Clarkson, WA 6030

Husband and I bought almost 12 months ago in Clarkson and we couldn't be happier. We were originally hesitant about the area as the rumours we had heard but I think this was based on 10 years ago. We love how close we are to everything parks with big shady trees decent shopping centre up the road. Mindarie marina and Quinns beach is only a 5 min drive away. We bought in what was considered the older part of Clarkson big block, quiet street and lovely neighbors.

With Mindarie Marina and pristine beaches to the west and train station to the east, Clarkson has so much to offer. Well serviced by Ocean Keys Shopping Precinct and excellent schools it is very family oriented. As well as that, you will find renting or buying in the area much more affordable than many neighboring suburbs.

I bought a house here just short of a year ago and live in one of the many quite cul de sacs off of Connolly drive. What attracted me was location and type of property, there are a number of more established houses (20-30 years) in this area that offer decent plot sizes, with pools and a good number if bedrooms - where as all the new housing was crammed in like sardines with small rooms.

Location wise we are 2km from the train station to the city and 2.5km to the beach. We lived sour of river when we first got here and parking for the train (bull creek) was a nightmare with one small car park that filled up by 7am. Clarkson has an express train to the city which is about 35 mins - although I added about 10 extrastops in my commute only increased by 5 minutes due to lack of traffic to get to the station, also a bonus you can always get a seat being at the top end of the line. The commuter trains run around every 15mins at peak time and are pretty good later in the evening if you stop in the city for drinks.

Locally fo entertainment there's not heaps but pretty standard for an Oz suburb, The Whale n Ale is okay for pub food, quiz night etc and they have a big party night once a month. We tend to go down to the Mindarie Marina which is 5 mins in a cab and is a good spot nice scenery, chilled out with plenty of friendly 30+ expats . We were having troubles getting a cab one night and one of the bar staff gave us a lift home so very nice community pub - there is also a fun group of guys who run golf days there, charter boats etc. the other pub at the marina is the Indian Ocean pacific which is a micro brewery with some nice ales. The cornerstone pub in jindalee is also supposed to be a good one but we haven't tried that yet.

Food wise best place for a restaurant sit down is Portofinos at mindarie beach they have a cafe in the day time great for brekky with the paper and lunches it has beautiful sea views and floor to ceiling windows good service, friendly, average city prices. The restaurant opens at 4 and in the summer they open the beer garden and often have acoustic musicians/singers so nice and all very chilled out.

Masala curry house is awesome take away and sit down I recommend the lamb korma! They are also gold plate winners. Plenty of fish n chips best or most English is Jindalee. Then there is your standard Burger King (hungry jacks), Maccas, KFC, Pizza Hut, dominoes etc. and a couple of little cafs' by the beaches.

Community wise everyone is pretty friendly, and we met most of our neighbours now and been invited round for BBQ's. Scool wise the best is the big catholic school between mindarie and clarkson and has a good rep. Plenty of little child care centres dotted around as well.

Beaches are plenty, mindarie is patrolled, then there are heaps stretching up the coast, we tend to drive 15 mins up the road to Yanchep Lagoon which is hemmed in by reef so you can have a float around in the calm water, snorkel etc. fishing is good all round this area and there are plenty of people with boats as well.

Shopping is okay but set to get better as there is $300m extension being added to ocean keys shopping centre, there is already two big supermarkets in the mall, plus big W which is good for cheap prices in heaps of stuff including all your kids gear, then some boutique surf shops and jewellery shops,
Higher end designer isn't really catered for up here but Joondalup Gate is building a big Myers at present so won't be long. Joondalup is about 15 mins drive south and the mall there is better for cloths shopping.

Clarkson is fairly well developed and has a couple if churches, primary and secondary school, vets, doctors, chiropractors, car dealerships, garages, fishing shops, library, gyms, big hardware shops bunnings, beacon lighting, pool shop, steak house, several petrol stations, car wash, bottle shops, pizza, laundrette/dry cleaners, nandos, TAFE College, furniture shops, carpet shops, etc so most stuff you can find on your door step.

