Suburbs

[Moo]

ADELAIDE SUBURBS

I know there are few discussions on the forum about this topic but i wondered if anyone can help?

I am moving to Adelaide in March (without ever having set foot in it). I am very excited and positive but seeing as I am coming on my own, I was hoping someone could steer me clear of any dodgy areas (if there are any) and give some hints as to which suburbs are suited for a single, 30 something?

My budget isn't huge and I am looking at renting a 2 bedroom place.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Moo

Edited January 5, 2012 by Moo

[Tamara HDU]

PORT NOARLUNGA

This suburb has everything and everywhere can be reached by walking. I do not know of any other suburb that has so much right on it's doorstep.

There'a a transport interchange at the large Noarlunga shoping centre. A train to town takes 40 minutes. The southern expressway can be reached within a few minutes and this reduces the travel time into the city.

Beaches: It's a seaside suburb with the most stunning sandy beach, jetty and reef protected swimming. Anglers fish from the jetty and children and divers share the sea! You can walk there or reach them within a few minutes by car. The nearby Christies beach is dog friendly and your pets can run free in the sand and surf every day.

Port Noarlunga / Port Noarlunga South took the 2010 award for Australia's cleanest beach. Over $8 million is being spent on new beachfront facilities.

Shopping: Too much to list! The Noarlunga centre is within walking distance and is 2 minutes by car.

Beach road in Christies Beach has Coles and Woolworths and many eateries and fast food outlets. The supermarkets are open from 6 till 9 and you don't even need a car. There are liquor stores and drive in liquor stores. There are 24 hour petrol stations, convenience stores and fast food outlets..

The village of Port Noarlunga has character. There are fish and chip shops, a post office, restaurants, vets, dive hire etc. There is a childrens fort and play area just accross the Onkaparinga estuary and this has barbie and picknick facilities.

Schools: There are child care and kindy facilities in Port Noarlunga, Noarlunga centre and Christies Beach.

The Port Noarlunga primary school is very popular (my own grandson will be going there!) and this school is being expanded and refurbished with $4 million due to the growing demand.

There is a Catholic primary school (St Johns) in nearby O Sullivans and a primary school in beach road.

High schools and technical colleges include the Catholic Cardijn, Christies High, and Marcellin technical.

The Noarlunga TAFE is just a few minutes away and this offers so many courses for teenagers and adults. It's next door to the modern public library.

Housing: Prices in the range of $350,000 up to million dollar properties for beachfront homes. The area is undergoing massive transformation with many 1960's homes being renovated or replaced with modern units. There is a large expat population and the adjoining suburb of Christies beach is where 25% of the residents were born in the UK! Prices are rising in this suburb and many properties are being converted into holiday accommodation.

Entertertainment: The nearby (walkable!) Noarlunga entertainment precinct has a cinema complex, bowling, ice skating, large indoor pool and sports facility, and laser quest. A new gym has just opened.

There is the floodlit footy sports oval in Noarlunga and the footy and cricket oval in Christies. There are bowling clubs in Christies and Port Noarlunga, tennis courts, canoeing on the Onkaparinga river,There are hotels, restaurants, and pubs in the Port Noarlunga village. There are Indian, Chinese, pasta eateries and pub food all on your doorstep.

Other facilities: There are local doctors, the Noarlunga hospital and the soon to be completed health village.There is surf lifsaving associations, launch sites on the beaches and local dive facilities. There are great fishing spots on the river, from the jetty or from boats launched from O Sullivans beach. The water is calm and protected and the kids swim, surf and body board in safety. There are loads of parks and playgrounds, tennis courts and sport facilities. The infrastructure is good with high speed internet from many service providers.

Would I still choose to live here now?

Absolutely!

I look out on the stunning estuary and sea every day and am thankfull for being able to live in such a stunning location. I have the McLarenvale wine region just a few km away.

I bought my PortNoarlunga house 4 years ago after being in Oz for 3 weeks! I have just bought another home in Port Noarlunga and my daughter lives in Port Noarlunga! My teenage son works at the local Noarlunga centre and my other teenage son is attending the local Noarlunga TAFE. I walk (run!) my energetic boxer (Dutchess) on the beach nearly every day. I take my grandchildren to the beach, the local pool, the shops, the parks....my entire world is on my doorstep.

It's safe to walk the streets and i don't worry about crime. The people are so friendly and my decision to live here was totally right.

Tamara

[Moo]

Wow! Sounds great. Tamara for mayor

Thanks for all the info!

[Danie]

Hi,

One thing you need to remember is how relevant living in a area is going to be to YOU.

Noarlunga sounds fantastic but will not suit us, I need to be close to Airport and city as I travel weekly and work a couple a days a week in city.

We currently reside in Glenelg but any western suburb will do as they offer the same as described above = beach + shopping + living cost...

Depending on what you do & where you work, stay away from northern parts & some of the north eastern ones as well.

I know this does not help that much but goodluck anyway!

D

[HansaPlease]

Totally agree with Danie, it does depend on your particular circumstances - the most important thing if you ask me is how close the suburb is to work. Port Noaralunga is nice, I was there last week, but it's about 34km from the CBD, and although google maps says this would be a 45 minute drive, my guess is that in traffic it would easily be an hour.

