Is Narangba really as good as it looks?

For living or investment? Two different considerations.

Before living in an area I make a point of talking to the neighbours, local shop owners, librarians, anybody who is likely to give you some accurate and unbiased feedback (ask the agents as well but verify!) That's a much quicker way of uncovering issues before you learn the hard way. A suburb can be much better than it's reputation as a poor reputation seems to endure much longer than it should sometimes!

Born and bred on the Southside, I was determined never to live on the Northside. I now live in Narangba and would never dream of living anywhere else. Narangba has my heart due to it's family focus and community spirit.
Is any suburb 100% ? Of course not and Narangba doesn't have special conditions which pardon it from the others.
There's only 2 shopping centres.. one at each end and there's a third about to be built. Not the range you get in a place like Chermside but there's far less traffic and noise here.
There's a lack of amenities in the local parks... but there's that many parks here that it's just a short walk home if one of the little ones need to go to the bathroom. They're not a 10min drive away.
There's a few built up estates with some narrow streets and smallish backyards. The estates usually are near the local schools in the area which means that, chances are, the nextdoor neighbours are your child's school mates. The smallish backyards mean less grass to mow and who needs an acre of back yard when there's a 2acre park 2mins walk away?
I've lived in 3 houses in Narangba and I can honestly say that every set of neighbours I've had would go out of their way to help and wouldn't be scared to ask for help either. Always up for a yarn and a laugh.
This neighbourhood will have me till I pass on.

I realise the original question is very old now - but for the benefit of any googling readers, I'll chuck in a review.

It's the nicest suburb I've lived in, and I've moved around a lot. In the Valley area, it's a great neighbourhood. I feel safe and secure, walking around the many paths and tracks does not feel unsafe at all, even at night. The kids have a great time hanging out with their friends on holidays, there are plenty of parks and tracks for them.

All my neighbours in each area of Narangba Valley I've lived in (three houses) have been friendly and kind. I know we have a network of neighbours to call on if we need help or a hand with anything. Street parties and BBQs are common in our street, and I've driven down a few others in Creekside with them going on there too.

Schools are great. Narangba Valley State School is amazing. We keep coming back, even after choosing to go private, we came back because it was better. Moved to Perth for two years and came back for the schools and the area. The principal, Sue Harris, is a godsend. She has grown the school to it's current size from its infancy. We looked like we would lose her a few years back when the school changed size grading, but she went for extra certification to stay our principal. I'm not sure about now, because we use the back gate, but she used to do the crossing in the car park every day, saying goodbye to everyone. Even though it's got a large number of enrolments (over 1000 students), it still feels like a small school. The kids are all lovely and they manage lots of activities like book week parades, under 8's week, and school discos which are detailed, well planned events. Small school feel.

Narangba Doctors is the best GP service you will ever come across. Regular, full time doctors who care about your family. Everything I want and need in a local doctor - and I have a medically high needs child. I've never had a GP we could replace many hospital visits with, but we do now.

Great services, shops, takeaways, gyms, mechanics, sporting teams, it's all here. And only a short trip to North Lakes and everything it offers by way of the majors, especially with the Boundary Rd entrance opened up. Costco will be opening soon, and the largest Bunnings in Qld is just at the Boundary Rd end. My kids dance at North Lakes, so I'm driving there multiple times a week and it's not too far at all.

The train station has recently had a big upgrade and the service seems okay (within the realms of Qld Rail).

I cannot recommend this suburb highly enough.

Top site, thanks frommm. All good he

No it is an awful place to live with neighbours that do not give a rats for anyone else but themselves... I have been here for 12 years and have seen the area grow into an area of self absorbed greedy people. The parks are ruined for the young ones with the bored teenagers as they have no where to go and nothing to do. The tavern is pretty average. The queues to get onto the highway in the mornings are frustrating and crazy and as for the traffic into the city.... forget peak hours. Do yourself a favour and look for somewhere less bogan!

Narangba offers good schools combined easy access to the Highway & railway. The residential block sizes are, on average, a little larger in many of the estates and offer good value for many, compared to some suburbs in the area.

I have lived here since 2005 and love the area. Great for raising a family. Good Schools. Friendly people. Only downside is the takeaway is a little limited in choices.

Not at all. I used to go there last year (switched to TAFE) didn’t let me get into classes for ATAR even though I passed my science classes for that year all because they wanted to keep their passing rates high. I had a mental illness that required hospitalisation in grade 8, I only told one teacher about it, no friends, and someone when I got back to school everyone know about my illness. I also almost got detention for walking out of school because I needed to give first aid to a little boy that had cardiac problems. My old math teacher said “you will never be a (job choice) because you’re horrible at maths (I missed out on a year of learning because of my hospitalisation and he knew this). 1/5 stars would not recommend this school. Go to another school.

Wish you'd put a date on these questions and answers! Apparently, at the last census, the average age of a person living in Narangba was 31 years old. To cut to the chase, a great area for young people, apparently with good schools but not at all ideal for older people. Really poor choice of decent places to eat out for a population this size and the over-priced Woolworths makes the most of its monopoly for food purchase at Narangba Valley Shops. As of Dec 16 there IS a worrying increase in petty crime as described above as frustratingly, few people can be bothered to report crime to the police and see vandalism for what it is - a crime that can escalate into greater crime if left unchecked. That said, it seems a safer area than most and is certainly a pretty, well-maintained neighbourhood with friendly people.

We built our dream house in Narangba and have lived here for over 8 years. It's a great place for kids to grow up, good schooling, and we have had fantastic neighbours - the same ones the whole time we've been here! A real estate agent once said to me that people who live in Narangba Valley only want to move within the estate; no-one wants to leave. I guess that gives you a clear understanding of how much people like it here.