ImmilBees Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Hi all, there's a sticky thread about suburbs but the last post was 2013. Things can change in a year so thought i'd start a fresh one, any pictures too would be great for visual references. What suburb are you in? What are the schools like? community like? shops? how far from city/beach? public transport? What is there to do? rent? house prices? family vibe or young couples/singles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJT Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 (edited) Hello I live in Scarborough and love it, it has a buzz about it as on the sea front there are restaurants and cafes, an amphitheater where nearly every weekend there is lots going on, it is in catchment for a fantastic state High School, Churchlands, but there are also two private schools nearby, it takes my hubby less than 15 mins to get into the CBD, but we are also quite central to nearly everything, other than the hills. What I don't like is Scarborough Beach Road, as it is quite an ugly looking road, with some very tatty properties on it, which makes Scarborough look a bit dingy and grey, but take any one road off the main road, and there are beautiful tree lined roads with lots of parks about. I am also a bit of a hypocrite, as the new house we have just brought is literally five mins walk from Scarborough Beach Road, and we chose this house for when the kids get older, as it means they are very close to a main bus route, so the kids can get to where ever they like,without having to always rely on us as taxi drivers. Also Scarborough beach is not the safest beaches for young children due to the big waves and we tend to drive to quieter safer beaches, but I do love the fact that we can take a gentle stroll, sit in the amphitheater, drinking our take away coffee from Peters and watch the world go by, but then we would never walk from our house to spend the day on the beach, you still need your car for the surf boards, eski, beach bags, sun chairs etc, so that does not bother us and when the kids get older, they can literally chuck on their wetsuits, take a very very short walk to the beach with their surfboard and just hang out with their mates on the beach. The good news is though that apparently they are going to be upgrading the main road and have planned a $30m renovation program, so in a few years Scarborough Beach Road will look completely different anyway. Edited June 20, 2014 by SJT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 (edited) Fremantle The oldest development in WA. Lots of history; prison, whaling tunnel, fishing boat harbour, arts centre. There are lots of music venues, bars, restaurants and cafes. A few markets, loads of events, free gigs, Blues and Roots festival, stunning architecture. There's also the most amazing community, people who are very passionate about our little town and give up extraordinary amounts of their time to support it. Markets; Fishing Boat Harbour; Fantastic new skate park; Street performers; And the famous Cappuccino Strip; There isn't much I don't like. People talk as if the Cap Strip on Friday and Saturday nights is a war zone but we've walked through there numerous times and never had any bother. It does get busy at weekends and most locals only go in to town during the week because of the holiday makers and day trippers. There are some run down buildings, mainly spaces where developers and planners are embroiled in lengthy planning disputes. To see the true Freo you have to live here and be part of the community, it's an extraordinary place. Edited June 17, 2014 by portlaunay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 We would have lived in Freo if we could afford it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 I live in Connolly. It is close to shops, transport, freeway and beach. It has a great Primary School and the High Schools are improving IMO. Can't think of anything bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 We would have lived in Freo if we could afford it! Prices have come down a lot over the past 18 months. As Le Corbusier said, a home is merely a machine for living and spending money on anything more than is necessary seems a waste to me. Living in Freo we actually spend little time in the house and location is everything for us so rather than go for a house in the burbs with a pool, a/c, a spare room or two we have something small but in a great location. If we did move to Joondalup we'd probably have five beds, a double garage, pool, cinema room and a drive but none of those things are important to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Bayswater. Pros :- On the train line, quiet, 8km from the city (zone 1), close to the airport/Tonkin (but no noise), local shops (IGA, Chinese supermarket, hairdressers, pharmacy, chippy, cafe, bottle shop, library and pub). Morley is round the corner for a big shop, close to the river and a huge dog park. Several parks dotted about. Possibility of being the last train station before the diversion to the airport (so more trains, and easy to get flights). Cons :- Not near the beach (if that's your thing), no quick route to the city/freeway (its 10mins drive), only one pub, people driving tall trucks and buses into the railway bridge causing traffic issues. It's going through a change where old houses are coming down and new ones going up. Road works currently making the main street more pedestrian friendly. Coffin Cheater's clubhouse (but I've had no issues). OAP home is to be renovated to double the number of people there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verystormy Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Dawesville Love the fact the blocks are a good size - we are building on 600m. Love being next to the beach. Love the wildlife - yesterday saw osprey, dolphins, Roos, and we have a falcon that lives with us. Love it is very quiet. Love the fact houses are better priced - our house build is costing $500k including land for a beach side block with views. Dislike. It is a mission to go anywhere by public transport - half hour walk, half hour bus to get to mandurah. The weather is not for everyone as we tend to get the worst of the storms. But I like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkiwd Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 I agree porty but couldn't afford a 5x2 with pool in decent