Earlwood, NSW 2206

So central to so many things in Sydney
Access to motorways
No flight path noise pollution
Generous sized lands for inner-city living
Green and tree-lined streets

Beautiful, tree lined streets and a surplus of parks along the Cooks River belt including the hidden gems of Girrawheen, Beaman, Gough Whitlam, and Steel Park.

Big lots with character housing. Within a 5min cycle to train stations for easy access to the CBD. No flight path. Wide streets and no congestion.

All the benefits of living a stones throw away from Marrickville and all the other inner-city/west hubs, but the benefits of a serene oasis!

So surprised when we moved here about how much green space there is, tree lined streets, great neighbours and much bigger blocks than neighbouring suburbs. Hidden gem!

I gave it five stars as I think it deserves more than 3.8 (the current score) but 4 stars sound fair to me compared to other suburbs. It’s a safe, family-friendly, and quiet suburb.
Ideal for some who cannot afford to buy a home in the Inner West because the house price is still not that crazy. This suburb is also close to the city(about 10km)
There are some decent restaurants and some okay but not very great pubs. Too many chicken shops will make you have a high standard as far as charcoal chicken is concerned. Thanks to the competitive chicken market even KFC is surprisingly good.
However, I see there are some areas of improvement if this suburb wants to be claimed something like other Inner West neighbors. People are generally friendly and okay. There are not many youngsters loitering at night. You can see some subtle differences especially when driving. Cars passing by big two William and Homer street are noisy and speeding.

What's wrong with Earlwood? Great spot. It feels like Marrickville's big brother, without the plane noise or grit.
We are a 7min walk from Turella Station, 5 mins to Marrickville by car and 15mins to CBD on train. My husband is finally happy to have some space with a house, in a really nice suburb (hidden gem) and a sense of community. For those that say its boring - share/bring/open up your cafe's and restaurants by opening up on Homer Street. on the mountain with a grand status! Lovely walks on the river and bush tracks. I don't understand the negativity in some of the reviews. Not every suburb is perfect in areas, but think of the positives in time like this where community is needed.

The walking path along Cooks river makes the north/east side of Earlwood very pleasant (the area near the water). The middle and south of Earlwood is very boring. Moved to Earlwood from Enmore last year, and its a nice change to have more parks, space, and less plane noise. Great place to live if you want more space, like walking or cycling along the river, and being close to the inner west. What it lacks is cafes and restaurants though. There are only about 3 good cafes in the entire suburb (as in good food + good vibe), where you'll actually want to spend time inside. Lots of restaurants and cafes in this area looks like its from another century, very daggy and not very cosy/inviting.

Earlwood is a great suburb, and I have lived in many around inner west Sydney. I have been here for 8 years and still enjoy it.

Yes, I am one of those neighbours who like many others have sought a slightly larger place for my family rather than struggle with price and space, slightly closer to the city. I have the opinion that space, nature and community are important for my children, and for our health as a family. This suburb fills that brief, and at the same time gives the opportunity to access the city in under 20 minutes, or the beach in 15 minutes, or the Georges river in 20 minutes and immediate access to the major M5 hub and get out of the city - we all need to get away at some point...right?

Every suburb has caveats. All of them. Bit quiet for some? Sure. Bit loud for others? Ok. The best way I could put forward a desciption of the suburb - it has a bit of everything. If you want more, why don't you bring it here and share it? Every suburb can also improve!

No plane noise or congestion, yet super close to all the nice cafes, bars, and music venues which the inner west has to offer. I live along Cooks river and it's been life changing being able to go for a long beautiful walk or bicycle ride everyday beside the mangroves. I was living in Marrickville prior, and while the location was great for getting food and entertainment. Marrickville is extremely noisy and super congested on the weekends. Earlwood added 5 minutes to my commute but my lifestyle improved 2000%. Wish I moved here earlier. Its so much quieter and more beautiful than the inner west (at least the part of Earlwood along cooks river), yet it's only a 5 mins drive away. The amount of parks is great for someone who like spending time in nature, playing sports, and the 10km walk along cooks river is also extremely tranquil and stunning. It's the hidden gem of the inner west. Not to mention you dont have to live in a tiny little terrace, houses here are a lot more affordable for someone who wants a bit more space to move around at home.

