Ashfield, NSW 2131

Ashfield should be a top suburb in Sydney - convenient, well served by public transport, plenty of shops and eateries.

However, this suburb has a dark aura. I have lived on the borderline between Summer Hill and Ashfield. This is generally an area to avoid for long term living and the fact that rent here is noticeably cheaper than Burwood down the road should be indicative of that.

It's generally not a sight for sore eyes, but Ashfield is a down-to-earth, convenient and non pretentious neighbourhood with many aspects of the progressive inner west and a diverse multi-cultural population (more than half, %-wise). There are surprisingly strong pockets of community in some parts of the neighbourhood; parks are well utilised, people walk to work and to the supermarket, and shopkeepers are friendly. Moving to Ashfield started off as a financial decision, and I never expected to love living here as much as I do.

Lived in Ashfield for over 25 years.

The good:

1) Proximity
Very close to the city no matter how you slice it, express trains that takes you to Redfern with one stop. Even the all station ones don't take you longer than 20 minutes to reach CBD. Buses runs well into the night closing at 11 PM, this is as late as you can get for Sydney buses. Driving is a no brainer, you got Liverpool Road, Parramatta Rd, Anzac Bridge, WestConnex.

2) Convinence
You've got closes and wollies, you've bunnings, you have Kmart and many restruants nearby, eating out is never a problem, shopping isn't a problem either.

You've got medical, dental and x ray, you got your coffee shops and groceries.

3) Pokies and Clubs - There are enough in Ashifled, enough said.

But that's about it.
The bad list is longer.

1) Overdevelopment

Every public car park, empty patch of land and abandoned warehouses have been turned into ugly shoebox apartments. Who would've thought they are low enoug to stack stories of crap on top of Ashfield Mall. (A dull shopping mall with 3 supermarkets and doesn't connect itself, you can never get to point A to point B wihout Zig Sagging different dimensions)!

2) Parking
If one has to rate parking in Ashfield out of 10, it's a solid 0.

Parking is always busy in Ashfield anywhere! Every street requies a permit to park and many older apartments simply don't have enough spaces. If you hav e a car, it is likely that there won't be a spot for you. most homes don't have driveways let alone a garage.

3) Driving is just as bad as parking

Ashfield is an old town, really old! So most residential streets are narrow! Which leads them to be "one way" street. Driving in Ashfield is like driving in CBD, you can't get anywhere in a straight line and it's ofen easier to just walk out to town then it is to take your car. There are countless needless speed humps, roundabouts and speed cameras surrounding Ashfield and the council is expending them every year! From my knowledge there are at least 4 speed cams covering all exits of Ashfield, all in all driving is a bad experience in this town!

4) The houses are really small (And ugly)

The unit and houses in this town are just plain old and small. Heritage you say? Maybe! They are old houses i grant you that! But just because they're old doesn't mean that they're beatuiful! Most of them are not decent to look at and if an exception is found, they're likely to be surrounded by apartment blocks! The older units are even worse, probably got 6 carspaces out of 20 apartments with shared or disconnecting laundary. The new ones obviously digs deep enough to give one carspace for each apartment but the materials are awful, it might aswell be built with cardboard boxes cause soundproofing is non existance.

5) The noises.

Most streets are really noisy, trains ramps through almost 24/7 unless there's another trackwork, roads are non stop with traffic. Trucks, Buses and emergency vehicles buzz through the town all day long. Subsequently, this kicks in the dusts in every home! (No wonder it's called Ashfield)

6) Crime

In all honesty Ashfield is safe, in a sence that you won't get stabbed and there is no drug factory next door (cause the houses are so small and you can't park).

But there are alot of loones hanging around the station these days, some homeless people sleeping in parks. stealing, break ins and petty crimes are quiet common if you live on the north side althrough this is now extending to the south.

Althrough you won't find any drug lab, it's likely that you'll find a dealer nearby. And you'll hear break ins near you (if not you) every now and then.