suburb either, gone for a nice 3x1 in Kingsley, the 2 orange trees in the garden sold it to me! who needs a spare room anyway, plenty of room in garden for a tent when rellies come to stay Prices have come down a lot over the past 18 months. As Le Corbusier said, a home is merely a machine for living and spending money on anything more than is necessary seems a waste to me. Living in Freo we actually spend little time in the house and location is everything for us so rather than go for a house in the burbs with a pool, a/c, a spare room or two we have something small but in a great location. If we did move to Joondalup we'd probably have five beds, a double garage, pool, cinema room and a drive but none of those things are important to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arwen Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Prices have come down a lot over the past 18 months. As Le Corbusier said, a home is merely a machine for living and spending money on anything more than is necessary seems a waste to me. Living in Freo we actually spend little time in the house and location is everything for us so rather than go for a house in the burbs with a pool, a/c, a spare room or two we have something small but in a great location. If we did move to Joondalup we'd probably have five beds, a double garage, pool, cinema room and a drive but none of those things are important to us. Not that i live in Joondalup but I am not sure why everyone seems to mention this suburb when talking about the typical house purchased by immigrants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Not that i live in Joondalup but I am not sure why everyone seems to mention this suburb when talking about the typical house purchased by immigrants. Do they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druid Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Every one I meet here and say hello to is English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish, so I guess Joondalup is where most UK migrants end up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abc Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Every one I meet here and say hello to is English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish, so I guess Joondalup is where most UK migrants end up Or is it because the Aussie's won't talk to you!!! Lmao ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realitynotincluded Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Greenwood... Old style homes mostly with big gardens most seem to have swimming pools...mid range mortgages very few exceeding $600+ central to everything.... surrounded by shopping centres .... about 10mins to 15mins from Hilary's harbour depending on traffic lights. Selection of primary and secondary and private schools all seem to offer academic or sport gifted and talented programs. Two train stations to choose from... loads of buses. Mostly consists of family's with young children.. a few hoons... and some oldies thrown in for good measure... mostly Australian with a few crazy Irish and English thrown in. very much into AFL, and Lacrosse... highly motivated to get kids to meet up at big sporting events. Lots of parks all dog friendly. Big cinema in nearby Warwick just opened their gold lounge so you need to remortgage your home for that special movie night. Every conceivable take out for those who don't care to cook... anything from deep fried to raw fish. Several gyms for those fit fanatics... also seen to preform in parks during summer evenings...much to the delight of my dog who chases them... and pinches anything that resembles a ball. l am now the proud owner of five lacrosse balls... Not a exciting suburb... you need to leave the comfort of your home to find excitement in the city or anywhere that seems to want more than a tv for comfort.... lights out folks its 9pm... but l am a grumpy ole cow who now finds these quiet evenings quite relaxing.... except when playing taxi......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 I love my suburb, not much has changed really since I probably wrote on the suburb post - the High School has had some excellent results in the past few years which may mean they take less outside the catchment area. Primary schools have a good reputation. Great for getting into the city (10 mins from Murdoch station) 20 mins to Freo and the beach. House prices have risen - Median to buy is about $728,000 and to rent you'd be looking at $550 pw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellar6 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hi thanks for all the info, anyone know anything about Aubin grove or surrounding areas for schools and family life? looking at this area as wife will hopefully have a job at Fiona Stanley hospital Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossmoyne Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 I have friends who live in Aubin Grove, have done so for nearly 5 years and they love it. Children attend the Primary School and they are happy with that. He commutes to the city by driving to Cockburn Central train station, and is looking forward to the new Aubin Grove station being built soon. Being a new suburb though it means that there is plenty of building still going on, so depending on which part of the suburb you live, you could end up with constant noise and dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellar6 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Thanks Rossmoyne, is south generally better than north? Sounds a bit like the UK divide lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Thanks Rossmoyne, is south generally better than north? Sounds a bit like the UK divide lol We are talking about a city, not a country!! nice places south, north, east. personally I would be asking what you are looking for from a suburb, also where you will be working. but if working at Fiona Stanley, personally I think you would would be mad to look and live north. aubin grove is good as is success, Hammond park. Anywhere on the southern corridor is ace. The Kwinana freway flows really, much better than the north ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hi thanks for all the info, anyone know anything about Aubin grove or surrounding areas for schools and family life?looking at this area as wife will hopefully have a job at Fiona Stanley hospital I don't know a lot but it's close to Fiona Stanley and an easy commute to Perth. Lots of building work, so lots of opportunities to buy and build your own home but downside is it's off the freeway and not a lot else nearby... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scot01 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 "Nice places south, north, east" what about west? Probably the nicest places in the western suburbs but it comes at a price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beandownunder Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hello I live in Scarborough and love it, it has a buzz about it as on the sea front there are restaurants and cafes, an amphitheater where nearly every weekend there is lots going on, it is in catchment for a fantastic state High School, Churchlands, but there are also two private schools nearby, it takes my hubby less than 15 mins to get into the CBD, but we are also quite central to nearly everything, other than the hills. What I don't like is Scarborough Beach Road, as it is quite an ugly looking road, with some very tatty properties on it, which makes Scarborough look a bit dingy and grey, but take any one road off the main road, and there are beautiful tree lined roads with lots of parks about. I am also a bit of a hypocrite, as the new house we have just brought is literally five mins walk from Scarborough Beach Road, and we chose this house for when the kids get older, as it means they are very close to a main bus route, so the kids can get to where ever they like,without having to always rely on us as taxi drivers. Also Scarborough beach is not the safest beaches for young children due to the big waves and we tend to drive to quieter safer beaches, but I do love the fact that we can take a gentle stroll, sit in the amphitheater, drinking our take away coffee from Peters and watch the world go by, but then we would never walk from our house to spend the day on the beach, you still need your car for the surf boards, eski, beach bags, sun chairs etc, so that does not bother us and when the kids get older, they can literally chuck on their wetsuits, take a very very short walk to the beach with their surfboard and just hang out with their mates on the beach. The good news is though that apparently they are going to be upgrading the main road and have planned a $160m renovation program, so in a few years Scarborough Beach Road will look completely different anyway. SJT, you have totally sold me on Scarborough! sounds fab :-) J x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bibbs Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 "Nice places south, north, east" what about west? Probably the nicest places in the western suburbs but it comes at a price! I'd suggest that most new UK migrants can't afford to live west. It's either old Australians who bought before it was too expensive, or rich Asian migrants. Well, that's the details I get from family that live in Dalkeith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
portlaunay Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hello I live in Scarborough and love it, it has a buzz about it as on the sea front there are restaurants and cafes, an amphitheater where nearly every weekend there is lots going on, it is in catchment for a fantastic state High School, Churchlands, but there are also two private schools nearby, it takes my hubby less than 15 mins to get into the CBD, but we are also quite central to nearly everything, other than the hills. What I don't like is Scarborough Beach Road, as it is quite an ugly looking road, with some very tatty properties on it, which makes Scarborough look a bit dingy and grey, but take any one road off the main road, and there are beautiful tree lined roads with lots of parks about. I am also a bit of a hypocrite, as the new house we have just brought is literally five mins walk from Scarborough Beach Road, and we chose this house for when the kids get older, as it means they are very close to a main bus route, so the kids can get to where ever they like,without having to always rely on us as taxi drivers. Also Scarborough beach is not the safest beaches for young children due to the big waves and we tend to drive to quieter safer beaches, but I do love the fact that we can take a gentle stroll, sit in the amphitheater, drinking our take away coffee from Peters and watch the world go by, but then we would never walk from our house to spend the day on the beach, you still need your car for the surf boards, eski, beach bags, sun chairs etc, so that does not bother us and when the kids get older, they can literally chuck on their wetsuits, take a very very short walk to the beach with their surfboard and just hang out with their mates on the beach. The good news is though that apparently they are going to be upgrading the main road and have planned a $160m renovation program, so in a few years Scarborough Beach Road will look completely different anyway. I think Scarborough has a bit of buzz about it. The shocking Rendezvous is supposed to be lovely now it's had its refirb and the MRA are going to be doing a lot of work to polish up those tired areas; http://www.mra.wa.gov.au/Projects/Scarborough/About-the-Project/FAQ/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJT Posted June 20, 2014 Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 When we came to activate our visa I would not even stop at Scarborough Beach for a coffee, as it seemed too touristy, and I did not want to live somewhere like that and i have to say the Rendezvous does spoil the look a bit, as all along the coast there are no big hotels, which is great. When we moved out here last July our short term let was in Wembley Downs, and once the kids started the High School we were restricted on where to live. Scarborough is the closest borough to the school that we can afford to live in, so our long term rental fell into place. After living here for 10 months, we just love it, we don't on planning living here forever, just until my youngest leaves High School. At the moment it suits our needs, shops, gyms, doctors, beach, NOR/SOR are all in easy distance and we can go exploring either NOR/SOR/West whenever we feel like it and it does not feel too much hassle to do these things. Porty we love Freo too and I love my trips to there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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