I’ve lived in Earlwood for a little over 10 years.
I lived in Marrickville prior and couldn’t stand it The small streets that allow traffic both ways but only fit one car going one direction drove me insane. It was overcrowded and highly overrated and it’s only getting worse, far too many people in such a small area. Marrickville Metro is a nightmare.
Earlwood is much quieter, streets are wider and it’s a nice mix of the older Greek community and young families, I find it a very friendly community.
Our property backs onto the Cooks River and it’s a beautiful walk or bicycle ride for both adults and kids - sure the river is not beautiful at low tide but it’s still a lovely walk.
There’s plenty of new cafes serving great coffee if that’s your thing.
Earlwood Public School is also great.
If anything, it could probably do with better shopping ammenities, but there’s Coles here, Woolworths and Aldi at Canterbury so not too far.
Overall I think it’s a wonderful suburb and I’m surprised at the negative reviews none of them sound like Earlwood.

The suburb is decent but fairly overpriced for what it's worth. It isn't exactly rich in amenities with but a strand of shops along the Main Street and its surrounding suburbs are either similar in nature or completely distinct. To the south, you have Bardwell Park, a remarkably good place to reside in the St George region. In the north, there is the hipster likes of Marrickville and Dulwich Hill. Commuting is not all too easy - while there are multiple busses runnings through the suburb, they are infrequent and tending to terminate at Earlwood itself. The nearest train station would have to Bardwell Park, Bexley North, Turrella, Bexley North, Tempe, Dulwich Hill, Canterbury or Hurlstone Park, so in spite of the setback, its surrounding suburbs are relatively well equipped with public transport.
Education, however, is clearly valued, with some of quality primary schools present in this suburb, namely Undercliffe public and Earlwood Public. I'd opt for a residence in Undercliffe, as there is some livelihood aspect augmented with the comforting presence of the Cooks River, and it is in close propinquity to Wolli Creek and a large sized IKEA.
Overall not an entirely horrible place to live, but seeming to be skewed toward a certain population demographic depending on the specific region of Earlwood (we can discern from the multitude of nearest train stations). The liveability is let down to some extent by the environment others generate.

I lived in Earlwood for 10 years and just moved. Lovely family area. Usually quite safe and good relative to other inner west areas. Quite close to the city but not really a 'destination area'. Probably the best family area in the inner west. Very poor public transport. Buses only unless u want to walk down a very steep and long hill to Bardwell Park sration.

I've lived here for 3 years now and I love it. Everything from parks, river walks, valley walks to its elevation, sleepiness and comfort to the shopping and dining on the main street. I was searching for a place that was removed away from the busy world yet still convenient with easy 20 minute commute to the CBD. Although I loved the vibrancy in Newtown, Marrickville, Broadway, Surry Hills etc, I wanted to raise my family in a quiet area with a true suburban ring to it. There are very few apartment blocks in the area, and characterised by a more established demograhpic. I would recommend this hidden gem to everyone else looking to raise a family in a peaceful area with backyard living.

Many assaults,crime happening in Earlwood due to increased drug activity etc. Avoid this area at all costs!

lots of crime here in Earlwood. lots of violent crime and drug activity.

Lived here for 5 years. There are some areas closer to the main roads that would be a bit too busy for my liking, but so many great secluded areas too. Small shopping precinct with everything you need. Homer St is very slowly changing, with newer restaurants/cafe's etc. Close to the city without feeling too busy and cramped like nearby Marrickville and to a lesser extend Dulwich Hill. I think the relative value here is good. Sure, it's expensive now, but it's Sydney and within 15km of the CBD. I'm amazed how lowly Earlwood is ranked.. it's worse than Mt Druitt.. down with the likes of shalvey and Bidwill. Lol...

loud cars, angry people in the streets and so many fights at the restaurants.

Earlwood Public School and Undercliffe Public School are great schools in the local area. I have kids who attend EPS. The school community is fantastic and we are looking at applying for the OC class there as well. Multi-talented school which excels in academics, sports, dances and plenty of other extra-curricular opportunities.

I do not understand the negative comments on this page. Regardless, Earlwood is probably one of the safest Inner West suburbs, thanks to its seclusiveness. I've raised a family here, had no problems, neighbours are friendly, great schools and a growing foodie vibe.

Plenty of options to enjoy nature and peace whilst steps away from nice cafes and restaurants.

very noisy suburb, moved from Ashfield a few weeks ago. This suburb is dirty, overcrowded and noisy from all the cars driving down the streets racing. I just figured out the police station that services Earlwood is in Ashfield and it takes 15 minutes to get an emergency call out! how ridiculous!

