RubyShoes
Reviews
"Nice but pricey suburb"
Woollahra is a nice but pricey suburb located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. It is a quick ten to fifteen minutes' drive to the city from here and there are plenty of buses that service this area. Typical of inner city Sydney suburbs, the streets in Woollahra are so narrow that buses often have to drive over the round abouts in the middle of the roads.
As expected, housing prices here are on the higher end of the scale with many upper income families living here. Things are generally more expensive here as compared to the likes of your suburbs in Western Sydney. However, Woollahra has plenty of charms. It has several cafes, pubs, florists, restaurants, boutiques, shops and nice heritage architecture. It is a very nice place to live if you can afford the cost.
"Nice quiet town"
I always drive through Bright whenever I visit Falls Creek in the Victorian Snowfields. It has nice bakeries in the area and I always stop by for a caramel slice which gives me plenty of energy when I hit the slopes. There is also one other particular bakery which has really nice cakes and you can sit down and actually enjoy them. I am sure if you drive through the town you will find it, since the town itself is pretty small. I have only ever visited during winter but I did happen to see an ice cream shop that says it is closed until summer, which I find quite interesting. The town is so laid back that you see the bank tellers just sipping at their coffees chatting away until some customers come in, you will never see that in the city.
"Beautiful buildings and plenty of history"
Ballarat is a town about an hour’s drive away from Melbourne. It’s biggest claim to fame is Sovereign Hill, which is a gold rush like theme park that you see on all the brochures in town. The town itself has a lot of historical statues and buildings, hence making it a nice drive along the main stretch of town. The town centre is pretty small and driving up and down the town only takes about five minutes. The pubs are nice and they look like they attract decent bands to the area. The restaurant we visited was also very presentable and showed heart in their presentation. Whatever you do, do not stay at the Peppinella Motel, which you can just rename to "the flea bite motel". Not that we actually got bitten but it was just so old and musty and it seemed that it has not been dusted in years.
"Nice little sleepy country town"
Ararat is a nice little town in country Victoria that once serviced the gold rush. I visited this town on the way to Melbourne while we returned from Halls Gap. During our little visit to Ararat, we dropped by the Chinese Heritage Museum. Given that the museum was funded by Chinese, it pays tribute to a lot of the early Chinese who were part of the gold rush with plenty of issues raised on how they were treated and how they lived during that period of time. The museum allows you to pan for bits of gold in their little make-shift panning area and you get to keep any gold that you manage to pan. Unfortunately, I was not lucky and could not find any despite the staff telling me that there were a few specs added in the morning. I did not see anything else in Ararat but it has the vibe of a nice town.
I did add a comment but it dissapeared. Perhaps too much of a negative question?
You know. It seems the more i research the more dirt surfaces about country living. It is almost as if one needs to weigh up leaving the bigger city hoping not to enter another frying pan. It is sad that seemingly are so many missfits out there spoiling it for retirees who seek a quiet live and ending up competing against such people who live the dream instead of working for a living where the jobs are. Guess they are enjoying early retirement taking up all thr good places oit in the country?
"Plenty more life than Canberra"
I once booked to stay in a motel in Queenbeyan thinking that it was in Canberra. However, Queenbeyan is part of New South Wales and it is very close to Canberra. The funny thing is that it has much more life and character than our nations capital. The streets have more interesting cafes and bakeries for you to grab an early morning bite and I know friends who prefer to stay in Queenbeyan than live in Canberra, even though they work in Canberra. Additionally, rental prices in Queenbeyan are cheaper than Canberra and it is only a ten minutes' drive to get into Canberra from this town. The motels are well kept here and everybody is very friendly
Bakeries? Where? Would love fore Qbn to have a decent boulangerie!
"Clean country town"
I always manage to drive through Gundagai on the way from Sydney to Melbourne or vice versa. When I drive through, the stretch that lies on the main road is always quite nice as the stores are there to try to lure you into buying something. The public toilets on the main street are always very clean and are set amongst grass to give your eyes a rest and legs a stretch if you are traveling long distance and really need a breather. There are pubs and cafes in the place but I have managed to give them a miss. There is probably more to see and do here but being from Sydney we just love to storm through it and try to get home in record time.
