Rockdale, NSW 2216

I moved to Rockdale 2 years ago after living most of my life in St Leonards, and I have to say, I'm blown away by how underrated this suburb is. There's so much to love here! For starters, public transport is fantastic - it's only a 15-minute ride to the CBD. But that's just the beginning. The people here are incredibly friendly, and there's a real sense of community. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I moved here. But Rockdale has exceeded all my expectations.

Do not expect a brand new shiny suburb with big mall and hundreds of eating places here. This is a charming old town with unique heritage building, beautiful parks, one busy street, plenty of quiet areas and easy access to CBD, beach, airport, etc. New modern apartments are growing but there are plenty of affordable houses too. Beaches are within short cycling distance or 5 mins bus ride from station. Council probably can do more with upgrading the main street.

The best parts about the area is the transport into the city. It’s also close to Brighton Le Sands. Avoid Rockdale Plaza around lunch time as very difficult to get out of the car park. The shops in the Main Street and train station are run down. It’s a dive to be honest with you. Very hard to find an Aussie takeaway and only so many kebabs I can eat. It’s under a flight path, so loads of planes. Houses are cheap for a reason. Tons of flats. I really regret moving here and plan to move as fast as I can. Cannot recommend unless you love the southwest/ western Sydney vibe.

I think rockdale is an overall great place however there could be improvements. One thing i would love to improve is a larger amount of houses rather than units/apartments.

Rockdale has got something for everyone. For professionals it has a quick commute to the city and relatively affordable housing (and plenty of actual houses too, amongst the many apartments). For families there are parks and Brighton beach. You’ve got a large shopping centre but you don’t need to go there for every shop because there is a plethora of local businesses - green grocers, butchers, restaurants, chemists. Goods are affordable. I moved here from Newtown and enjoy the peace and quiet in my street but find it just as convenient in terms of city fringe living. Really like living in this suburb and think it’s one to watch! Values will certainly go up.

Beautiful parks and new ones under construction. Lovely heritage homes and tree lined streets. New units with restaurant strip under construction - multicultural hub. Backstreets filled with beautiful trees and hidden gem cafes. Close to the beach, airport, public transport, M5 and Sydney CBD.

To me Rockdale appears as a place whose Council needs performance management. The streets are littered with garbage, old and rundown shops which requires serious facelift. It should be a great suburb given its proximity to the city.

The main road runs through the what I would venture to call ‘CBD’, which differs from that of Hurstville. Car traffic on this main road is particularly undesirable, although pedestrian traffic is considerably low. Schools nearby are not excellent, aside from perhaps Kogarah, which you are better off residing in as it has generally a more community feel on certain parts of Montgomery and Railway Pde. In Rockdale" there is a shopping plaza, but it’s in the south-eastern pocket, and generally not very accessible (the only safe means to get there is perhaps car or bus; walking on Princes Highway is a tad bit far fetched). The driveway McDonald’s certainly needs to be more accessible by walk and all retail shops like Bunnings too. Everything feels... isolated in Rockdale. The side of Rockdale closer to Kogarah is completely instinct to that of the Strand even though you are essentially traversing not a great distance. As for restaurants, I believe you are sorted to some degree, but very little variety of cuisine.

It is an ok suburb because of its proximity to the city and beach.
However, you used to see some kids roaming around looking for money and carry some prohibited drugs. They are almost gone now.

It is generally safe for a man to walk on the main street at night but it is not recommended for ladies to do so.

Also, beware of the bin thefts, they have stolen my bins twice which never would happen in most of the northern suburbs.

As for families, most of the schools closed by are not great.

Live off bay st between Rockdale and Brighton Le sands, best of both worlds beautiful beaches, restaurants and cafe options & exercise facilities: Rockdale plaza to one side and Rockdale centre has a train station and major bus interchange, fantastic continental bakery’s & delis. Close to Sydney cbd, m5 and eastern suburbs. St George public & private hospital nearby. Convenient and many options.

