Bowral, NSW 2576

so where do you want to move to?

Oh also hardly any footpaths or decent infrastructure. Kids walking to Bowral High School have to walk on the road as there is no footpaths for them to use. This is normal around here, 10 years ago the council gave away free safety vests to ratepayers to try to mitigate their safety obligations, seriously.
We pay some of the highest council rates in Australia and they got a substantial rise a few years back to improve infrastructure and are honestly now doing less. Parks are not well maintained and the council doesn't do much about it.
The council ignores ratepayers
Do yourself a favour, don't do it as there are much better places to live....

so where do you suggest is a good place to live then?

Do you live there, I walk around all the time at night and never seen anything you describe. Please tell us where you do live?

forgot to mention the crime we have been done over twice.

So agree, bowral is horrible. Ive been here for 7 years and kept thinking it would get better but it didnt. Soooo boring anglo centric people. Superbly overly self important social climbers!

i used to live in moss vale and i would avoid bowral as much as i could

Bowral is great for oldies over 60. Not for singles or young party animals. Not for people that need stimulation of cultural mix.

I agree with you. Good luck though. I got some pretty nasty emails from some of the delightful Bowral people (newly arrived from a little further north and cashed up) after making my rating here.

I could not agree more. I moved out in March and have never looked back. I lived there for ten years and never found meaningful work as an adult professional. Now I have moved away, I can see what I was missing out on for so long. Bowral = Boring.

Lived there for 2 1/2 years after buying our dream home and were living our dream for the first 2 weeks! Then we were approached by all the neighbors, not for a welcome but to inform us how they wanted us to maintain the house and gardens! Most of the shopkeepers were rude and snobbish and if your not a so called " local" the prospects of getting any type of employment is minimal as they really like to hire their own. I used to go there for w/e but since leaving 2 years ago, I have NEVER been back and can't even entertain the thought of even passing through! Suffered an asthma attack, went to Bowral hospital emergency, after seeing a doctor was told to sit on a chair in the hallway with my husband told to administer medication to me every 20 minutes for 4 hours before being told I could go.. A very TRUE story! I hate the place!!!!!!!!!!!

Bowral from a local perspective is unfriendly on the outside but once you know everyone its nice. You never really get too close though as its insular and news travels and gets mis interpreted. Smart people in country towns keep their personal life close to their chests. Its really contradictory in a way as you would think you would get to share your life more. The anonimity of sydney is a relief as no one is eavesdropping constantly on your life.

I know the lifestyle choice of bowral is a good one for people with small kids and older ageing 65+ however the teens have little to do. Many of the pensioners and self funded retirees are asset rich and majorly cash poor. The hospice shop in bowral has expanded to cater for oldies downsizing and uncashed formerly wealthy retirees trying to recoop their loss of lifestyle from the gfc. Socially the ring leaders determine if you are in or out! You are warned off others by ringleaders, its really school playground social exclusion, gossip and really its so prejudicial and many small minded bubble living clusters of comfy groups.

I can't believe that Bowral has nothing to offer, maybe have a look for yourself. This is a truly negative spin on a good town. Please note not many people have written reviews so this review could lower the tone on this town. Please spend a weekend as I did in the highlands, Its a great location ps don't overlook Moss Vale for a visit

I have lived here for 16 years; have had to because of family commitments. Coming down for a weekend as a tourist does not give anyone a true picture of day to day life here. If you were to live here with health issues and a limited income I think you would have a different view. It's a very different life for wealthier people.

So glad you don't live here anymore. Negativity is so counterproductive particularly when you get and don't give. It may not have occurred to you but nobody here was happy about that incident regarding Vinnies except you and the media. It appears you live in a perfect world, wherever that may be? However do try and be happy and spread a little bit of Joy.

A weekend in Bowral is not living there. There are no meaningful jobs for adults and the divorce rate is statistically the highest in Australia (fact). That says it all. If you live there, you are mid forties, mid life crisis and divorce on the way, or retired and too poor to spend any money in town to support development and employment. It is truly over rated and over priced. Move to SA or Qld and ave your money. There is also some pretty serious crime in Bowral that is swept under the carpet and hidden to make it look sweet and nice. They are still finding bodies in Belangalo State Forest!

HappyChap's comments have been toned down since they were first posted. He was very nasty and turned this page into a place to personally attack someone with a different view. I agree with movedonman: don't post comments on a place unless you have lived there for at least a couple of years.

I have lived in Bowral for 18 years and I love it. We don't have a big income but the countryside and people are really nice here. You'd have to be pretty nasty to find the locals here snobby or nasty. As for the crime comment, firstly Belangalo forest isn't in Bowral and secondly we get nothing more than the very odd break in or car accident. I feel very safe walking home at night. We have great medical facilities, shopping centre, public transport, schools and much more.

Good for you, glad you're happy. As for crime, you must be very lucky not to have been exposed to any. But as for only nasty people finding the people nasty and snobby here, that is a bit crook. They are not all awful, but I remember at Easter hearing two men talking about the undesirables moving in to Bowral, and the need for another war to cull the numbers. No, not all nasty; but the ones that are can be masters of the art.

Statistically Bowral LGA has half the break and enters as the average for all LGAs for NSW. 9.9% of all people are divorced, fact. Penrith shows 12.7% of people divorced.
Not sure where people on here get their stats form.

Bowral was rated one of the rudest places to livenot to long ago, and on the weekends at night it is quite unsafe to walk the main street because of the pub crawlers. a lot of people around the highlands are very defensive when someone does not like the area. it probably is a nice area for people just visiting here and there but finding full time work and getting around without a car is hard and even with a car finding parking can be annoying.

Utter tosh. Extraordinarily friendly town, vibrant, socially aware, accepting and of course safe and pretty. But haters gonna hate - if you can't find something to love here then you have no love in you.

Bowral mosvale Sutton forest all beautiful calm hospitable people I think if your a negative person you will see life through a negative lense I'm a father Riley worker I have found people truly lovely and respectful anyway you don't want a town that gets involved in everyone's buisness I find they they have integrity and are very arty and also delicious meals. Try the shaggy cow delish!! Can't wait to buy a property there

Correct, better to visit than to live in for too long. Depends on your age and if you are conventional and conservative the. You will fit right in. Not that many highly educated people in their late 30's or 40's living in bowral full time. Living in bowral us a fortnightly trip to work in sydney is a great lifestyle balance. Keeps the mind open!

My son is thirteen years of age and we're thinking of moving to the Southern Highlands - probably Bowral or Moss Vale - from Melbourne. Our concerns are - is there a good private secondary school in the area? By that I mean, is there a school known for a strong academic record on a par with good schools in Melbourne and Sydney? We don't want to feel that we're limiting his aspirations. We have friends who say taking your teenage child to the country for their schooling means disadvantaging them from opportunities that the city and good private schools in those cities offer. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm wondering whether in this day and age with kids suck on screens whether the teenagers in Bowral might actually be more connected to nature and community than kids in the city who no longer play outdoors at all. If there is anyone kind enough to answer these questions, would you mind to also tell me if it would be difficult for my son to fit into the school community - entering at year 8 level- and whether it's a very clicky community or open and welcoming? I notice people keep mentioning that there are "social climbers." I hope its not like the women of Big Little Lies. My husband and I are people who like walking, gardens, peace and genuine friendship - without someone scanning for status and material wealth before committing to include you. Any advice appreciated. Lisa. C