7) Schooling and Daycare

Let's face it, Ashfield Boys and Primary is not the worse but far from the best in any field, there are daycare but nothing good.


So in sum: If you're a young arevage single or couple with a job in CBD, enjoy the convience and don't mind the noise, go for it.
If you don't ABSOLUTELY require the proximity to everything, then i strongly recommend you turn elsewhere!

Cause altho Ashfield looks modest in terms of house prices, pound to pound Ashfield estates are quiet expensive! Remeber i said the houses in Ashfield is small and ugly? Yet they sell around the same price as some charming home in many further suburbs! You can easily double your value for money even if you look at Croydon Park just next door!

After 25 years in Ashfield I'm throwing in my towel, easily doubled my living space up North with a trade in.

People have by far labelled this place as an all-rounded spot. This means that amenities are within reach including various shopping precincts which are usually unavailable in suburbs. You don't have to travel far for daily necessities.

I moved here from Darlington 8 yrs ago to have a garden and some space. There are many pros and cons no matter where you live but Ashfield is well placed. It is close to major public hospitals, good schools and universities (both public and private). Crime rates are low and I feel pretty safe walking around (safer than when I was in the City). I don't even feel the need to lock up my house. I can get to work and my two sons can easily get to school and Uni with multiple transport options within walking distance. We're a stones throw from fantasctic shoping centres and foodie destinations (Ashfield, Haberfield, Strathfield, Burwood, Croydon, Summer Hill and Leichhardt). Close to the Bay Run and the Cooks River. You can be in the city in 15 mins by train. If you take the time to go walking in the area there are many beautiful tree lined streets and avenues with a mix of old and new houses, Art Deco appartments, California Bungalows, Federation, Italianate, Victorian and Edwardian terraces and of course very ugly 70's style appartment blocks when councils and the State Government started allowing over developement at any cost. The Inner West Council is not top of my list for being progressive or pro residents (very different to the SCC when I was in Darlington) but they do have a battle on their hands with some residents not appreciating cleanliness around them. We can all do our bit though by being proactive and demanding things get cleaned up promptly: if you see dumped rubbish-report it straight away-don't wait for someone else to do it for you. Overall I'm very happy living here.

Inner west is the place to be.
Especially Pembroke Street and Ormond Street opposite Ashfield Park and close to Haberfield with a 5 minute walk
Close to schools, shopping,airport,beach motorways, movies,
City is close via bus train or light rail
Best most recent development The Garden restaurant in Wests Club it is long overdue and wonderful for the area for entertaintment and jobs

Always missing out to the more affluent suburbs of Summer hill and Haberfield, Ashfield is now well and truly on the radar with home buyers and investors alike. Offering various levels of quality accommodation, excellent Public transport and a great multicultural vibe, Ashfield is quickly becoming an area of choice for many. Easy access to the CBD, city west link and new infrastructure improvements, will only add to its overall appeal.

In the recent Domain Liveability study,(2016) , it ranked 27th in the inner west. The report highlighting proximity to employment hubs, eating out, shops, education and transport as its strong points. Ashfield is a great suburb with its popularity likely to increase in the years to come. Swing by and take a look!

Have seen quite a few negative posts here and to be honest I can understand some of the these but overall I think its being very harsh on what is otherwise a super convenient location. Ashfield is 8km from CBD, it has express trains that run regularly to the city and only within 2 stops and you are at Central. The shopping mall has definitely seen better days and is looking tired. Thankfully it is soon to undergo a redevelopment of sorts - one can only hope the developers/owners do it justice for the wider community. The same goes for Liverpool road. A mix of coffee shops and other new fresh eating options would no doubt prove a hit with locals who otherwise understandably favour Leichhardt, Haberfield and Summer Hill as preferred locations for choice and variety of dining options.

In saying that the area has great schools, people are friendly and although homes are quickly becoming out of reach for the average couple or family, it's noticeable that there has been a shift to more the professional and middle clas families who are now moving into the area.

