samh46

I am 25 years old and have lived in Glebe for the past five years.

The upside:
Glebe is an excellent location. From where I live in Bellevue Street, I am:
25 mins walk from Central Station
15 mins walk to Sydney Uni
20-25 mins walk to centre of CBD
5 minute walk to Blackwattle Bay (a nice locale where you can sit by the water and take a walk around the bay. They also have a rowing club)
45 mins walk to Opera House

The downside:
I myself don't spend much time in Glebe. This is because there isn't much to do. There are a few decent pubs which have a homely vibe (e.g. I sometimes play trivia at the Friend in Hand. Tommy's Beer Cafe is also a great authentic Czech and Slovak haunt for spending time with friends). My girlfriend and I also occasionally eat out at Baha Cantina (good mexican food), Badde Manors (good vegetarian food), and Tom Yum thai (cheap and good quality thai). I've also heard good things about the restaurant Jambo Jambo (ethiopian food). But otherwise, there's not much to do. So I usually walk to Newtown or the CBD when I want to have fun (both less than 30 mins by foot - there are also buses, but this probably takes 20-25 mins so you don't save much time over walking).

Other things you might like:
You will be close to the fish markets, which are currently being redeveloped so will be a great spot to buy seafood and spend time if you're into this kind of thing
Close to Glebe markets, which run every Saturday
There is Ultimo Public School and Glebe Public school nearby if you have kids. There is also Blackwattle Bay Secondary School
You're close to Wentworth Park if you're into dog racing. If you're not then the sound can be annoying if you live near it (dog races run around twice per week). In any case, Wentworth Park is a good place to play soccer, take your kids to play on the play equipment, or jog around or do exercise in
There is the 370 bus which goes through Glebe to Newtown, then to Coogee beach. So in theory you can get one bus straight to the beach, though this bus has been voted the worst/most unreliable in the city. So DO NOT expect it to come on time

Other notes:
You'll probably be doing your shopping at Broadway Shopping centre. This has basically everything you'll need and is very close
If you're looking to use the light rail that runs through Glebe then THINK AGAIN. It's been shutdown for 18 months, so you'll need to take special replacement buses. The light rail doesn't go anywhere useful though, so this probably won't affect you
Your closest pools will probably be Ian Thorpe Aquatic centre (indoor) or Victoria Park Pool (outdoor). These pools are pretty decent and both have gyms. They also have fitness classes and kids swimming lessons

Glebe is a great place to live if you want to walk to work in Sydney Uni, Ultimo, or the CBD. If you have a car and use it, then the location advantage won't apply so much
Glebe is a reasonably relaxed area though probably not a good place to live if you're young and want to live in a share house and have lots of parties. There are a lot of young families who will probably get annoyed at you if you do this

TLDR: Glebe is an excellent location to be able to walk to Newtown, CBD, Broadway, or Central. Which is great because you won't have much to do living in Glebe.