"Typical western Sydney suburb"
Erskine Park is a western Sydney suburb north of Penrith. It is a good forty to fifty minutes' drive to get here from the city. It is a very green suburb with plenty of bush and houses that have plots of land that are almost farm like. The main road heading into Erskine Park has many fruit shops that sell local produce. The fruits and vegetables here look very fresh and less pumped up with hormones. They are also very cheap. You just have to look out for them along the sides of the road. I picked up my pet rabbit from a breeder in Erskine Park so will probably come back here for another one some time soon.
You can purchase fresh produce in suburbs adjacent to Erskine Park, but this is not Erskine Park itself, nor is it on the main road coming into Erskine Park. The area being referred to would be probably be classified as Kemps Creek.
Ruby Shoes, I'm not sure what area you are talking about, but it definitely isn't Erskine Park. I echo Jan's comment above. I also want to wish you good luck when returning to find another rabbit from a breeder at Erskine Park. To me your comments spell FAIL especially your generic term for "Typical Western Sydney Suburb. Erskine Park is situated just of the M4 (next turnoff from the old Wonderland heading west). Erskine Park is @ 8km2 with 2 schools, local shops including hairdressers, newsagent, Franklins, chemist, medical centre, real estate, restaurant, liquor land, bakery and an ALDI's is currently being built as we speak. it's direct neighbour is St Clair. A great place to live, quiet streets, good neighbours, plenty of people out and about running, walking etc. Highly recommend it.
Yes, this review is certainly not of Erskine Park. Erskine Park is not located north of Penrith, it is east and slightly south. All other information is also incorrect.
"End of the train line"
Windsor lies on the north western side of Sydney. It is the end of the train line and is a beautiful suburb with lots of tree lined streets. There is an army base here along with plenty of pubs and bars with decent entertainment on weekends. There does seem to be a lot of youths hanging about on the weekends so just watch out when you are around the station or driving that you do not run into a shopping trolley lying in the middle of the road. There are also plenty of nice restaurants in the area that gives excellent relief to having to go to the city for fine dining. The restaurants all claim to use local produce and the chefs are put a lot of heart into their cooking to produce some great food.
Train line actually continues through to Richmond, and Windsor itself does not have an army base, however there is a raaf base in the next town being Clarendon . The raaf base is known as Raaf Richmnd.
"Typical south western Sydney suburb"
Yagoona is in south western Sydney and is one of the suburbs along the Hume Highway. It has a very large Vietnamese population, so the suburb reflects the population and has lots of Vietnamese bread shops selling your favourite bread and also the famous pork rolls (Vietnamese Baguette). There are super markets and also other shops dotted along the Hume Hwy so the local residents are well serviced with local and convenient facilities. Kentucky Fried Chicken is also in the area and it probably gets a lot of business due to its location. Yagoona was featured in the movie ‘Footy Legends’ which gave it lots of colour and showed that it is just a normal looking suburb with big plots of land.
biased undetone to this review. darling, i don't know who you think you are!!!!!!!!!!!!
at the same time, this person doesnt even know what they want! 209 reviews??? wow, has plenty of time on thier hands and one of those look at me people who wants to earn brownie points! lol.
I think the review was very unbiased and that people have a right to voice their opinion without being attacked for doing so, it is not even a bad review by any stretch of the inagination, if anything it plays down how bad this suburb has become, this is coming from someoe who has 40 years experience on it. I would suggest the people talking up this area are obviously trying to sell their house and as is the culture in this area now, instant react if someone has a different opinion. You will not like my review then and I have based it on facts, as well as there are plenty of news articles and ACA programs to back it up which is why I left. My own father who still lives there calls is "your a gonna" not Yagoona, maybe one to many break ins.
man o man, your just another aussie racist!!! just reading your article is making me sick, not the suburb! i have been there for 20 years and was picked on by the aussies at school as a wog, now its their turf and you dont like it!!! Well, tuff luck. I now live in a suburb in QLD which is full of aussies and i have been broken into twice in 6 months, while in Yagoona wasnt broken into once for 20 years!!!! Now who are the REAL thieves uh??? And guess what, THIS IS AN UNBIASED OPINION AND THE TRUTH, which everyone hates saying nowadays!!! You will be broken into any suburb where there are junkies!
