Sydney is a bustling city with many suburbs to choose from. The options can be overwhelming, but the following are some of the best Sydney suburbs to live in for those who want an awesome lifestyle.
There’s a reason why Sydney – Australia’s oldest, largest, and busiest city – attracts so many foreigners each year.
One of the best things about looking for a place to live in the Greater Sydney area is the diversity of its suburbs.
There’s such a wide array of choices that allows people to select a place to live that combines any number of benefits into the most suitable package for them – be it price, scenery, schools, safety, nature, transport, or any combination thereof.
Moving to Sydney will introduce you to a melting pot of people, cultures, and experiences. In addition, you’ll have access to a plethora of job opportunities, excellent education facilities, countless food and drink options, and of course, some of the world’s best beaches.
Which Sydney suburbs are the best to live in? This is a question that many people ask themselves when they move to Australia. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find an answer as everyone has their own preferences and needs.
However, there are some general guidelines for what makes a good suburb: it should have access to public transport links, schools, shops and parks. The suburb should also be close enough, so you don’t need your car every day, but far enough away, so you have some privacy from neighbours!
We’ve listed the best places to live in Sydney below to help you find the perfect new home.
1. Croydon
It’s got a lot of character in both its local stores and streetscape, a couple of genuinely excellent parks, and is very safe – yet it’s the array of schools that help set Croydon apart from its peers.
It’s not the cheapest to buy in, has some traffic issues and isn’t a nightlife hotspot, but otherwise remains one of the most underrated suburbs in Sydney.
It’s something of a wonder that Croydon isn’t mentioned more frequently when the topic of “Best Inner West Sydney Suburbs” to live incomes up.
At surface level, Croydon is more reminiscent of the suburb Roseville on Sydney’s north shore than some of its grittier and more lively Inner West peers.
Not only does it boast a very similar streetscape – one with a largely peaceful heritage, an old-time atmosphere that gives it a highly British feel throughout – but it’s also fringed by highly Eastern-demographic-leaning suburbs nearby.
Compared to Roseville, however, Croydon adds in the benefits of more local amenities and businesses, the proximity to other diverse suburbs nearby, and one of the most comprehensive ranges of schools of any suburbs in Sydney all thrown in.
Put, if you’re a family who’s got a decent amount of money to throw around and prefer the diversity of the Inner West as opposed to some of the sterility of the north shore, Croydon should practically be top on your list by default.
Croydon sits conveniently between Ashfield and Burwood yet boasts a more balanced mix of ethnicities demographically than either.
Its streetscape, as well as its amenities, reflect more of that classic “Inner West” cafe / western restaurant leanings as opposed to the primarily Asian restaurants of its neighbours – think old-time style bakeries, local fruit + veg grocers, boutique pizza joints and the like.
Its connectivity to Sydney city is highly favourable, taking just over 20 minutes via train from Croydon Station to Town Hall.
While some of the primary services skip over Croydon, and you may get the occasional old “rattler” train servicing the Inner West line, it’s still well-serviced enough, while its decadent array of bus services being able to jump directly onto main arteries both to the north and south make getting from A to B here very efficient.
For drivers, it’s bordered by two main highways, which, while often congested and slow during peak, provide direct east/west access in short order as well.
As a streetscape, Croydon has character and a consistent “theme” maintained throughout. This is a well-kept, older heritage suburb featuring mostly low-lying, single-story federation homes with the occasional low-rise block of solidly-built brick units thrown in.
Croydon and brown bricks go together like ibis and garbage bins; the vast majority of its federation homes remain un-rendered, and so there’s a consistency to its residential areas without too many ultra-modern concrete eyesores breaking things up.
This is a very well-kept and maintained suburb as a whole; it’s funny to think at one point in the past this was “lower-end Sydney” as now it’s undeniably pretty in parts with large, roomy lawns that are highly desirable.
It’s home to many gorgeous houses with immaculate gardens, well-trimmed hedges and a high level of grooming, and its streets are kept mainly clean and litter-free throughout.
While most of these are freestanding homes, Croydon does have a decent mix of other types of housing – townhouse and villa complexes; basically, everything outside of highrise apartments is available here.
This gets more significant the closer you get to the train station, where several modern, mid-rise apartments and medium-density living can be found. These aren’t the prettiest things in the world, but they help diversify its housing profile somewhat.
The majority of its residential streets are also very green with good tree cover, and Croydon boasts a couple of exceptional parks and green spaces as well.
Centennial Park is a massive, open and roomy slice of greenery primarily centred around sports fields/amenities and playground equipment with an off-leash dog area. Still, it’s Wangal Park that steals the show here.
This is one of the more uniquely designed and equipped parks in inner Sydney.
It contains a varied mix of skate ramps, fitness equipment, a ton of seating and table amenities and other standard inclusions. Still, it’s also structured around various boardwalks and cycle paths that run over its creek water and make things quite different and pleasant.
In terms of amenities, Croydon also fares quite well.
Its slice along the northern portion of Parramatta Road isn’t handy outside of major fast-food chains and the odd restaurant – it’s the auto-dealer capital of Sydney, car yard after car yard – its main strips of retail and dining on either side of the station are both charming and practical.
Edwin Street on the north side contains a small helping of small-scale services and local businesses with a friendly “old-timey” feel, while the main strip along The Strand on the south side remains its focal point.
It’s a character-rich little strip of cafes, local supermarkets, bottle shops and more with a mix of red brick and art deco-type buildings that’s very pleasant. It’s not massive or overly buzzing, but more than enough to enjoy a quality meal and grab necessary groceries.
Croydon lacks bigger-scale retail, but neighbouring Ashfield (courtesy of Ashfield Mall, a 5-minute drive away) has that covered; Burwood offers Westfield and is packed with other amenities, and again, the city isn’t far away.
There are two main things in terms of its amenities and streetscape which differentiate Croydon perhaps the most, though: its churches and its schools – which often go hand-in-hand.
The suburb is home to many churches of various faiths and origins, each with distinct architecture and design befitting their background.
It’s the schools that will likely appeal to most, however. Croydon contains an extremely high proportion of high-quality schools, both private and public, boarding and co-ed for a relatively small suburb.
When combined with the many on offer in Burwood next door, there’s a massive range of options for education on offer for those with kids.
This is the primary reason Croydon is such a family-heavy suburb and will likely appeal to that demographic the most.
Its mix of education, safety, and suitable parkland with ample playground equipment ticks every box a parent could want.
Because of this, it’s not the best suburb to choose if you’re part of the younger crowd looking for somewhere lively versus other parts of the Inner West, however.
This is not a “jumping” suburb; the closest option for a pub-style drink or entertainment is down in Croydon Park or a beer and a meal at the modest Wests Sports Club.
Other than these and its small cafe scene there isn’t much exciting to do, other than perhaps play tennis, footy or cricket.
If you’re not about spending time with the kids on the weekend, there are certainly a ton of other more viable picks of suburbs in this part of Sydney. However, if you’re not a family, it may also be easy to feel a little excluded as a result.
It also trends quite a bit older in parts demographically, particularly to the southern side of Croydon. It’s pretty retiree-and-older-centric here, where hospice, healthcare and aged care facilities can be found.
The tranquillity of its largely quiet streetscape goes a long way for this appeal to the older market; outside of some aircraft noise during “normal times” (we’re covering this during the Coronavirus 2020 period), it’s a pretty serene suburb overall.
Crime-wise, Croydon is statistically highly safe overall. It boasts a deficient number of incidents on a volume and per-capita basis, with minimal dodgy elements or impacts even around its train station.
In terms of the price of living, while Croydon is still reasonably expensive relative to the global Sydney average, it trends a fair bit cheaper than some of its nearby Inner West peers.
Why this is is a little unclear; it’s not a mere matter of distance from the city, as Burwood is one suburb further out and substantially more expensive, while Ashfield is also generally slightly higher in price.
Given that Croydon provides a pretty close facsimile of the likes of Summer Hill, it’s also a relative bargain given its only two suburbs over. As a result, buying in Croydon can save you several hundred thousand dollars over some of these alternatives for no actual loss of quality of life.
It’s not as if it’s ugly, dangerous, or an absolute “amenity wasteland”, yet its home price sits around $1.4 million on average versus $1.7 million in Summer Hill and $1.5 million in Ashfield.
2. Putney
Putney is certainly a suburb that’s become “one for the ballers” out there. Quite a turnaround from its past historic days as home to housing commission, in the present Putney, is a well-manicured and visually impressive concentration of high-end suburbia with distinct family and waterfront leanings.
Credit to those who saw fit to purchase homes here back in the ~20 years age range, as few suburbs have seen such a jump in house prices and overall conditions than this relatively small slice of Sydney.
Putney is now large-scale gentrification in its purest sense; the number of newer, towering home builds pretty staggering, and they’re almost universally equipped with immaculate and roomy front lawns and gardens. There’s a ton to like about living here for families in particular, but it will certainly cost you to participate.
