Ellenbrook. Safe and friendly place for outgoing poms?
8 Answers
No. Government housing at a rate of 1 in every 8. Nothing wrong with this but you can draw your own conclusions. Nowehere near anything. Way away from any transport link. NOTHING to do for teens, which has its consequences.
There are many other 'better' places you could choose.
Ellenbrook is fine. As a pom moving here I find it very,very safe -any "youth" or crime issues are very over egged, Beirut this isn't - but, like much of Perth, a tad dull. It is a good place to raise kids. Driving to the CzbD is 40-50 mins off peak, 60 ish in the rush hour. Public transport from bus stop in Ellenbrook to Perth station 60 mins.. Demographically it is middle of the road upper working class but young ( lots of kids). However it is more skilled, aspirational trades than rusted on old labor, lots of fly in fly out workers, it being handy for the airport and a nicer place to live and affordable - most places 20mins drive from there fail on one of these scores. Yes, a few cashed up bogans, but also lots of average people and 10% professional. It isn't Claremont, a visit to the shops will reveal more than a few ugg boots and singlets, but it isn't Midland or Balga by a long shot.
Ignore the "1 in 8" homes west comments, I challenge you to spot the homes west houses. I know of 3 near me all of which have good tenants/families.; I can point to the same number of private rentals with tenants who are trouble and don't keep up the gardens. When I rented in Subiaco there were more problem homes west tenants around. Don't get me wrong there may be a few, my point is you get them in "private estates" too, especially with lots of rentals, open your eyes to neighbours when viewing any house.
How things Change in 2 years.
We moved to Henley Brook after looking at Ellenbrook and surrounding suburbs 2 years ago and now we cant wait to get out..
The Mining Boom has given a lot of people opportunity to please the banks to make them acceptable for the good old Aussie house loan which is a good thing but it also has its downside.We have a term for the Australian Redneck who we call Cashed Up Bogans who have made their homes in EllenBrook and surrounding suburbs.
You will have their kids riding motocross bikes in the public parks and streets to all hours not to mention the parents big loud V8s all coming and going at all hours with the stereos up ..
Burnouts are a good indication of where your buying so check the roads on your way around and it would be worth the trip back on the Friday and Saturday nights to see the local traffic and noise.
Forget the Police station its only manned part time and closes at night with the nearest response time of 15 to 30mins from Midland..
Time to sell up we wish you all the best if you choose to move out here..
Good luck.
Being an ex-resident of Henley Brook, which is an offshoot of Ellenbrook, I can only offer you what I know from living in that area. Petty crimes have increased and there is a lot of middle-class families. With this in mind, it is not a bad place to live at all. Major shopping outlets, local police station, commercial area to the north and a very good public transport arrangement means if you find the right property you're laughing. It had/has it's youth issues but it's nowhere near as bad as the suburbia-proper closer to Perth.
My parents have built twice in the area now and they've never had any major complaints. I say go for it.
Ellenbrook is the place to be. It is cleaner and more friendly than nearly every other suburb in perth, it has more schools and parks compared to other suburbs of similar size. It has heaps to do for kids and teenagers - there are dozens of skate parks, BMX tracks, lakes, parks, 2 gyms, a large indoor swimming pool, a theatre, a large shopping centre, a pool and snooker centre, games arcades, walking trails, sporting clubs and rec centres, the list goes on. It is a mini city in its own right so the fact that it is not "close" to the CBD is irrellevant because all you ever need is right on your doorstep. There are numerous medical centres, vets, beauticians, mechanics, shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants, childare centres, etc. and the best part is you are right on the door step of the Swan Valley so you are surrounded by beautiful scenery and plenty more restaurants and animal parks etc. You also have Whiteman Park down the road which is beautiful for family picnics and wildlife. Some people seem to think that it is 'ages away' from everything when in actual fact you are only approx 15 minutes from 3 major shopping centres (Midland,Joondalup & Morley) plus you have access to every major highway. There is a bus station with transperth buses going to Morley and Midland and a trainline to be built in the future. It has the best value for money in perth with some of the nicest new houses cheaper than some of the ugly dogboxes seen in many other parts of perth. It has the highest growth rate than any other suburb in WA and for good reason. You cant go wrong here, there is something for everyone. I have heard alot of people say "oh but its so far away' yet they have never actually made the drive to find out, it is no further than say Armdale or Joondalup (its actually closer to the city and airport than either of these), and I actually like the fact that it is not cramped inbetween other suburbs, it has a great country community feel.
Poms are welcome anywhere in Australia, especially if they are outgoing!!
Can I ask what part of Ellenbrook is the worst? I know everyone says Homeswest tenants are the worst but mum & I live in Homeswest and we are very quiet people who stick to ourselves. We are looking for a quiet area to move to as mum is unwell and we are sick of the crap we have been putting up with from the tenants in private rentals. So, you say stay away from this whole area?? Thanks...