We've been looking at suburbs in Adelaide for a while now, and the biggest challenge to us is finding somewhere nice, affordable and easy to commute to the city. Usually two out of three of these options are easy to find, but not all three at the same time... If it's cheap and close to the city, it's usually scrubby, if it's cheap and nice, it's usually far out, and if it's nice and close to the city, it's usually expensive...

I'm not sure about your lifestyle, but my guess is as a singleton in your 30's, you'd want to be nearer to the city?

We're in our 30's but have two small kids, so we're looking more for the "suburban" type of existence.

Best of luck...

Edited January 7, 2012 by HansaPlease

[Tamara HDU]

Hi,

One thing you need to remember is how relevant living in a area is going to be to YOU.

Noarlunga sounds fantastic but will not suit us, I need to be close to Airport and city as I travel weekly and work a couple a days a week in city.

We currently reside in Glenelg but any western suburb will do as they offer the same as described above = beach + shopping + living cost...

Depending on what you do & where you work, stay away from northern parts & some of the north eastern ones as well.

I know this does not help that much but goodluck anyway!

D

Port Noarlunga is 35 minutes from the airport.

We have friends from Cape Town who live in Seaford...about 5 km further down the coast than Port Noarlunga. She works in IT in the city but commutes by train. This means a 5 to 7 minute drive to Noarlunga station...park at the park and ride and then a 40 minute train trip into the city. He works locally.

Do you want to live in a seaside suburb and commute for an extra 15 minutes or live in the burbs? For us a few minutes to the beach and everything else is just too important and the city is not relavant after the novelty has worn off. Our energetic Boxer goes down to the beach every day and when we lived in Reynella (12 km away) the distance made the difference between going there or not.

Everything you need is within 5 minutes of where we live.

Tamara

[Etienne123]

In my opinion:

Eastern suburbs all the way. Unley, Dulwich, Burnside, Norwood, Toorak Gardens, etc.

Best shopping, close to the city centre, best schools, cafe culture, good bars, awesome real estate. Plus the hills, beaches and airport are all very accessible.

[Etienne123]

Just to add, for a lesser budget a bit further towards the hills in the Eastern Subs try McGill and surrounds.

[Moo]

Thanks Etienne! Unley has a nice ring to it. Never been there but I keep coming back to it!

[Springjock]

Glenelg is the only place for me. It really helps you sette in to a new country when it feels like you are on one big holiday

[Wodwik]

I like the western suburbs - particularly the seaside feel: plenty of cycle paths from North Haven all the way to Brighton. For a Joburger it's nice to live by the sea.

Plenty of eating places and convenient for the city.

But you might want to consider where your work will be and live somewhere close to that?

My suggestion is don't go north of Regency Road and north of Port Rd in the west.

You will find bits nice real estate in some 'worse' areas and bad bits in nice areas. So be careful of signing a lease 'unsighted'.

[Jo123]

We stay in Glenelg. No complaints, it is a great place, walking distance to pubs, restaurants, beach, shops, tram etc. But it depends where your work is I guess….

[K-Vdm]

My first thought was Glenelg too. Hubby and I actually said that if we were younger with no kids we definitely would've stayed there!

We stay in the North East in Ingle Farm and we are really happy here! Not sure if we will be here forever as the Hills and then coastal suburbs keeps on calling us

[tatum]

Hi Moo,

I reckon Adelaide is great!! I arrived here almost three years ago and would not live anywhere else!.... okay well maybe Perth but only cause there are heaps of safa's there and it is warm in winter. But for now and the very foreseeable future Adelaide is home.

You speak of single thirty something spots, well i am 27 and single and LOVE the Glenelg ( bit more expenseve) area but well worth it. Again it depends on where you work, i work at the Adelaide Airport and only live a stone throw away. However city living is good, Burnside, Toorak Gardens, maybe the Hills, Henley beach.

you can browse for rentals on www.realestate.com.au

All the best!!

[Moo]

Thanks Cherice. How do I join your Facebook group? I clicked "like" but nothing happened.

Moo

[WilsonClan]

Read this topic with interest as we are moving to Adelaide from Canberra. Have 2 small kids so trying to tick all the boxes of affordability, close to work, good school area, family life...shew!

Any thoughts on Mount Barker and the Adelaide Hills areas??

[Lonzo]

• Hi Moo
• I have not been onto this forum for over a year. I took a look this evening and got interested in what people were posting. I have lived in Adelaide for 2.5 years in Unley ( Goodwood ) and love it. Perfect for young families who want to be close to town
• Personaly I believe if you are 27 years old, want to be close to town and close to restaurants and Pubs, you should look in Adelaide its self, close to Hutt Street would be a good idea as this is where it all happens. This city is very livable in the city its self and perfect as the trams are free in town + close to theatre, river, Zoo etc. it is costly but an apartment in the city will be more fun for you than a house in the quiet suburbs.
• High street shopping and restaurants are big in Adelaide and it is fun, main areas are.........Hutt street in City Centre, rundle Street City Centre, king williams road in Suburb of Hyde Park, Unley Road, "The parade" ( