Flutterby

Julius Avenue, off Delhi Road, originally accessed the grounds of the CSIRO Divisions. Over the last ten years however, the CSIRO sold off a lot of the land it occupied, and adjoining bushland and developers moved in to create a science and technology park in the area. Some divisions of CSIRO are still here but other companies like Microsoft have also moved in.

This is a very pretty street, with pleasant homes and established gardens. The many large trees create a cool and fresh feel, and there is not a lot of vehicular traffic. Close to public transport, and the local Truscott Street Public School mean this street is popular with families.

Collins Street runs just a couple of hundred metres off the busy Wicks Road, and is right near the bus stop to take residents to Macquarie Shopping Centre, for onward connections to points north south east and west. The homes here are pleasant and looked after, though the shadow of a gruesome murder that occurred here hangs over the street.

Folkard Street is just one street back from the 6 lane Lane Cove Road, and so it does get some traffic noise. It has modest homes with pleasant gardens, and residents benefit from the street’s proximity to public transport, local Cox’s Road shops and schools. A nice family-oriented street.

Running between Amelia Street and the busy Wicks Road, Beatrice Street has some very attractive homes framed with established and well maintained gardens. The original homes of the 50s have been lovingly cared for, and the newer homes of modern families are pleasant and attractive.

That seems to be the aim of anyone who has purchased properties here in the last ten years, as few of the original war service and housing commission homes remain here. In their place are double story homes, some with distant city views and the minimum garden for the block size.

Sturdee Street leads from Morshead to Edmonson Street, but rarely sees much traffic. It is a quiet suburban street, with modest homes on large blocks. This combination leads to eventual redevelopment to more grander homes, and this has begun to take place here. Established, though uninspiring gardens frame these homes, but big backyards are perfect for families.

Donald Street is a fairly non-descript suburban street with equally boring original houses built of fibro and tile. They are gradually being demolished to make way for larger, modern McMansions filled with people who appreciate the street’s proximity to the local public school and accessibility to buses to the city.

A long road, Quarry Road runs from Lovell Road, Eastwood, through to the Field of Mars park and historic cemetery. The road dips and weaves, especially around the Pidding Road intersection, and it carries a good deal of traffic, including buses in parts. The homes vary according to the busy-ness of the street, and at its most congested, at Lane Cove Road, there are home units.

Named after Dame Nellie, Melba Drive is one of several streets in what was once known as the “Dress Circle Estate”, now called East Ryde. The homes here were mostly built in the 60s and 70s and their architecture reflects this era. Level blocks mean creativity needs to be employed to make gardens interesting, which many of the homes here manage to pull off.

Numa Road runs off Twin Road, twice – because it is in fact a crescent. With original homes built in the 1950s, it is considered an established area. However some of these homes are being demolished to make way for newer, modern, two-storey houses. At the Twin Road end the road is quite high, with some homes getting distant city views.

Badajoz Road runs from Cox’s Road to Quarry Road and forms, at one stage, one of the boundaries for the Macquarie Hospital grounds. These grounds create a parklike atmosphere for residents and a great place for walks. A fairly busy road, it has modest homes – several of which have made way for townhouse developments. There is a nursing home now on Badajoz Road and a service station.

All of the homes along The Promontory have canal frontage, and are very substantial in size. They are built to impress and achieve this aim. Most of the blocks are taken up with the house construction, leaving little room for gardens. All of the homes have jetties for their water craft.

Saltwater Avenue leads from the Gibson Road roundabout, at the Noosaville shopping centre to just one block away from the busy Eenie Creek Road. From the shops to Shorehaven Drive, its homes are nearly all canal-frontages, and most are large, two storey substantial constructions. They don’t have a lot of garden at street frontage, but most have pools and some have their own jetties.

There are some very impressive homes in the short Seahorse Place. Most of them have been constructed in the last 20 years, and there are still a few blocks of vacant land. The older of the homes are single storey comparatively modest homes, while the newer ones are double storey mansions with pools and jetties for their equally impressive watercraft.

West Parade is tucked away in a very quiet pocket of Chatswood. A very small street, with large old homes on large flat blocks of land, it has easy access to the Blue Gum Reserve surrounding it. Wildlife including snakes and possums are not uncommon here, and the homes could be in danger should a bushfire ignite nearby.

There are some lovely homes in the small Beachamp Avenue, but there is no doubt that the street’s main feature is Beachamp Oval. Used by residents for running and throwing Frisbees, it is also used by local schools as training grounds during the week and as competition venues at weekends for both football and cricket.

Ashley Street is a very desirable address due to the number of big old Federation style homes here. One in particular is very grand and has been converted to a nursing home for the well-heeled. With gardens to match the substantial homes, and proximity to Chatswood CBD and transport make this a very attractive real estate proposition.

Archer Street, runs between the busy Mowbray Road and Boundary Streets. On its journey it travels through the Chatswood CBD and its intersection with Victoria Avenue is considered the centre of the shopping district. In this area there are few homes, and the imposing Chatswood Chase dominates. However as the road gets closer to Boundary Street, there are some well maintained homes here. Of course the drawback for them is that they have traffic 24/7.

Despite its proximity to the Chatswood CBD, the homes in Daisy Street remain cottagy and pretty. The houses were built in the early 1900s, and their gardens are, as a result, well established. On street parking is an impossibility, with CBD restrictions in place. This is considered one of the ‘flower’ streets, with Tulip, Violet and Rose Streets nearby.