Owing to its hillside aspect – Putney sits on a gradient leading down to the banks of the Parramatta River – many of these homes also garner some great aquatic views. It’s beautiful and incredibly well-maintained, with an array of parklands oriented around enjoying all that water that fringes it.
This is a suburb with a high level of boat ownership and multiple ramps for plopping your vessel in the water and parks alongside the water decked out in incredible amounts of playground equipment for the kids.
It’s also one where you’ll likely want to spend a lot of time outdoors taking advantage of it all. The majority of Putney’s parks and public spaces contain a mix of sporting facilities – think basketball courts, cricket pitches, and plenty of lovely cycling tracks for soaking in the views from on two wheels as well.
There’s an argument to be made that Putney may rank as (one of) the best suburbs to live in for cyclists in general, as they’re well-serviced by multiple routes and close enough to be able to cycle-commute as well.
Putney’s streetscape, in general, is peaceful in some ways yet lively in others; there’s not too much through traffic, and its low-density housing means population density (and therefore crowds) aren’t a real thing here.
It does cop some slight flight path/aircraft noise, but it’s not too noticeable and nothing compared to the Inner West suburbs, which cop the full brunt.
Yet there’s a certain buzz to the suburb given its family leanings and friendly central “village” vibe around its main little dining hub along Morrison Road and Charles Street. It certainly feels more lively and communal than some of the other more haughty high-end North Shore suburbs further up.
The hub around the Putney Village area is undeniably charming. It’s not the most well-equipped in the world – a smattering of lovely little cafes and great local gourmet eateries & restaurants, an IGA and some other boutiques – but it’s a nice strip to grab lunch or do some light grocery shopping.
Elsewhere throughout Putney, there’s the occasional cute designer hairdresser or barbershop and individual cafe, but not much else.
There’s no bigger-scale retail, but Putney’s location adjacent to Ryde means that Top Ryde and other major outlets are only a short drive away.
You will likely be driving most of the time during your time here. However, Putney sees a decent if the unspectacular amount of bus services, it lacks rail connectivity. Meadowbank nearby is the closest station, but that’s a bit of a roundabout route into the Sydney CBD.
As a result, drivers here often have to deal with the grim prospect of the traffic of Victoria Road, which frequently slows to a crawl heading over the bridges towards the city. What should theoretically be a ~20-minute drive frequently blows out ridiculous commute times due to the strain on this road leading many to use an alternate, longer routes instead.
Church Street, which carries traffic down over the Ryde Bridge, is likewise heavily trafficked and noisy; living closer to this artery brings a pretty heavy dose of noise pollution with it. Much of this can be owed to the ballooning development in neighbouring suburbs such as Rhodes and Meadowbank – you may not live there yourself while in Putney, but everyone still has to share the same roads.
One of Putney’s more unique transport offerings comes in the way of its ferries. These come in two flavours in Putney – the first, standard option from Kissing Point Wharf offers people-only access down the river towards Circular Quay. It’s a pretty journey, if not the most efficient trip.
The second is special: Putney offers a car-bearing ferry service from Putney Point across to Mortlake. So it’s quite a special bonus to be able to take the car across, and it’s entirely free of charge to boot.
The Kissing Point area (and Putney’s other waterfront parks in general) are its major highlight. Kissing Point Park and its surroundings are beautiful, offering a significant aspect of looking across the water to the historic Rivendell School. In addition, it comes with picnic facilities and some spots of sand with shallow pools for the kids to play in.
Elsewhere, its namesake Putney Park may be the best park in all of inner Sydney for those with kids. At the very least, it’s probably the best waterfront kids park, with one of the best mixes of playground equipment of any park in such a position – it’s well-shaded, has slides, shallow pools, climbing equipment and more.
Even if you’re not a resident, if you’re looking for a top spot to take the kids, then it’s well worth a visit from elsewhere too.
It’s a highly safe suburb as a whole, boasting one of the lower overall crime rates in central Sydney, and offers a pretty healthy selection of childcare and schooling options both within and nearby. It’s not hard to see why Putney ranks as a highly desirable suburb for families in general as a result.
Much of the rest of Putney is purely housing. It’s essentially a residential suburb as a whole, and the scale of most of the homes is impressive. There’s a handful of new townhouse/duplex construction projects but next to no apartment buildings – the contrast between Putney and neighbouring Meadowbank with its high-density clusters is significant.
