StreetAdvisor Blog

The attraction of living near the beach

Even if they are not regular swimmers or surfers, many people find the fresh sea air and the sense of freedom of living near the ocean to be extremely attractive. Beachside property is at a premium around Australia. Here is what some recent coastal residents have to say about where they live on StreetAdvisor.

At Avalon, New South Wales (Overall Score 72.00), TimelyCopy says:

Avalon is a beautiful beachside suburb, bounded on the north by Palm Beach and the south by Bilgola. East is the Pacific Ocean and west is Pittwater, the home of the famous Pittwater yacht Club. When travelling near the Pittwater it is impossible to miss the many up-market yachts. Their colour adds a certain lustre to an already beautiful scene.

Avalon Golf Course is bordered by Old Barrenjoey Road to the west and Barrenjoey Road to the east. Eating and entertainment for residents and visitors is provided by cinemas, shops, an RSL club, 14 restaurants and cafes, as well as bowling and sailing clubs. The Surf Lifesaving club, Soccer Club, Junior Rugby League Club, and Avalon Netball Club provide an outlet for those who are interested in sport.

For me, I prefer lounging on the beach and working on my tan.

Nearby at Palm Beach, New South Wales (Overall Score 64.83), TimelyCopy says:

When I first went to Palm Beach in the northern beaches of Sydney, it was a quiet and sleepy retirement area. There were a couple of restaurants worth remembering of which Jonahs was the best. I haven't been there for some time but it was always worth the trip from Hunter's Hill on a Wednesday evening with the girlfriend who is now my wife.

Now the place seems to be more the home of more mature professionals. Mainly homes amongst the trees with a few units and businesses scattered along the main routes like Barrenjoey Road. There are no large shopping areas yet which is a real bonus.

The main attractions to me are the beaches which are clean. Palm Beach and Whale Beach seem to be kid safe and have plenty of parking. This is great for the weekend visitors even though I would think that the residents may not totally agree.

My memories of Palm Beach go back for more than 30 years and I have watched the area change and mature. It is still a favourite place. It is as laidback as any busy suburban professional area can be but still retains the atmosphere of a beach suburb.

At Dee Why, New South Wales (City Rank in New South Wales #65, Overall Score 58.71), sulley says of Arthur Street, Dee Why, New South Wales (Street Rank in Dee Why #2, Overall Score 87.24) that:

Lived here for 3 years, top end of the street has amazing views to Long Reef and Dee Why Point, out of the way yet within 2min walk of all amenities, and a 10min walk to the Beach. When the new town centre opens, it'll lift the entire area and the streets close by. Big plots are a rarity on the Northern Beaches, but Arthur Street has a lot of them. Very pretty green street, with lots of trees and a great school. Generally very quiet and friendly. Definitely one of the best in Dee Why.

At Elwood, Victoria (City Rank in Victoria #133, Overall Score 70.56), Twin says:

Elwood is unique as you are walking distance if you want the busy life of St Kilda or you can step back and enjoy the more quieter life of Elwood. It's walking distance to the beach and has great parks and tree lined streets. Ormond Rd, the main shopping strip, is always improving with the quality of shops and cafes. It's a terrific place to live.

Is where you live terrific? Or terrible? Share your local knowledge today on StreetAdvisor.com.au.

Putting some small towns on the map on StreetAdvisor

StreetAdvisor receives many street and suburb reviews in city areas, but fewer in regional areas. Gradually, however, reviews for smaller country towns are being added to StreetAdvisor. Here are some of the latest reviews of country towns around Australia.

At Wondai, Queensland (City Rank in Queensland #49, Overall Score 57.29), BunyaDave says of Burns Crescent, Wondai, Queensland (Street Rank in Wondai #2, Overall Score 85.16) that:

Burns Crescent is the sort of street where you know if you need a hand you could ask any nieghbour and they would lend a hand. Also our resident Emu keeps the little and not little kids entertained.

At Yering, Victoria (Overall Score 54.00), lauryn says:

Home to one of Victoria’s first wineries, Yering is a delightful suburb based roughly 40km from Melbourne. Bordering Christmas Hills, Tarrawarra, Yarra Glen, Bend of Islands, Coldstream and Gruyere, Yering is home to a lot of history and features a mansion built in 1854, part of which is today a restaurant, a group of self-contained cottages, the Yering Gorge, an equine centre and part of the Yarra River.

