Lilian

I am sorry to say this, but I hated living on Mein Street. Love the Penninsula, but this street was a nightmare and we couldn't wait to move on from it.

It's a gorgeous, tree-lined exclusive street.

I have previously lived in inner-city Brisbane (New Farm, Kelvin Grove) and so my concerns about moving to Redcliffe included the following; (a) that the commute would be long and tedious, (b) that the people would be unfriendly and rough, (c) that the community would be homophobic (I'm a lesbian), and (c) that the amenities would be poor. After living on the Peninsula for 4 years, I feel as though I can now provide a fair review and while one of my fears were justified, the others I pleasantly found to be far from the case.

Pros
Beatiful beaches and tree lined streets; lovely walking tracks along the water; cool and lower humidity in the summer than inner-city Brisbane; cleaner air; MUCH cheaper groceries and petrol than Brisbane; lovely Sunday markets; a super relaxed vibe; friendly people (for the most part); buses that take you either directly to the city or to Sandgate train station; no parking troubles; easy driving; a low mortgage!!!!!; very pet friendly; fantastic vets and medical facilities; accepting of same-sex relationships (I certainly have not experienced any direct homophobia); some nice cafes.

Cons
It is a long and at times frustrating commute (especially if Deagon deviation is blocked); 20-25 mins drive to Sandgate train station (Redcliffe train line really is needed); the bus to the train takes a good 35 mins; it is difficult to get around if you find yourself without a car at any stage; annoying, tail-gaters often drive on the bridge; occasional general 'bogan' behaviour (we've had some dodgy neighbours a few times); certain streets aren't great - if you can find a place east of Oxley, you're in the better side of town; no good deli options (although Feel Goodz has just opened in Woody Point and is quite good).

A note on the cons, it goes without saying that there are annoying people and less than great streets in every neighbourhood - but having lived in a horrible street when I first moved to the Penninsula, I do think it is important to really examine the street you are looking to move into. While a place and the street view might look great on the internet/google maps, you won't get a good idea of the street without doing a physical look around. You can really feel the difference between good and icky parts of Redcliffe in a way that is much more prominent than inner-city Brisbane.

Overall, I'm very happy that I moved to Redcliffe. I love the small mortgage and the lovely walks and sea breezes. I absolutely love crossing that bridge everyday knowing that I am leaving inner-city life and inner-city noise and drama behind me. There is something very calming about coming home to a beautiful bay life.