It’s also physically quite steep in topography; heading north away from the water, it’s incredibly hilly in places until things plateau up the top.
Many of Putney’s big homes boast impressive architectural designs and variations with relatively recent construction dates.
Combine this with the waterfront-adjacent aspect, and it’s no surprise that Putney brings hefty property price tags to the boot. $1.7 million is the standard price for a 3-bedder here, with many newer homes blowing this figure substantially out of the water.
Its lack of higher-density options means there’s also not much of a rental market for the less-cashed-up buyer; there’s very little supply in general, and what there is that’s both A) decent and B) available starts at around $600 per week.
3. Summer Hill
Many of Sydney’s Inner West suburbs have their own distinct character, and Summer Hill is no different – although for entirely different reasons than most of its neighbours.
While much of this region prides itself on and gets praised for its bohemian art, its nightlife and bar opportunities, and a broad mix of gentrification and “gritty” atmosphere, Summer Hill is more quiet, laid-back and quaint.
There’s an undeniably classy feeling here that comes courtesy of a mix of a few things. The majority of its streets are more comprehensive and cleaner than many other Inner West suburbs. Its abundance of heritage housing is generally far better externally maintained than many of its neighbouring peers.
After visiting other nearby suburbs, its lack of rubbish on the ground and graffiti in its streets becomes obvious and sets the scene for what else is to come.
As a result, walking through here is quite charming and photogenic. There’s a lovely mix of Victorian and Art Deco architectural styles dotting Summer Hill’s back streets that are nothing if not “Instagrammable”.
Many of its properties also come with more significant blocks of land and higher-end terrace housing than some of its neighbouring suburbs, making the suburb feel a bit more “open” and less oppressive as a whole.
While there’s a bit of a lack of green spaces – the streets’ nature strips aren’t heavily grassed, and there’s only dotted small parklands throughout – it’s also less of a concrete jungle than elsewhere in Sydney’s Inner West.
Its burgeoning little retail and dining hub also feels very village-esque while still providing quite a good range of conveniences at your doorstep. It’s got a full-sized and well-equipped IGA supermarket to go along with its mixture of charming bakeries, cafes, butchers, boutique stores and the like, which are mainly concentrated along Lackey and Smith streets.
Its cafe scene is likewise quite remarkable, if not massive. Semi-converted homes with charming courtyards and friendly service make for a delightful spot to dine or enjoy a coffee. At the same time, those after a good drink can head to the Summer Hill Hotel for a good selection of beers on tap and quality pub food.
While it’s not the type of dining hotspot of, say, a Leichhardt, there’s still a decent mix of little local restaurants as well. Japanese, Italian, Indian and several other significant cuisines are all represented here.
There are most things you’ll need here to get by daily, although it lacks bigger-box retail; hop on the train and pop over to nearby Ashfield for your larger-scale shopping needs on those occasions.
This train connectivity is another obvious plus, as is Summer Hill’s location in general. The suburb sits in a pretty idyllic spot for experiencing a mixture of the best of Inner West living; Ashfield is there for shopping, Leichhardt and its diverse dining are just a walk away, and the livelier Marrickville and Newtown aren’t far either. Its train also offers a ~30 minute trip into the Sydney CBD, while driving can take around 20 minutes.
“It’s a great suburb to live in. The location is the best thing. So close to the city and in the inner west with all the coolest pubs, bars and restaurants,” says one Summer Hill resident.
“The drawback is the same as anywhere on this side of the ‘latte line’, the price.”
Given this central position, it’s pretty surprising how quiet Summer Hill is. Other than a slight hint of aircraft noise (although nothing compared to some of its neighbouring suburbs) and the sound of its trains, it’s peaceful as a whole owing to its family atmosphere.
There’s often a bit of communal activity at night in its main strip, but outside of that, you’ll likely be able to get a good sleep here.
Families as a whole with the money to spare should view Summer Hill as a highly viable inner Sydney suburb; outside of those with a larger gaggle of kids who will likely need more living space, the suburb is relatively well equipped to accommodate families as a whole.
Safety-wise, Summer Hill also fares very well. The suburb’s more family-oriented and community-centric leaning than many other Inner West suburbs combine with a low overall crime rate of just 0.08% per capita – which puts it well toward the bottom quarter of Sydney suburbs in terms of safety – make for a place in which kids can essentially play in the streets and parks without supervision.
Its combination of being home to high-rated schools, the safety level, and providing a pretty short commute for parents who work in the city to return home and spend more quality time all rank as positive points in the family category. It’s one minor weakness is a slight lack of larger playground spaces, however.
In recent years, many people have caught on to this previously unassuming suburb and what it offers, and property prices have soared as a result.
This combines with Summer Hill’s relative lack of high-density housing – there’s only a handful of apartment blocks, mainly near the station, making it a tough market to crack into. So expect to pay around $1.6 million to acquire a freestanding home that’s not going to be too big.
In contrast, its rental market for those satisfied with apartment living is excellent value. The ability to rent a 2-bedroom apartment for under $500 per week that’s not ghetto this close to Sydney city is quite rare, yet there are multiple such properties available in summer Hill.
In addition, while its demographic orientates is much more toward the 30s-40s age group as opposed to the 20s who might like a more lively environment, Summer Hill’s proximity to the “party suburbs” nearby still makes it a good choice. Go out in Newtown or Marrickville for some drinks; then you’ll be able to return home to Summer Hill for an undisturbed night’s sleep.
If it’s not clear at this point, we think very highly of Summer Hill- but just like every other suburb, it’s not perfect.
There’s a general lack of parking here, although it’s pretty good regarding traffic as a whole as it’s still reasonably under-visited compared to more popular Inner West hubs. However, it also feels a little bit insular due to its exclusivity, and its price makes it a challenging market to break into in the first place.
There’s also not much going on in terms of nightlife outside of the pub. No natural signature attraction or a highlight would give you a reason to visit outside of having friends or family living here, but these are minor quibbles.
4. Waverton
If there were a single word to best sum up both the life and atmosphere in Waverton, “sleepy” would likely be it – which is a pretty rare and unusual thing to say about a suburb so close to the centre of Sydney.
It’s full of greenery, sits right on the water, and boasts a train station on a central railway line with trains that stop every 3 to 5 minutes, yet it remains almost eternally under the radar as both a place to visit and live in Sydney.
While most other Lower North Shore suburb names are immediately recognisable, Waverton is one that even long-time Sydney residents may not have heard.
Its relatively small size may be a reason for this – as is the fact that it’s a highly residential area with not much else to offer in terms of entertainment or shopping other than a few local cafes, a semi-iconic bakery, and some lovely stretches of greenery alongside the water.
As with many Lower North Shore Sydney suburbs, Waverton is an “old money” area rich in charming older homes that list in the millions of dollars – if they list at all. But, unfortunately, the property market for purchases is slow here, as is its way of life in general.
Head out of its (Australian Heritage-listed) old-fashioned train station, and you’ll immediately discover yourself in a land where paper-based community notice boards are still an actual thing.
Its residents skew towards the older demographic. There is a very “retirement village” type feel to the area due to its peaceful atmosphere and quiet roads, with relatively little traffic to speak of, given how close the suburb is to neighbouring North Sydney.
As a result, younger, party-going types will have little to no reason to visit here; however, young professionals may still find it offers an ideal balance of access to the city for work while being able to “take a breather” upon returning home.
It’s a highly pet-friendly suburb, too, with all of its streets lined with grass (unlike many CBD-adjacent suburbs) and large pet-friendly parks – perhaps most notably the excellent Berrys Bay, which doubles as a soccer field provides a gorgeous view across the water to the Sydney skyline.
In addition, its Balls Head Reserve walk may be one of the most underrated in Sydney – this roughly 2km stretch of bushwalking tracks culminates in a beautiful green oasis overlooking the harbour, Goat Island, and the various water traffic passing by.
While there are only a few small stores and a couple of tiny restaurants, North Sydney (walkable) and Crows Nest (better to drive) are just a stone’s throw away for more dining and bar options. In addition, a quick trip can cater for more extensive shopping needs on the train to Chatswood or Artarmon.
Property-wise, Waverton is a strange dichotomy in that purchase-wise, it’s as insanely expensive as most other waterfront suburbs, yet it also boasts an abundance of slightly older apartment blocks that offer a chance at decent-sized two-bedroom units for a very reasonable (for central Sydney) price.
5. Dulwich Hill
Initial impressions gained from around its main heavy rail station contrast sharply with the majority of the suburb as a whole; there’s graffiti in multiple locations in this area and a fair bit of trash in the streets. Yes, we know that the Inner West is still supposed to be a little “gritty” despite gentrification, but this takes things a little too far.
Basically: don’t judge this particular book by its initial cover, as the rest of the suburb is lovely.