Nice and convenient! Easy access to central/Redfern and Bondi junction by train and other transport options (M5 Tunnel, Princess Highway, Grande Parade, Eastern Distributor)! Close to shops, good food and coffee (yes, yes and YES!), and close to beach while at the same time it is affordable! This suburb seems to be a place for professionals and families with kid.

Living on the Briton Le sand side of Princes highway we have not experienced a tiny noise from the airport.

Honestly, I am surprised how lovely living here has been so far!

Lived in Rockdale for a while and still own an investment property there - very convenient suburb close to Sydney CBD, Brighton-Le-Sands beach and eateries and shops. Recommend!

I have lived here for 9 years now. Safe and nice but road noise is more then ever. Surrounding suburbs hoons converge here for a fun run from Princess highway to Grand Parade. Before you buy make sure you are not in hoon zone.

Beautiful location with all facilities nearby and good return on investment.

Safe, convenient and only 12-13km from Sydney CBD.

I have been living in Rockdale for more than 5 years and honestly loved the place. This is one of those suburbs where you can choose to enjoy a peace and quiet lifestyle amongst an active environment. You are 2 min away from Brighton Le-Sands and 13km from Sydney CBD. There is TAFE and St George Hospital just down Princess Hwy. Lastly, the cost of living in Rockdale is similar (at least from my point of view) to the levels you expects in Liverpool or Bankstown. To me, i think the property value in Rockdale is yet to explode.

Our family has lived in Herbert Street, Rockdale for the past 6 years and we love it, having relucantly moved from the inner west. Much more suburban that what I was used to, Rockdale has many wide streets, large heritage homes and pretty gardens. There is room for families to live and grow and great capital growth to be made. We have been blessed with the loveliest neighbours and our little pocket of the world boasts multiculturalism at it's best. With a Jewish husband, I have Vietnamese and Christian lebanese neighbours, muslim lebanese and greeks across the road and a gorgeous family of Scots down the block. We all know and greet each other by name, exchange xmas presents and often meet for a chat in the street. Our local shops near the station offer the cheapest fruit/veg in Sydney and the most delicious lebanese pastries. We walk to school and preschool, parks, trains and shopping facilities. With family in the east, friends in the inner west and north shore, we can get everywhere easily and quickly. Having grown up in a very monied and conservative suburb, my family love coming to visit in Rockdale and rave about how friendly and affordable it is. But hush..we need to keep the secret!!

Lived in Rockdale Plaza apartments for 7 years and very convenient
Highly under-rated which means good value little for those with keen eyes
Close to beach (brighton, sans souci, little bay)
Phenomenal transport options (M5 Tunnel, Princess Highway, Grande Parade, Eastern Distributor, Trains, Int & Dom Aiport)
Can be a little crowded in certain areas
Avoid being underneath the east-west runway (as can be very noisy as planes come low)
Other areas in Rockdale aren't impacted by noise
Also try and stay on the Brighton-Le-Sands side of the Princes Highway as this is a much nicer feeling (Eastern side)

Very close to the City and to the beach!

The Strand-
Best Street in Rockdale! 2 minutes from the Plaza, 7 minutes to the train station, 15 minutes to the city by train, 20 minutes to the beach (walking) 15 minutes to the Fitness First which has an indoor swimming pool!
Very green and Quiet Street. Good for families and young employers. Rockdale Mall is nice with plenty of cafes around and European bakeries. Grocery Prices are much cheaper than in Bondi Junction. I was living in Bondi Junction for 5 years and spend twice more $ for grocery’s

Rockdale is about a twenty to thirty minutes' drive to the city and is located in the south of Sydney. Hence, making it only a short distance to the airport. There is a train station in Rockdale and plenty of buses service this area as it is a major bus interchange for Sydney Buses. Rockdale has a good mix of residential apartments, houses, commercial buildings and light industrial areas. Many of the houses here are heritage listed and very beautiful.

Additionally, this is a very convenient suburb with a busy shopping strip next to the station. There are many shops, grocers, cafes, restaurants, pubs and etc. There is also Rockdale Plaza that is home to a few supermarkets, shops, food court and etc. This is a very convenient suburb that is well connected by public transport.