work will take preference of trains, if possible.

As for budget, there is flex. I am open to hearing about all suburbs and we can get a sense of what we'd need to spend. I'm not factoring in me working yet as another avenue I need to investigate!

Nobody commutes by car to the CBD unless they have a company car park spot. It costs up to $80 a day just to park otherwise, plus the tolls of going over the bridge it you're on the north shore or northern beaches. Trains are actually pretty good.

If you're commuting to the northern beaches you'll want to live there too or nearby (French's forest) but it will mean at least 1500pw. My fave part of Sydney is the lower north shore (neutral bay, Kirribilli) but it's insanely expensive. All the traffic on that side of the bridge will be on military road going into the city.

If you’re commuting to the city, that basically opens up most of Sydney to live in as all the trains go that way. Don’t drive - as Urgent said, it’s expensive and probably slow. Trains are pretty reliable and also cheap.
There are some lovely areas around the Northern Beaches, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice, it’s all nice.