My parents still HAPPILY live in Yagoona, since moving there in 1988. I live in Greenacre now that I've married (even distance from the in laws at Enfield) and I'm not too pleased with the negative comments posted above about the areas of Yagoona, Chullora, Banstown and Greenacre. Yagoona is a peaceful area. I remember the days when the State Bank, ANZ, CBA and Westpac were in town. Harvey World travel and the Pizza Hut diner with the all you can eat buffet. Of course businesses move on and these buildings are all now occupied with new enterprises. Yagoona has undergone a facelift to the main shopping strip in the last year (no more uneven cement footpaths!). There are new takeaways with footpath table seating, hairdressers, doctors, pharmacies, butchers (both Halal and Spanish), fresh bread baked daily at both Vietnamese bakeries. There's the IGA and two discount stores, 4 furniture stores, legendary Helen's Pavlova Pantry (the best pavs I've ever eaten), Sparkle Dry Cleaning has been there forever, flower shop, post office, news agency, lawn mower service and repair centre, petrol stations, drive through bottleshop, dentist and Presto Pizza (run by an Italian family-better than Pizza Hut!!)..... I have not finished, the list does go on! Blahdeebah notes there is a family of nine not mowing their lawn- so call council, don't put the whole suburb down!! I have had only pleasant experiences in all of the stores I have listed above. I have caught the train from Yagoona station the majority of my life- no problems, just your average sydneysider waiting along with me for the train to work or school. And Blahdeeblah, as for crime having increased or the areas changing since when, the 70's? THE WHOLE WORLD HAS CHANGED. Hang onto your memories, that's all we've got. Didn't a young boy witness his Dad being shot? It was absolutely horrible, but it wasn't in Yagoona, it was on the most expensive street in Sydney. Was it Bankstown where the yr 12 student had a bomb tied to her neck? Nup, it was Mosman. I'm friends with a lady who grew up in Paddington and she feels safer living in Greenacre- because at least she won't get mugged again! My point is that there is crime anywhere you move, and it is very unfair to rant on about just that when there is so much more going for Yagoona. I recommend any prospective buyers to take a drive down to Yagoona, especially Fenwick Street or William Street (my favourite streets and where I had hoped I'd buy when I moved out of home. Blahdeeblah, I have no worries about my elderly parents walking down the street in Yagoona to get their daily fresh bread. Mum doesn't drive, she has never had a bad a experience catching the train. The ladies at the IGA know her very well and always ask her how she's doing. Her local hairdresser cuts her hair JUST as she likes it, no need to explain what she'd like at each visit, just 'same again please' . There is a little community here in Yagoona, if you stand still long enough to look around, you will start to recognise the people and say hello. Blahdeeblah I'm sorry you don't realise this, although the faces in Yagoona (formerly Irish Town) have changed through history we are indeed still a community of people who respect each other.