I moved to Earlwood 3 years ago. I was house hunting in the Inner West to upsize from a cottage in Annandale but I wanted to be as close to the city whilst still being able to accommodate a family of 5. Then I fell upon Earlwood. It had big homes without the price tag of Burwood/Croydon, there's a river that wraps around and multiple walking and cycling trails along Cooks River and the valley in the South. The cafe and dining scene was pretty average back then, but now there's an array of choice, from the new Italian Sphere to multiple new cafes, EBP RSL Club, dessert bars, bakeries and pizza joints. I walk to Turrella Station or ride a bus into the city, either way it is very convenient. I think what separates Earlwood from Marrickville or Dulwich Hill is the wide streets and chill factor. It also feels less congested (can't really do much about Homer St in peak hour) and many homeowners are investing into extensions or building their dream homes on Earlwood soil; a testament to its location, being less than 10km away and a 15-20 minute car ride into the city or its great public transport access. Earlwood Public School is excellent plus there's a strong community spirit (something you can't buy).

very noisey suburb with many developments now clogging the roads in and out of Earlwood. small shopping precint with very little options

Earlwood is really quite, safe, clean suburb which is close to CBD. Unlike Marrickville you do not hear any plane noise as Earlwood located off the plane path. Nice park near Cook river. Huge houses with land, nice center with restaurants and shops. No problem with street parking if you own a car. Train station (~20 min to Central) and busses. Don't really understand people which left negative comments. Earlwood is much better than surrounding suburbs.

Noisy suburb! cars racing on the streets at night is dangerous for kids and people crossing the roads!

We moved to Earlwood about 3 months ago from Ashfield due to overcrowding in the suburb. One of the first things we noticed was that Earlwood has larger blocks in the area compared to other placed like Marrickville, Tempe, Sydenham etc.

Unfortunately because Earlwood lies on the back-end of the Canterbury council area, many things are often neglected by the council.
1. Traffic congestion is quite high in Earlwood, especially peaking around 4pm til 8pm along the major arteries (classic indicator of a working class suburb).
2. Road maintenance is poor, many pot holes and poorly maintained road surfaces.

While the NBN has just arrived in Earlwood, which is great for internet speeds and now the servicing of other amenities like UberEats etc (finally), its just too little too late, the reason for this is that while Earlwood continues to grow in house prices 1.3 Mil ++ , the local services are failing to catch up. Sure there are a few trendy cafes and F45 in the area, but the local shops are just run down and old, the suburb is like a time capsule!

My main gripe is sharing the road with people who drive unsafely (mainly younger people who drive fast and dangerously in the suburbs and along the major roads like homer street for racing).

Amongst other things, we had to call the police a couple of weeks ago due to an incident across the street at the public housing estate in which there was a fight between younger males chucking beer bottles at cars and at other peoples houses, it took the police 30 minutes to arrived (from Ashfield). My neighbours said there used to be a Police station in Earlwood but it closed down a while ago.

Disappointing!!!

Earlwood is unique because of its large blocks, there is some serious money coming in to build big houses, 8kms from the city, recently there have been sales 3mil +, this will only continue to grow. Gentrification of the shopping strip is occuring with trendy cafes, pizza bars, desserts and restaurants popping up.

Having moved to Earlwood recently, I noted that the shopping area is actually pretty large, with a diverse range of food and services. Although many reviews suggest that the shopping precinct is small, this is what brings peace and seclusion in Earlwood. Unlike Marrickville which is more congested, lively, busier, fewer parking spots; Earlwood is a quiet, low density, leafy residential oasis hidden away on a mountain. The neighbours are friendly and there's a strong sense of community. Public transport is at ease with access to 2 railway lines + Tempe station, otherwise frequent city bus route through Homer and William Streets.

Low density suburb with countless range of cafe's on the rise. Many streets are wide and tree-lined, parks and recreational facilities are abundant. Earlwood is undergoing gentrification, both in terms of newly rebuilt houses, more shops with a wave of new people transforming Earlwood for the better.

With the moving of a flight part over earlwood (light planes) earlwood is fastly becoming run down and crowded.

This area is generally a low income area with loads of blue collar workers. It has not changed in the last 40 years or so even with the million dollar house prices, it's still the same.

Typically renters live here because of the low rental prices and move out after the lease is finished because the suburb lacks amenities like a proper shopping precinct.

There are big parks and water ways (cooks river) which are actually swamps in parts.

As an investor I was disappointed of the low renter yields because the suburb can only afford a certain rental price.

Bought 3 houses in Earlwood as an investment in October 2016, rented them out in the same month, there is a mixture of 2/3 bedroom houses that I am renting out at the moment.

I own similar properties in Marrickville (albeit smaller blocks) that fetch rent in original condition from 850-910 a week.

