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.

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