There's a couple of parks the big one is sat next to the primary school and on the weekends is a cricket oval one day for the local team, then rugby and football for the kids the next.

All in all a great place, plenty of bang for your buck property wise if you look at the more established areas, and close enough to transport you can still do the city job an have a big house near the beach.

We have lived in Clarkson for over 16years now and we live in State Housing. We came here when it was just a few houses and no shops etc. We have watched it grow and it has grown a lot. I can honestly tell you its not always State Housing tenants that cause problems. We are surrounded by 3 private rentals who made our lives hell for a few years. Stereos, fighting, parties, dogs barking etc. We complained and finally something was done. Now, we have good tentants in there thankgod. As for living in Clarkson you have your good and your bad in all sorts of housing. I can tell you the places where not to live and I am sure its in all suburbs, even ones without State Housing. Anyway, you have everything at your fingertips here. Shops, beach, medical facilities, transport, child care facilities, schools, fast food, vets etc and its only going to get better with the shopping centre expanding. In summer you get lovely sea breezes and in winter we mostly miss the crappy weather you get down south. Like I said, you have your trouble here I am not saying you don't. It does depend on where you go here so do your research or ask locals like myself. Good, affordable area and you are close to the beach for the kids. Please keep in mind that if there is State Housing in the area the tenants may not be as bad as what you think...And no, I am not doing this review on behalf of a real estate agency:)

My partner and I moved here almost a year ago and we really love it. We're paying the same for a new 3/2 house with a double garage as we were paying for an old, small, 2nd floor apartment with no secure parking in Mount Lawley so for us the move made a lot of sense.

The area is very new and clean and I feel quite safe walking around, even on my own at night. Our neighbours are friendly and although we are only about 2 minutes walk from the shopping centre and High Street (with the Whale + Ale pub) it's very quiet and we've never had any issues with noise. There is a nice community feel and a good selection of shops which will be increasing soon with the expansion and upgrading of Ocean Keys Shopping Centre in 2013/14. Joondalup is about 15 minutes drive away where you will find the closest public swimming pool at Joondalup Arena and every shop you could possibly need at Lakeside Shopping Centre or in the surrounding retail parks.

Somerly has a good selection of take-away food outlets and some good restaurants although a few more wouldn't go amiss. There is only 1 pub (the aforementioned Whale + Ale) which also has a restaurant attached. The pub is OK although I've rarely seen it busy and the restaurant serves large portions of well-priced, typical pub food (nice but not the highest quality). They have live bands on most weeks - some good, some not so good, quizzes, tribute acts, and lots of special food nights (curry, steak etc.) where you get a meal and a drink for a reduced price. There are plenty of gyms and fitness clubs in the area, a couple of which are open 24-hrs, and at least one gym specifically for women which also has a creche. The only thing the area is missing is a pool but I'm sure that will come in time and in the meantime, Joondalup isn't far (or you can brave the ocean).

We are about 5-10 minutes drive (or 15-20 min cycle) from the beautiful, uncrowded Quinns beach where you will find the fantastic Portifino's restaurant - I definitely recommend trying this place! Mindarie Marina is a similar distance away where you will find the closest boat / jet-ski launch site, lots of nice cafes / restaurants and a few more pubs. There are also companies offering chartered fishing trips or boat trips from Mindarie.

There are plenty of local parks although all very new so mostly just grass with the odd lake thrown in for good measure! You only need to drive for 20 minutes East or North though before you're out in the Bush and to the East you will find the beautiful Avon Valley or North is Yanchep National Park.

About an hour North you can go off-roading in the dunes or drive along the beach at Ledge Point and Lancelin is not much further beyond that. You find a lot of people into off-roading here in the far Northern suburbs.