The rest of Dulwich Hill is home to some of the most charming streets in greater Sydney. For starters, it’s home to a handful of the best suburban parks that the Inner West has to offer – they’re massive, well-kept, and offer a host of amenities that other neighbouring suburbs can’t hope to match.
These large public spaces help foster a sense of community that many other nearby suburbs don’t (looking at you, Lewisham), and as a result, Dulwich Hill feels more welcoming than many of its peers.
The spacious Jack Shanahan Reserve near the light rail station is an obvious standout – with its extended skate park a boon for kids and enthusiasts, Johnston and Hoskins parks further to the north are both excellent.
Kudos goes to local authorities who are keeping them in such good condition, as they’re something locals, with both kids and pets alike, can take advantage of to the fullest. Add in its public sporting and recreation grounds, and this is a suburb in which you’ll want to be spending a lot of time outdoors.
This green-leaning atmosphere extends to Dulwich Hill’s streets as a whole. Primarily broad and leafy, this is a tree-heavy suburb at its core that’s wonderful to walk through.
The trees contrast brilliantly with its mostly older, heritage-feeling houses to make for a significant streetscape. But, unfortunately, there’s not much in the way of modern construction here outside of a few newer apartment blocks, and its buildings are heavy on the charming brown and red-brick stylings of Sydney past.
Some of the gardens here are also spectacular, and Dulwich Hill is flora-rich as a whole, adding an extra layer of colour to the proceedings.
There’s an excellent variety of housing types on offer, too. Outside of its more expensive, turreted mid-sized Art Deco homes, it boasts plenty of high-density apartment blocks and handfuls of terraces as well. So no matter your stage of life or housing requirements, Dulwich Hill mostly has something to fit.
There are not too many blocks with large yards, but this is more of an Inner West living in general than a knock on Dulwich Hill in particular.
All this comes without feeling too pretentious or hipster, too. Its working-class origins are still clearly here, with smash repairs and auto shops and some light industry prevalent, with a splash of gentrification on top. Its layer of past Greek heritage can still be felt here and adds an extra exotic dash to the proceedings.
This diversity of backgrounds becomes more evident in the suburb’s south-western portion, where a higher concentration of lower-income, high-density apartment blocks are clustered as well. It’s a drastically different atmosphere to the rest of the suburb and a fair bit dirtier, but it offers more affordable accommodation for those who aren’t as cashed up.
This gentrification of recent years has led to a burgeoning cafe and small-scale restaurant scene full of charm.
There’s a range of communal-feeling local cafes oriented around street dining and a friendly buzz that makes it feel a little more lively than the average residential-heavy suburb in this part of Sydney. Small-scale bars and drinking spots have popped up, too, which helps round out its overall offerings.
It’s mostly limited to cafes and some restaurants and bars, however, as Dulwich Hill has no real large-scale shopping or big-box retail scene to speak of. There’s also little nightlife, and the demographic here trends older and more family-heavy as well.
There’s an IGA for daily supermarket needs and charming little delis and the like. Still, neither of the bigger chains has a presence here, and there’s not much in the way of more recognised fashion shopping or other daily services such as larger-scale medical. Neighbouring Marrickville has more to offer, so a quick trip isn’t too much of a hassle, but it somewhat lacks nonetheless.
Dulwich Hill is also generally relatively peaceful and quiet at street level. However, it does cop (a little of) the aircraft noise that some of the suburbs close to the airport have to deal with.
And that’s a reasonable price to pay given just how damn convenient the suburb is. It’s decked-out as far as public transport goes, with not only the Dulwich, as mentioned earlier, Hill heavy rail station but also multiple light rail connections and bus routes passing throughout.
Take your pick of enjoying a 20-minute public transport commute into the city, or jump in the car and hop on New Canterbury Road for central arterial access elsewhere. Its position near Marrickville (Vietnamese food, bit more shopping, breweries), Ashfield (Asian food, shopping), and Petersham (mix of Greek and Portuguese food in particular) means that you’ve got a host of variety right on your doorstep as well.
Price, then, is fast becoming one of the few downsides of potential life in Dulwich Hill. But, unfortunately, many have caught on to its combination of desirable traits. As a result – even despite its vast range of housing options – acquiring a property here is far from cheap.
Don’t expect to grab yourself even a smaller 2-bedroom home for anything under the $1.2 million mark, with most freestanding homes going for much higher.
The high concentration of older apartments means that its rental market is somewhat healthier, with a reasonable (given its location and pluses) weekly price for a 2-bedder hovering around the $500 mark.