Sydney’s 10 most walkable neighbourhoods

As the most walkable capital city in Australia, we thought we’d take a look more specifically at Sydney’s most walkable suburbs.

According to walkscore.com Sydnersiders can walk to an average of 4 restaurants, bars and coffee shops within five minutes. Melbourne pails in comparison, where on average Melbourne residents can walk to 0.7 restaurants, bars and coffee shops within 5 minutes.

Living in a walkable neighbourhood is highly advantageous in terms of your environmental footprint, your health and for the economy.

To discover where the most pedestrian-friendly suburbs are we’re ranking Sydney’s top 10 most walkable neighbourhoods based on their Walk Scores. We’ve also included Your Investment Property data for median unit prices (MUP) and weekly median rent (WMR), to give you an idea of housing affordability in each suburb.

What is a Walk Score?

A Walk Score is a rating out of 100 (where 100 is a walker’s paradise and daily errands do not require a car) based on the walkability of an address using a patended system.

A Walk Score is calculated by analysing hundreds of walking routes to close by amenities (like shops, schools, cafes, public transport or bike tracks) where amenities within a five-minute walk get maximum points and those within 30-minutes walk receive no points. It also takes into account pedestrian friendliness by looking at traffic and population density of the suburb.

Sydney’s most walkable suburbs:

 1. Haymarket

Stats: Walk Score 99, $860,000 MUP and $750 WMR.

Drawcards: Chinatown restaurants, Paddys Market and Market City for shopping, Hoyts Cinema, Sydney Central Station and University of Technology Sydney Library.

Typical house type: Modern apartments.

sale:  701/6 Little Hay Street, Haymarket, NSW .

2. The Rocks

Stats: Walk Score 98, $1,317,500 MUP and $845 WMR.

Drawcards: Circular Quay Ferry Terminal, Circular Quay restaurants and cafes, Sydney Harbour views, Circular Quay Station, Museum of Contemporary Art, Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Typical house type: Modern apartments.

3. Sydney

Stats: Walk Score 98, $792,500 MUP and $685 WMR.

Drawcards: The Queen Victoria Building, George Street and Westfield Sydney for shopping, Hyde Park, Martin Place cafes and Martin Place Station.

Typical house type: Modern apartments.

For rent: 1105/23 Shelley Street, Sydney, NSW.

4. Ultimo

Stats: Walk Score 98, $671,300 MUP and $580 WMR.

Drawcards: Powerhouse Museum, University of Technology Sydney, ABC Centre, Hoyts Cinema, Wentworth Park, Broadway Shopping Centre and close to Sydney Fish Market.

Typical house type: Renovated terrace houses and apartments.

5. Surry Hills

Stats: Walk Score 97, $765,000 MUP and $595 WMR.

Drawcards: Great eateries (Gelato Messina, Chur Burger and Movida), Central Station, Belvoir Street Theatre, Prince Alfred Park and Swimming Pool, City Tennis Courts and Bourke Street Public School.

Typical house type: Terrace and townhouses.

For sale: 479 Riley Street, Surry Hills, NSW.

6. Chippendale

Stats: Walk Score 97, $700,000 MUP and $580 WMR.

Drawcards: Central Park Mall, The University of Sydney, Victoria Park, St Benedict’s Catholic Church and nightlife (Freda’s, Zigis, The Duck Inn and The Chippendale Hotel).

Typical house type: Cottages, terrace houses and modern apartment buildings.

For sale: 3 O’Connor Street, Chippendale, NSW.

7. Millers Point

Stats: Walk Score 96, $1,420,000 MUP and $900 WMR.

Drawcards: Harbour Bridge, BridgeClimb Sydney, Observatory Hill Park, Sydney Observatory, Barangaroo Reserve, restaurants and cafes (Pier 8, Bitter and Twisted), harbour views, Roslyn Packer Theatre, Universal Pictures Sydney, close to Sydney Theatre Company and Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Typical house type: Sandstone terraces and apartments.

8. Darlinghurst

Stats: Walk Score 96, $790,000 MUP and $570 WMR.

Drawcards: Hyde Park, St Vincent’s Hospital, The University of Notre Dame, National Art School, Oxford Street (bars, clubs, shops and restaurants), Sydney Mardi Gras, Australian Museum, Sydney Grammar School, galleries and theatres.

Typical house type: Terrace houses and apartments.

For rent: 82/15 Boundary Street, Darlinghurst, NSW.

9. Newtown

Stats: Walk Score 95, $615,000 MUP and $483 WMR.

Drawcards: Enmore theatre, Dendy Cinema, Camperdown Memorial Park, St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Newtown train station, Sydney TAFE Design Centre, King Street cafes and restaurants, Black Star Pastry, High School of the Performing Arts, Newtown Public School, The University of Sydney, Newtown Library, galleries and Moore Theological College.

Typical house type: Workers cottages and terrace houses.

For sale: 22 Egan Street, Newtown, NSW .

10. Rushcutters Bay

Stats: Walk Score 94, $755,000 MUP and $495 WMR.

Drawcards: Nightlife, Rushcutters Bay Tennis Centre and Park, Saint Lukes Hospital, restaurants and cafes, Reg Bartley Oval and close to Cruising Yacht Club.

Typical house type: Apartments.

For more information on the best Sydney suburbs take a look at the safest suburbs in Sydney and 10 hot Sydney suburbs for investment.

Happy house hunting!