At Moss Vale, New South Wales (Overall Score 83.25), aqua says:

An English visitor might find that Moss Vale is home from home. It's green and lush with a decidedly cooler temperature than Sydney and a fresher, crisper atmosphere than the mugginess which permeates the coastal areas. Lying just in from the coast, Moss Vale is part of the Southern Highlands region of NSW and is only a drive of an hour and a half from Sydney on a very straight and comfortable freeway.

Moss Vale is a fantastic day trip for any visitor to Sydney, and if time permits; a great place to settle down for a few days and recharge the batteries while enjoying the countryside. Surrounding areas offer everything from forest to mountain to sea: so it's well worth the trip.

At Tanunda, South Australia (City Rank in South Australia #4, Overall Score 82.76), BVStar says of Langmeil Road, Tanunda, South Australia (Street Rank in Tanunda #1, Overall Score 85.87) that:

Langmeil Road is a long street, lined with big houses on quite large properties (some up to 1-2 acres) backing on to the North Para River. The views are spectacular, with rolling countryside and cliffs.

This area is only a couple of streets from the Main Street, but feels like it could be 1,000 miles from anywhere. It is a wonderful place to raise a family. The children will grow up with a true sense of adventure, having spent days exploring the hills, the nearby quarry and the creek. There is a large sporting complex across the road, with an oval, tennis courts and a swimming pool.

If you're online somewhere in regional or country Australia log in to StreetAdvisor.com.au today and tell us about where you live! If you're a traveller you can also tell us about what you find unique about the places you visit as you explore the country.

What's new in your neighborhood?

New reviews of neighborhoods throughout the country have been posted on StreetAdvisor recently. Here's some comments from the best of these reviews:

At Scottsdale South, Scottsdale, Arizona Neighborhood Rank in Scottsdale #1, Overall Score 84.79), trikke4life says:

This affordable neighborhood is less than 3 miles from the infamous Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall and other high-end shopping, restaurants and nightlife. Yet, if you are looking for a safe place to nestle in with your children, this area has a city park in walking/jogging/strollering distance, boasting an outdoor pool, soccer complex, small lake surrounded by a walking/jogging path, and softball park.

Local grocery shopping includes Basha's, Walgreens (1/4 mile away), Safeway (3/4 mile away) and Albertson's (about 2 miles away). As you walk the quiet neighborhood, you wills see Camelback Mountain in the near distance, clean wide streets, and pride of ownership.

At Mary Holmes, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Overall Score 64.39), bovineovine says:

I really liked visiting this neighborhood. There is nothing like walking down 3rd Ave at night, when Block E is all lit up, activity is stirring and someone undoubtedly is being kicked out of a bar. The local restaurants are a nice place to sit down and enjoy some classy stylish eating without paying the “classy” prices. The only things that make this a good place to visit and not live are the fact that the public transportation is almost non-existent for a major metropolitan and the cost of living is too darn high.

At Overbrook, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Overall Score 65.74), jash18 says:

The rent is low, and it is very easy to find an apartment here. I have lived in Presidential Apartments for more than a year, and I find it a comfortable place to stay. The buildings are a bit old, but they have all the basic amenities, plenty of parking space is available, and each apartment block also has it's own gym, which is absolutely free. And if you want to go shopping, you can just walk to the Target superstore in a matter of minutes.

You also have plenty of dining options available, like TGI Fridays, California Pizza kitchen, and Pei Wei. If are still not satisfied, and want more options you can always go to Bala Cynwyd, which is just a five minute drive by car, and you can shop at Acme or Radio shack, and eat at Chili's or Olive garden. Public transportation is available at regular intervals, and the bus stop is just a five minutes walk from the apartment. Overall this is place that is best for those who want to save some money, and enjoy some comfort at the same time.

At Wicker Park, Chicago, Illinois (Neighborhood Rank in Chicago #24, Overall Score 61.45), jm954 says:

Wicker Park is a neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago and is one of the most loved, hated and well-known parts of the city. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the neighborhood cost a fraction of what it does today to live in and was home to a thriving artistic community. However, as Chicago began a phase of rapid growth in the mid 1990s, Wicker Park fell victim to gentrification.

Property values increased, the city of Chicago began growing, and the neighborhood found itself populated by an influx of young professionals and families, often moving there from outside the city. No other in the neighborhood has such a large percentage of young people. An array of businesses whose variety is only rivaled in the Loop itself moved into the area. Art galleries, record stores and any sort of strange shop or store a person could think of line the commercial streets. At all hours of the night, the streets of Wicker Park are buzzing with activity.