Lemonlime, could not agree more, we moved here 20 years ago in fact from Croydon NSW, a very leefy higher middle class suburb, we swapped the place we had for a bigger home here in Yagoona and used the other for investment. I have to say in all the time I have been here I have had nothing but great enriching experiences and a real very real sense of community. Yes it has it's issues all suburbs do, but overall visiting family in croydon I can tell you that you can buy a 1.2 million dollar hovel there but there are more junkies and house thefts there that are very visible than I have ever experienced here let alone my neighbors. I have owned till recently a small business in Yagoona, the shopping center is small it has lost a lot of its prior populace since the banks left and Centro in Bankstown took over but it is slowly coming back with some new Highrise developments alomg the Hume Highway strip and a new supermarket complex touted new the Rookwood road end of the strip. In fact I think the life is coming back to Yagoona shopping center. I have coached one of my sons soccer teams for 9 years and my other boy has played since 7 at the local club and I can tell you again a great community atmosphere with many a great night spent at the Three Swallows over a steak a bear and great friendly conversations with parents neighbors etc. Yagoona may not be perfect but I can tell you I know a few "Up Market" suburbs that are far worse than this place.. Not everyone's experiences for one reason or another might be great but our family is very happy here and we intend to stick around till we retire down the coast.. If anyone has seen the North Coast recently you know why were heading south :)
The only thing yagoona is missing is a proper supermaket in place of the supermaket that used to be iga
"Very close to the Blue Mountains"
Mount Tomah is a town west of Sydney, close to the Blue Mountains, and made famous by the Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens. The gardens boast an excellent display of flowers and trees. The best time to visit the gardens has to be during Spring as this is when the flowers and trees are in full blossom to lend the gardens a splendid colour. During Autumn, you are going to see lots of trees rather than flowers so choose when you prefer to go. There are trees and flowers from all over the world to see and you will not see the same flowers twice. Mount Tomah botanical gardens is a must visit if you are ever in the vicinity as it has very different species as compared to the other gardens in Sydney.
"Nice coastal town"
Newcastle is a coastal town north of Sydney that really developed due to the steel industry in the area. Newcastle itself is quite a nice area with some very nice beaches that brings in the tourists. There is also a university in town which leads to a few international students and Sydney-Siders heading there for studies. Newcastle does have its fair share of celebrities like Andrew Johns, the great rugby league player and Jennifer Hawkins, the former Miss Universe. Although there really is not much to do but go to the beach, it is a nice relaxing place worth driving to for a relaxing weekend away from Sydney.
"Great place for antiques"
Mittagong lies at the top of the Southern Tablelands in New South Wales and is situated before you get into neighbouring Bowral and Robertson. This town is far less built up and glitzy as Bowral is and has a nice garden next to the train station for you to sit about and enjoy your surroundings. There are a few antique shops in the area that will occupy antique fans and the international piano competition is held at the local hall. The International Piano Competition is quite an event for such a small town. There are your usual fish and chip shops and other cafes to eat but nothing special to make you come back for them. Mittagong is a nice place for a pit stop if you are on your way to Robertson.
yes nice place.
"Famous for its blowhole"
Nowra is a town just south of Wollongong, about two hours' drive from Sydney. It is famous and a favourite tourist spot because of the blow hole. Everybody waits around for a big splash and the water just spurts out everywhere. Sometimes you get some really bad days where the water is no where to be seen, and sometimes it spurts real high. It is not as fun as before since now you have to stand behind the fencing because some stupid tourist fell in the hole a two decades ago which spoiled the fun for everbody else. Other than that, Nowra has a lot of facilities like hardware shops and lots of shopping centres to service the locals.
"Small country town"
Berridale is small little town roughly fifteen minutes out of Cooma and forty-five minutes' drive from the ski fields of Perisher Blue and Thredbo. A small town means that you have only one or two options to fill up the tank and only one or two options for dining. The accommodation here is more modest and budget friendly and they have been providing the same standard of accommodation since the 80s. The prices here are about the same as Cooma and slightly cheaper than Jindabyne but you are really paying for bottom range services. I actually quite like this little town. It is not built up so when you walk out of the motel, you see lots of grass and trees and fresh mountain air.
"Favourite stop for many on the way to the ski fields"
Jindabyne is the closest town to the ski fields of Perisher Blue and Thredbo and is thus very popular for people to stay there when on a skiing holiday. Given that, it is a very up market place and is much more expensive than the other towns like Berridale or Cooma. There are plenty of ski hire shops here, and again you will have to pay Jindabyne prices as compared to Cooma or Berridale, roughly 10 -15% more. There are a few restaurants and pubs and also a beautiful view of the lake so there is value for money when staying here. With the snowfields only half an hour away, it looks like Jindabyne will always be a busy town during skiing season. During the summer months, Jindabyne is known for trout fishing and bush walking.