Convenient transport and easy access to groceries on the south side of the railway

Ashfield was occupied at an early date in the colony’s history. The first colonist to live in the area was Augustus Alt, who in 1794 received a land grant of 100 acres in the Croydon area. In 1801 he acquired another 250 acres, which covered most of Ashfield. Another early grant in the area was made in 1793 to Lieutenant John Townson. In 1813 Robert Campbell bought this are & several other farms in the area, including Alt’s acres. His father, William Campbell, was laird of Ashfield in Scotland and Robert was described on his tombstone as “the last of the lairds of Ashfield in Argyllshire”. Campbell may have named the area Ashfield after his Scottish home. The name would also have appealed to the later owner, Joseph Underwood, who came from the parish of Ashfield in Suffolk.

Joseph Underwood bought the area in 1817 & added more land to the property, including Hermitage Farm in 1818, to make a total of over 605 acres. In the 1820’s he built his house, Ashfield Park & lived there until his death in 1833.

Elizabeth Underwood gave the 5 acres land on which St John’s Church of England in Alt Street, Ashfield, was built. The foundation stone of the famous old church was laid by Bishop Broughton, the colony’s first bishop, on 9 September 1840. The Underwood home was later purchased by the Roman Catholic Church, and became a convent of the order of Our Lady of the Snows.

The area of the present Ashfield Park is part of 175 acres granted to and bought by Henry Kable between 1794 and 1847. In 1822 it was sold to James Underwood, brother of Joseph, and leased out until 1879, when it was acquired as public parkland.

On 24 March 1838, an advertisement in the newspaper the Colonist advised that “The allotments for the village to bear the name of Ashfield have been laid out near the junction of Liverpool and Parramatta Roads”. These two roads were the first in the colony; Parramatta Rd was built in 1810-11, and the great South Road to Liverpool was opened in 1814 by Governor Macquarie.

The first post office in Ashfield opened on 1 January 1856 and the first school opened in January 1862. By 1866 the suburbs’ industrial life had progressed to include one stream mill. Boylson’s bakery, Tancred’s soap and candle manufactures, and a bone- dust mill. In 1871 Ashfield was incorporate as a municipality.

Today this once small village is a large and thriving suburb. This first town clerk of Ashfield was Frederick Underwood, Joseph Underwood’s son. Several early council members are commemorated in local names. Herbert Pratten, Ashfield mayor during 1909-11, gave his name to the well- known and much-used Pratten Park, Clissold Street is named after an alderman in Ashfield’s first council, Frederick Clissold.

To many students rentals give the area around Alt Street to the station a grimey feel.

Dirty, trashy, noisy, crime ridden ( personal experience several times) this hole is the worst place I've lived and I have lived in many cities around the world. There is nothing good I can say about it and anyone who likes it here is delusional we are leaving as quick as we can!!!

The area around Ashfield Park is beautiful, especially Pembroke and Ormond streets which have the perfect aspect. This area is set to go off in price. It has a very historic feel with some fantastic streets and lovely old homes. Great transport and shopping options and very close to the city and Burwood. A suburb ready to boom!

I've never lived anywhere else and I love it.

TRANSPORT:
It is extremely convenient for transport. The train station has express trains to the city which takes about 15 mins. Strathfield station is 2 stops away, and links to the Country train lines as well. Anything that isn't local, you can find not far or venture into the city by train, bus or car (about a 20min drive with no traffic, with traffic approx 45mins). If you work in the city, it's a very easy to commute to and from work, especially with so much public transport at the door. The only thing is, traffic can get quite bad on the roads during peak hours, so it will add time to your commute if you drive.

SCHOOLS
There are many great schools in the area/surrounding suburbs -- both public and private. It's also very easy for kids to get to and from school themselves using public transport once they are old enough to do so by themselves.