At Downtown, St. Louis, Missouri (Neighborhood Rank in St. Louis #3, Overall Score 76.38), cityguystl says:

Downtown St. Louis is a very special place -- but it's a shame the majority of the St. Louis area feels otherwise. Yes, the city government isn't the most efficient, but more people in the area need to embrace urban living and appreciate the downtown we have.

The biggest downfall of downtown St. Louis is the passive local government, who spends more time looking out for their "good ol' boys club" than the residents. The other problem is the seemingly overwhelming focus on parking and cars -- parking garages are the most important commodity, and many people refuse to use (or vote to fund) public transportation.

As a result, bus service and light rail services are highly inefficient and under-funded. People in the area generally view St. Louis downtown as unsafe at night; this is untrue, unless interacting with different ethnicity is scary to you.

StreetAdvisor is a special place too - where you can share you experiences about where you live, or research the places you'd like to live. What is the cost of living? What are the transport problems? How good are the schools? StreetAdvisor.com is the place to discuss all of these local issues.

New city and suburb reviews in Queensland Australia

In previous recent posts we have looked at some of the better suburbs and cities in Victoria and New South Wales in Australia. This post continues on with this theme to look at what is new in the state of Queensland.

Bardon, Queensland (City Rank in Queensland #23, Overall Score 73.20) is an excellent suburb to live in, in the greater Brisbane area. It's most definitely on my top ten list of suburbs I'd settle down in. It's streets are mostly quiet and tree lined, featuring lovely cottages and renovated old Brisbane dames. It's close enough to the city for a quick commute and the public transport system is excellent from here.

The road works that plagued the area in the last few years are now over and traffic is a lot more manageable. There are some great schools and daycare centres here, not to mention awesome cafes and boutique shops. Bardon has all of the benefits of living in the city, without the noise, hustle and bustle and grittiness. I do so love Bardon.

Hawthorne, Queensland (City Rank in Queensland #26, Overall Score 72.19) is located on the south east side of Brisbane, close to both Balmoral and Bulimba. I think that it's a fantastic suburb with much to offer anybody, from the elderly, to the young families that reside there. The Hawthorne cinemas have long been an institution in the suburb, with most people in Brissy attending them at some time in their life. With an old world charm, they offer a cheaper alternative to the faceless theatre complexes.

The cafes in Hawthorne are excellent and there are some fantastic public primary schools in the district. The commute into town is a comfortable drive, but there's also ferry and bus options. It has a rather well to do feel to the area and it's quite green with plenty of parks. Mums pushing prams are common sight.

Ipswich, Queensland (Overall Score 74.00) is about a 40km drive west of Brisbane and is a thriving community with plenty of growth. There is plenty to do including looking at the many historic buildings this town has. The suburb has some really good restaurants and bistros as well as plenty of shopping with major shopping centres as well and smaller boutique and specialty shops scattered area the district. Living in Ipswich has many advantages with schools, sporting and recreational facilities and home prices still with reach but rising quickly.

Toowong, Queensland (City Rank in Queensland #37, Overall Score 66.04) seems to be right in the thick of things, but manages to retain it's charm and individual flair. Chock a block full of students from St Lucia, it's buzzing with energy and fun. There are some awesome restaurants- i.e Sushi, Italian, etc. The shopping is great with almost all of the retail outlets you could ask for. The main drag past the suburb, Coronation Dve, is a little busy for me, but further west in the burbs are some cute character houses that are still quite affordable.

The pubs in the area are famous with Brisbane Uni students and the night life is sensational. Transport is great, with ferries, buses and close proximity to the CBD. I thoroughly recommend the suburb for anybody, from student to young families.

Life in St Lucia, Queensland (City Rank in Queensland #9, Overall Score 84.11) is surprisingly quiet and reflective when you consider the amount of activity and buzz surrounding the suburb. The colleges at U.Q mean that the suburb is always teeming with young people and the energy that goes hand in hand with the youth. I was once one of those youth and thoroughly loved living there.

The house blocks seem quite generous, the older brick style houses sit on pretty, winding roads and cafes and restaurants all compete for the patronage of bludging students. The transport from the uni itself is also top notch, with ferries and buses available most of the day and night. The village itself offers grocery stores and some great entertainment venues.

You can share the love about where you live today on StreetAdvisor.com.au.