In Earlwood these properties that have bigger blocks also in original condition rent out at east 650-690 and no higher than that, I had a rental on the market for 2 weeks at 690 and the tenant negotiated to 640.

The agent when they sold me the property told me the rental yields would be around 700-750 at least, well sorry that did not happen. He then conceded to me (a slick agent from the area, most probably greek) that Earlwood is a low income area and not many people want to move to Earlwood and pay that money for a house rental.

The rent does not cover my mortgage repayments and I am always in arrears, although to be fair my property value is now worth $250k more than what I bought it for a couple months ago, so ill be selling them on to another sucker.

Dont believe the hype, its not a fantastic area, I read that someone called it a "hidden gem", i think there is a reason why it was hidden, its a pretty shoddy suburb with no amenities and the recent developments of caffes in the area (thanks to inner west culture) probably wont last long as I dont think the residents can afford a $5 coffee.

Earlwood is set on a mountain with 360 degree views, whilst only being 10-11km from Sydney CBD. It is a cohesion of culture, food, community, modern setting and natural beauty. Recently, there has been gentrification of the shopping strip with trendy cafes, pizza bars, desserts and restaurants popping up. Earlwood is unique because of its large blocks with a mix of the old and the new. When compared to its neighbours of Marrickville and Dulwich Hill, Earlwood is a place of growth, exclusivity and peacefulness. Most streets are tree-lined and there are huge parks; easily making it very family friendly. You'll surprised at the huge blocks of land that it offers compared to much of the Inner West. (e.g. 600sqm compared to 200sqm)

More boutique style restaurants and shops are opening up as Earlwood absorbs the Inner West vibes!

Earlwood has 8 surrounding train stations within easy reach.

The bigger blocks, many with views and not under the flight path, as well as clean streets with parking make Earlwood a much more pleasant place to live compared to Marrickville, Ashbury and Ashfield. It has a great primary school and transport infrastructure is good with many buses running through and close stations.

People are a little pushy not as friendly as marrickville

We bought in Earlwood after renting in Marrickville and having lived all over the inner west. Marrickville was dirty, noisy and overpriced. Earlwood is the opposite. Lots of parks, the neighbours are friendly and normal! The houses are big on larger blocks and it is quiet here yet it is five mins walk to the station.

It seems the secret suburb Earlwood has been discovered. For a long time overlooked in favour of dulwich hill & marrickville. Most of the original people to buy here were post war families, most of these wonderful people stayed in the area and many older residents have been there over 60years. Young professionals and other families are now buying into earlwood for the good size art deco /Californian bugalows on amazing blocks of land cheaper than surrounding suburbs and widely available renovators dreams and deceased estates Close to excellent schools and beautiful parks, Its still a very friendly suburb where your neighbours will chat with you and has a real village/community feel. More shops and cafes have recently opened and hopefully that will continue as this place has everything to ensure happy families.

I bought in Earlwood with my husband about a year ago.

We love Earlwood.

It's friendly, conveniently located, close to transport (plenty of buses and Bardwell Park station is 10 minutes away) and only takes 15-20 minutes by train on the airport line to the CBD. It's only a 10-15 minute bus ride to Newtown or 10 minutes to Marrickville - so you're close enough to the buzz when you need it.

It's quiet - generally speaking - with super wide streets and a good shopping precinct (think Coles, bottle shop, good butcher, great fish shop, delis, cafes etc). There are all the major banks, pharmacies, health centres, good schools, etc.

There are loads of parks for people of all ages to enjoy and there's a great bike track along the Cooks River. Running, walking, jogging or riding your bike along the Cooks River is fabulous as it's not overcrowded like many other popular routes closer to the city. Also, sections of the Cooks River are always being upgraded so it's looking cleaner and healthier all the time.

The population is a mix of families, young couples and the elderly. It's a great place for families to move to - for instance, if you can't afford a three bedroom house with a decent backyard in Newtown or Erskineville, Earlwood is an ideal choice you may wish to consider.

I wouldn't say it's a cafe district like Newtown or Enmore but you can certainly get a decent coffee and there are LOADS of great places where you can buy Greek pastries, yummy olives etc!

The people are friendly and locals generally stop to have a chat.

My only (very minor!) criticism of Earlwood is that the car (or actually more often than not, the 4WD) seems to be king. Therefore, walk with caution - because chances are there's a 4WD that is going too fast by you or there's a car that has ignored a speed limit or ignored a red light (through ignorance or poor driving ability).

Best area for family life