The trains are very reliable and frequent and it only takes just over 30 mins to get to Perth. The commute into the city by car though is pretty horrible and can take over an hour at peak times, especially if it's raining. For me I would say that's the biggest downside to living in Somerly but it definitely doesn't outweigh all the positive aspects. We're only renting at present but I would be quite happy to buy a place here when we are in a position to.

Been living in Somerley about 6 months. Moved from the city, so the quietness of the burbs takes a bit of getting used to. However, shopping for groceries and hardware is close and easy. Pretty much anything you can't find in Clarkson you can find at the giant mall or the business park in Joondalup. Commuting to the city is easy- the train ride is about 35 minutes. For the wife and I it was a much better option than living closer to the city, taking a bus to a train station and then a train to the city. We are walking distance to the train, so it's perfect for getting to/from work or going for a few cheeky pints with friends in Leederville or Perth. The local population is a mixed bag- sure there are some bogans, but there are lots of ex-pats (like my wife and I), and lots of young families. The area couldn't be cleaner- it's actually a bit "too new" for my taste at the moment, but as the trees grow it will become more homey. If you like to surf there is a good (uncrowded!) break at Mindarie Keys. Yanchep National Park isn't too far away (15 minutes by car), and there are a few golf courses 10-15 minutes away by car. You do see some teenagers roaming the streets up to no good, but seriously? Show me a suburb without that in any industrialized country. OK, maybe not Singapore, but until we start caning children in Oz it's pretty much inevitable that kids will wander around getting into trouble.

Myself and my wife lived here in a new house we bought for 8 months. Our neighbour was from hell - a total bogan (Clarkson is full of them). Our house was in the new part of Clarkson (Somerly). Our neighbour had two big dogs that would keep us up till the early hours of the morning. He played music that could be heard in every (but one) room of our house. It was hell. We finally sold for a massive loss and moved to the city close to the beach. We will never ever ever live in such a suburb ever again. The drive to the city was also a nightmare. It was a disaster of a decision to buy here.

If you're a you 20 something or a first time home buyer this is the perfect place to start. Nice area, a good old fashioned suburbia. Stay away from the main roads or the Juveniles will start banging your fence at night and smashing bottles. Kids need a good belting other than that a great suburb to start in.

Very modern. The train connection makes it so convenient yet still affordable. I am sure its not gonna be like this for long, thumbs up to this upcoming suburb.

From friends and a family member who lives there's experiences, Home break-ins, cars being vandalised, bored youths roaming the streets, someone asking to hide in their garage so a group of people couldn't find him and stab him, seem to be the norm. Plenty of homeswest or 'state housing' and thus the same associated people in the area. Same applies for the suburbs of Merriwa and Ridgewood, these suburbs commonly known as "Balga by the sea". Many people simply buy here because it's close to the coast and relatively cheap (yet most of them hardly go to the beach?). If you can afford it I would recommend Hillarys, Kallaroo, Mullaloo or Ocean reef for this. Otherwise I would consider Craigie, Beldon and Heathridge which are coastal suburbs too - however much more central and also close to the coast, with much less undesirable behaviours and neighbours.
Hope this helps.

Perks are that it is not far from the coast but it can be quite windy up on the northern beaches of Perth burbs. For a new suburb it seems to have pretty good infrastructure although it is too far north for me personally.

Loads of family parks/BBQ areas, kids play areas. Great for families. Train, schools, shops right on your doorstep and beach 5 minutes away. Somerly (new estate) Fresh, bright lovely place to live.

We've been living in the old part of Clarkson for 5 years, in a quiet cul-de-sac, and we just love it! Nothing to complain about, we are close to the beach and have all the shops we need at Ocean Keys shopping center. The local library is great with a special area for the kiddies and there are plenty of medical centers around. It's very relaxed living which we love.

Myself and my partner moved here in November 2009 and love it! Everything is so close.. trainstation, shops.. pretty much anything you can think of is in Clarkson! Its clean, new and has a modern feel to the place. We feel very safe living here. We've met our neighbours who range from young singles, couples to families.