cwhast
Reviews
"“A town going nowhere”"
Lithgow is a small town with a population of around 12,000 people. Since the closing-down of the local steelworks and its relocation to Port Kembla, the town has died and has been remained this way ever since. The area is plagued by critical employment and social problems, as well as stagnant economic conditions. The last official figure on the unemployment rate was 7.3 per cent, although some have estimated a real-world figure to be closer to 30-40 per cent when including those who are unemployed but have given up looking for work.
The town suffers from an abundance of negative energy and creepy vibes. The longer someone lives in Lithgow, the more the town drags them down. Nothing ever changes, nor do the people or the attitudes they harbor toward their surroundings. A critical lack of development and a local council that seem to discourage growth contribute to cementing Lithgow’s status as the stagnation capital and laughing stock of the Central West region.
There’s hardly any sense of community spirit and people tend to keep to themselves. Any positive and generally happy person can receive strange looks and sometimes hostilities from the locals. A major lack of nightlife is demonstrated by Main Street being almost entirely deserted by 8 or 9 at night, with the only exception being clusters of cars and drunken people around the street’s 6 pubs and the odd taxi. Anywhere in Lithgow's main valley, the smell of diesel smoke and the long drawn-out noise of a 50+ carriage coal train barrelling along the Western rail line and through town a few times during the night can get to people after a while.
I totally recommend anyone looking to move to the area (or for a “tree-change”) to avoid Lithgow like the plague and instead try somewhere peaceful and positive like the upper Blue Mountains (anywhere from Mount Victoria to Lawson).
Hi Lisa,
Just to clarify, I no longer live in Lithgow. It should say "has lived here" somewhere on the review. I moved to the Blue Mountains a while ago and haven't been happier.
Lithgow definitely has an edge over many other places in terms of housing affordability, I'll give it that.
A bonus for the Blue Mountains is the trains to Sydney are more frequent. Whereas in Lithgow, you're looking at around one train every two hours. Most trains out of Sydney tend to terminate at Mount Victoria. From here, Penrith is an hour on the train or about 45 minutes driving time.
I wish I started work at 1.30pm =P
Chris :)
Thanks Chris yes I agree and Blue Mountains is also fantastic. I know the train line like the back of my hand after travelling up and back for so many years.
I only started work at 1.30pm because it took me 8 hours to get there. Then I would work until 9.00pm at night so it was quiet a long day.
It was well worth it as I got my dream home in the west not at the Mountains but hoping to get there soon.
Lithgow has so much heritage. The Town is amazing. I love the little shops near the railway station and the vibe.
At least there is a train to Sydney from Lithgow from Grenfell it is only once a day and only a bus at that.
Two hours to wait is nothing
Positive energy creates more.
Lithgow here I come.
.
Lithgow is a place you either love or hate - there is no middle ground. You have to make your own entertainment here and there is nothing offering for teenagers who invariably find the town 'boring'. For investors - high rent demand from low income groups. Especially high demand for 1 bed/studio premises. I loved living in Lithgow but the rest of my family didn't - so we moved.
I live in Lithgow now and love it.
People are so different. Much more genuine than the upper Blue Mountains. I moved from Meslow and hated it there.
Lithgow is an awesome place to live!
Suh54 - ShaneM3 - I waded through your comments. I cannot address most of what you say however I worked at SDRO (no longer called that) for many years and I can emphatically state that most of the employees were locals from Lithgow who moved up the management structure as well as anyone else if they so desired so on that point in your long review you were completely incorrect.
I have never lived in Lithgow but I love the town and I am looking forward to buying a home there one day. If it really is that bad then why are you still there. You can still work in Sydney and live in Lithgow. I used to live in Grenfell and travelled to Sydney for work every week. I would leave home at 5.30am and start my job at 1.30pm in Town Hall and I had a 2 year old child who used to travel with me.
If you enjoy the country life you can easily travel. No excuses for Unemployment if you really want to work.
Bathurst, Blayney, Katoomba look around.
Have a great night
LISA