jesss14
Reviews
"Slowly Gentrifying. Just keep waiting."
I moved to Inala approximately three years ago when I bought my first house. It was cheap and close to public transport. Having moved from Taringa, it was a little difficult acclimatising at first. So, here's what I've learnt:
- The Civic Centre may smell and look intimidating, but it's home to some of the best Japanese/Turkish/Vietnamese/Chinese food I've had. If you're having a bad day, haven't washed your hair in two weeks and don't want to change out of your tracksuit pants - that's fine. You're not going to get judged. The fresh food markets are also amazing, and I strongly recommended them. There's also tonnes of smaller satellite strip shops around Inala to feed your need for Bahn Mi or a cottage pie.
- The area is slowly gentrifying, and comes with all the problems of a gentrifying neighbourhood. Tenant displacement, increasing housing costs, homelessness and a loss of social diversity. I'll be extremely disappointed if we lose the uniqueness of the Civic Centre for the sake of higher housing costs. This of course does result in a higher than normal crime rate per square kilometre.
- Don't buy next to Public Housing. Tenants who are considerate or even just not feral is 99.9% not going to happen. Department of Housing isn't interested either. Don't expect them to take action when their tenants cause issues. I lived across the street, and had to work with the poor neighbours next to them to get bad tenants evicted. Save yourself the trouble by doing a title check ($20 through QLD Gov site) before you buy. Or, if you're deaf you can use it to haggle down the price of the house. RE agents know how difficult it can be to move a property that's next to public housing -- so use it to your full advantage.
- Life moves a little slower in Inala, and I've come to appreciate it. No one's racing off the line at stop lights, people walk a little slower, there's no emphasis on appearance, and people seem more relaxed. Some parts of Inala remind me of the older parts of Yeronga, with all the brick houses and small brick fences. It's a different vibe here, and one I can appreciate.
- Forest Lake and Oxley are just a stone's throw away, and you get to enjoy things like the Cheesecake Shop, Sushi Train, Pubs, boutique shops and restaurants without the price tag that comes with owning a home in those suburbs.
Who lives here?
- Families with kids
Yes . I agree, wonderful wriiten ,You could easily become write a novel Pannonianr . I have lived in Inala for 45 years , lets be honest the area was bad at one time ,I personally was burgled 4 times about 20 years ago , however there has been a huge change for the better over the last few years and you really have great diversity here now . Where else can you get four fresh fish shops in one area. large park areas , clubs like the Blue Fin and Lions minutes away . and a rail serviceat Richlands with a multi storey car park, close to the City . The below average house price are not going to last much longer , just a few house from mine sold for $493000 a few weeks ago .
My dad sold our property years too early, and he and mum ended up in Bluejay Street in mid 1990. They were honest, honorable people, migrants from Hungary. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet them. They lived for 24 years in a department house and were good neighbours to all. They grew an year organic vegetable garden and the yard was always tidy and neat. Before he died in late October, 2018, Dad said that it was always such a good feeling when he opened the front door and went into their house. For me, it has taken years to accept that my parents went from property ownership to social housing, but I thank God for my parents, who were stellar tenants in Inala. They never complained about their lot in life and were happy there. My mother died of Motor Neuron Disease in 2009, and Dad was able to stay on for another five years before he went to a nursing home. I actually miss the house - No 51 if you are ever passing by. Stop and reflect that good people lived there once, and now they are gone. The Department was quite heartless, ordering me to have the house vacated on Christmas Eve of 2014! I managed to get an extra week by phoning the Minister's Office. The staff member who took the keys showed no emotion, no flicker of kindness for 24 years of good tenancy by my parents. Maybe the person was having a really bad day, who knows. It was gut wrenching, but it's over now. I also remember elderly people who would sit out on their verandah at the T Junction of Bluejay and Spoonbill. One day the lady was gone, and just the elderly man sat there. Then he also was gone. The Postal letterbox remains, though. A silent witness to all the people who have trekked up and down that street, posting Christmas cards, birthday cards and endless other items of mail over the years.