RESTAURANTS
Personally I've never found Ashfield itself great for eating out, but near the mall there are plenty of restaurants. For dining out though, I advise venturing into nearby suburbs such as Five Dock, Haberfield, Croydon etc. Very convenient and easy to find places to go.

SHOPPING
The Burwood Westfield and Cinema are close by, so very convenient. There is also Ashfield Mall and because it's so easy to get into the city, I've never not been able to find what I want. Groceries are not terribly cheap, but I don't think they are overly expensive either.

PARKS/FACILITIES
Great parks locally, local gyms and pools. There is always something to do, you'll never get bored. Because Ashfield is so linked by transport and close to the city, everything is close by. Plenty of medical centres local, but RPAH is a 20min drive, Westmead Children's Hospital is about a 35min drive away. Sydney Airport is about a 20min drive away, or easily accessed by train.

CRIME/SAFETY
I have never once had a problem. I've never felt unsafe, even when walking at night, or coming home late. I don't know what the statistics are, but it's never felt like an unsafe place to live.

HOUSING
One major drawback is, obviously, housing affordability. A unit in Ashfield will set you back between $450-$550K; a house $700-$900K. Rents are also expensive. So for young couples, it's really not affordable on average incomes. But if you are able to afford such high rents/housing, it's a suburb I'd highly recommend. And this is really the only con I can think of, in every other aspect, Ashfield ticks the boxes.

* Close to the CBD.
* Has a good railway station.
* Good amount of shops on Liverpool road.
* Ashfield Mall is a medium sized shopping centre that is pretty solid.
* Minimal aircraft noise compared with other close Inner - West suburbs.

I moved to ashfieldwith my two sons who are 6 and 9 just under two years ago and I really like it,public transport is extremely convenient I can be in the city in 15 minutes on the train. Shopping is also easy and affordable with lots of butchers and green grocers and three supermarkets. Our street is very quiet with lots of native trees and birds and without the plane noise that other inner west suburbs suffer.
What ashfield doesn't have can easily be accessed in the surrounding suburbs like Burwood (cinema westfield shopping centre) or Newtown.
Before I moved to ashfield I didn't know anything about it having only lived in Bondi,Newtown,stanmore and Marrickville after living here for a while i can honestly say i think its one of the best suburbs in Sydney, when you way up affordabilty, transport,peace and quiet and convenience.

Home to a well-maintained train station, Ashfield boasts a range of eateries with the availability of a shopping mall. Affordable apartment blocks a plenty - though not ideal for the young, sophisticated couple - many in need for a makeover. Traffic is quite busy through the suburb and safety is a bit of a concern.

We have lived here for 10 years, both as DINKS, and now a couple with two small children. Everything here is great - accessibility to lots of shops, transport, schools. Close to the city, bays, beaches. Plenty of sporting facilities nearby and lots of friends too. We bought at a good time, and have improved our home to have a very comfortable abode in a great location.

Ashfield is soooo convenient on heaps of levels....10 minute drive/ train to the city, restaurants gallore,affordable to rent or buy, leafy suburb, walk to everything, nice and pleasant people, good schools and pleanty of shops. Do yourself a favour and check out this well presented, established suburb for yourself. You'll see what I mean..........

Ashfield is easily accessible by car, train and buses. It is only a fifteen to twenty minutes drive to Sydney city. In the heart of Ashfield, you will find many Northern Chinese resturants, a fruit market, discount shops, banks and Ashfield mall. The restuarants offer many varieties ranging from dumplings to Cantonese cuisine to spicy Chinese food. The mall is home to Kmart, Coles, Franklins, Woolworths, Priceline and many more. These amenities make Ashfield a very convenient location for families and couples.

The only drawback of Ashfield will be the parking situation. Due to its bustling restaurant strip, finding parking in the heart of Ashfield can be a nightmare. Additionally, the streets of Ashfield can be quite narrow and often contributes to traffic congestion but this is typical of most inner city suburbs of Sydney.