"Beautiful small town"
Adamainaby is a beautiful town on the North Western side of Kosciuszko National Park. It is less frequented than the likes of Cooma or Jindabyne since it is further away from the main resorts of Perisher and Thredbo. It is closer to the budget and family friendly Mount Selwyn so it does not get as much traffic as the other towns. However, with this in mind it is very peaceful here and Jean Claude Van Damme once said he was keen to purchase a house in the area. There is good trout fishing near by and there are other things to do here other than skiing. Come here to enjoy a great time at the snow minus the crowd.
"Great Italian Patisseries"
Haberfield has definitely raised it’s profile as an excellent dining and meeting place in Inner West Sydney. There are a few very famous Italian patisseries in the area, with the most yummy cakes and profiteroles to go with a good cup of coffee. Sunday afternoons are well spent catching up with friends over coffee and cake in this suburb, where parking is always easy to find and you are not too far from the city. There is a really famous wood fired pizza restaurant called La Disfida on the strip and it is quite good. Somehow the toppings are a little thin but the tomato sauce and ingredients are the freshest ever!
"Quiet inner-west suburb"
Lewisham is a quiet suburb that lies between Petersham and Summer Hill. It is located in the inner west of Sydney and is about a twenty minutes' drive to the city. It does not have any shops or cafes like it’s neighbour - Summer Hill and so it is a very quiet suburb that lies along the Inner-West train line. It has a little newsagency off the train station and apart from that, it is just pure Inner-West residential living. There are lots of old heritage style houses and semi houses. A lot of professionals board the train in the morning to go work in the city as it is a convenient area if you work in the city and want to live the Inner-West lifestyle. It is only down the road from all the cafes of Summer Hill and restaurants of Petersham so nothing is too far away.
"Beautiful heritage houses in this area"
Right after the train passes Petersham you start to see a lot more older style heritage semi houses and terraces in Stanmore. They are really nice and remind you of what Sydney would look like back in the 50s and 60s. Stanmore station itself is heavily patronised by the private school students who attend Newington. When you drive past the school, you can see the school grounds and the many facilities that you will receive if you study at a private school.
Stanmore has cafes on both sides of the train station and they serve good breakfasts and coffee on the weekends. It is a middle income area so the services offered in the area are of good quality and not your usual bargain prices.
"Inner west living with many heritage houses"
Petersham is part of old school Inner West Sydney. It is only a twenty minutes' drive west out of Sydney City. You can still find many heritage terraces and houses here. The train station is really old and somehow does not look like it will get a revamp any time soon. A lot of the students from Fort Street High School use the train station so during the mornings you will have to tolerate a lot of school children getting off the train. The train service is infrequent and sometimes, train services do get cancelled. The Livingstone Road side of Petersham has lots of Portugese restaurants that are nice and hearty as well as pubs and other restaurants.
Another incorrect comment from this reviewer. The train service is very good and services are not often cancelled. Petersham train station is Heritage-listed for its fine neo-Gothic architecture. Let's hope it doesn't get a "revamp" any time soon! Terraces? Petersham is also full of large mansions - Croydon St, Palace St. Railway St, Shaw St etc. As to her strange comment re "Old School" Inner West that comment holds true for every suburb from Newtown to Strathfield.
Ararat is a good place if you are only there to visit, There are a lot of people who pass through and think it is a great place, but, if you only try living there for a few years, there is not a lot in the way of jobs in that town, unless you want to be a prison guard, Left the place 7 years ago and my life has improved dramatically
at least half of that place seems to be a dumping ground for the socially unacceptable,
be real careful where you buy in that town, Avoid the lower end of town,Next time you are there ask about the streets on "The Other Side Of the Tracks" then go for a cruise down there, you will see what i mean,
When you are there next, go up to One Tree Hill at night,(if you are game enough) take a look at the way the street lights are arranged, see if you can spell out the word "HELL"