Mount Riverview, NSW 2774

Mount Riverview is one of the lesser known Lower Blue Mountains suburbs for out of area people, as it is quietly located a few kilometres North of the Great Western Highway, so is often bypassed by those heading to the Mountains. It's beauty is in its community, its exceptional views in some spots, some great bush walks and still offers easy access (with a car) to Penrith & The Nepean River as well as the train station in the neighbouring suburb of Blaxland. A beautiful quiet suburb.

In summer Mt Riverview is hot. Really hot. Expect temperatures to be 5 - 10 degrees warmer than Sydney CBD on some days. Have fans and industrial strength air conditioning. Don't expect an afternoon breeze or for it to cool off much at night either. It is too far west. It is a major fire threat, especially Grand View Drive and surrounding streets. People evacuated on Christmas Day 2001 and October 2013. Winter is cold, but not really freezing. If you are on the escarpment facing east, expect to be in the shadows fairly early in the afternoon. Rainfall is slightly over half of Sydney's annual level so if you like gardening, expect to water. A lot. Expect to clean up lots of leaves as there are many trees. Prepare for blocked pipes due to tree roots. Public transport travel time is 2 hours door to door for Sydney CBD each way. You may not get a seat on the train. Expect the M4 to have an issue often and it is busy. Penrith is busy to get in and out of in peak times. The suburb looks very pretty and many homes were built in the 70's and 80's and many are large with big blocks. Expect huge snakes. The local shop is well stocked, but rarely has what you want. The local chinese is very, very good. Out neighbours were either very intrusive, rude and unfriendly or nice. There is usually plenty of housing stock for sale, which says people don't want to stay. Houses are cheap for a reason. It is 70 kms from Sydney and houses don't appreciate as much as Sydney so if you buy into it, you may not get back to Sydney suburbs. Contrary to popular belief, most homes do not have unobstructed views to Sydney, but may from their garden or the street.

We have lived in "Mount Riv' for over 10 years. It is a very peaceful, safe neighbourhood and yet all the cultural and sporting facilities of Penrith are close too, so you have the best of both worlds.
Many properties have views, either city lights views or the timeless escarpment views. Properties backing on to bushland also have the treat of abundant native flora and fauna, e.g. wallabies, lyrebirds etc. The local primary school has a high reputation, and the people you meet are friendly and welcoming.

Mount Riverview is a peaceful, leafy suburb located at the foot of the Blue Mountains. It offers some stunning views over the Sydney area, including views of Centrepoint Tower and the Harbour Bridge. It has a general store, two churches, a youth centre, a public school, tennis courts, a water tank, a Chinese restaurant, two parks and a local fire brigade under the jurisdiction of the Rural Fire Service. It is surrounded by bushland and has many scenic bush walking tracks. The suburb was established in the early 70s so most houses are of this era however many have undergone major renovations. The residential blocks are, on average, approximately quarter acre lots, with some smaller and some larger. Many have city views, mountain views or are adjacent to bushland. The suburb has only local traffic and a regular bus service to Blaxland Railway and Penrith. The local schools are well regarded with a choice of public, private and Christian schools within the local district. Penrith is the closest major town approximately 10 – 15 minutes drive away, offering shopping, restaurants, nightlife, movies, live shows etc. Mount Riverview has a strong community spirit, friendly atmosphere and very low crime rate. It is well suited to families and nature lovers.

School in this area are very community minded. Most residents know each other or know of each other. I found this to be a double edged sword. Growing up as a teen in this area was fine and it was much more sheltered than the main township of Penrith.
As a parent, I found this area to be a bit behind in terms of cultural diversity and the social groups to be very judgemental, opinionated and snobbish.
It is very quiet, going for walks is a highlight and to be fair the area is very pretty so its not hard to enjoy.
Mount riverview itself doesnt have any nightlife unless you are part of a church group but its a 15 minute drive to Penrith that has all popular eateries and restaurants, shopping etc.
Mobile reception is and I think will always be difficult but that is because Mount riv is on a ridge.

Mt. Riverview has no through traffic, usually the people who come here live here or are visting. It has an excellent small primary public school and the community spirit is great. We have lived here for over 23 years and our children have grown up and bought houses in the area, which says something for the spirit it engenders. The neighbours are friendly and caring. The public transport (bus)is good for school children going to the high school at Blaxland but for the commuter is difficult to fit in with business hours. It is a little suburb with a leafy aspect and great views over the plains to Sydney.