Buying in Sydney: Where is the Inner West and what are the Eastern Suburbs?

At Buyers Domain buyers agents, we are often asked what the terms "Inner West" and "Eastern Suburbs" mean and what suburbs are included in these areas. As a high number of our clients look for properties in these areas, we thought that the following information may be useful.

Inner West

The suburbs of the Inner West are predominantly located along the south of the Parramatta River stretching south as far as the Cooks River and as far west as Strathfield.

The Inner West is not a precisely defined area and the term is generally used to describe the part of Sydney that is immediately to the west of the CBD.

According to The Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Inner Western Sydney statistical region comprises only the Local government Areas of Canada Bay, Ashfield, Burwood and Strathfield. In addition to these areas, suburbs in the Local Government Areas of Leichhardt (which include Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Rozelle, Annandale and Balmain) and Marrickville (Newtown, Enmore, Stanmore Petersham and Marrickville) are universally regarded as being at the core of the Inner West.

Some suburbs which form part of the Local Government Area of the City of Sydney such as Glebe and Erskineville, are also often regarded as being part of the Inner West.

Housing Styles: Much of the Inner West is characterised by medium to high density housing in the form of double and single storey terrace houses, workmen's cottages, semis and californian bungalows. The area is popular for first home buyers, investors, couples and families with budgets generally between $650,000 - $1.5m.

Eastern Suburbs

Again, the Eastern Suburbs is not a precisely defined area and the term is generally used to describe the suburbs directly to the east and south-east of Sydney's CBD. The area generally runs from South Head in the north to La Perouse in the south.

The Eastern Suburbs mostly include the suburbs within the Local Government Areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and part of the City of Sydney such as Darlinghurst and Potts Point for example.
According to The Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Eastern Suburbs Statistical Subdivision includes only the Local Government Areas of Woollahra, Waverley and Randwick. This would exclude the Inner City areas located within the City of Sydney.

Suburbs located in the City of Botany Bay are also often regarded as part of the Eastern Suburbs and these include areas such as Pagewood, Daceyville, Eastgardens, Hillsdale, Eastlakes, Botany and Mascot.
Housing Styles: Units in suburbs such as Randwick, Coogee and Bondi are especially popular with first home buyers and investors. The prices range generally from $300,000 for a small one bedroom unit or studio to anywhere in excess of $1m for a three bedroom unit with ocean views. Houses range generally from around $750,000 for an unrenovated fibro cottage in the City of Botany Bay to multi million dollar water frontages on the southern side of Sydney Harbour.

Inner City

You may find that some people consider that the following suburbs are contained within either the Inner West or Eastern Suburbs:

• Chippendale
• Darlington
• Eveleigh
• Erskineville
• Redfern
• Surry Hills
• Waterloo
• Zetland
• Alexandria
• Beaconsfield

However, these suburbs increasingly seem to form their own sub region often described as the "Inner City". This is all the more evident with the growing number of different real estate agencies targeting this area.

These areas are characterized by a range of different building types and housing styles from industrial warehouses and factories, high density unit blocks, pockets of housing commission and terraces and workmen's cottages. Many of these areas have witnessed a dramatic transformation in recent years and are becoming increasingly popular with those who are attracted to the proximity of the CBD and the vitality and diversity of urban living.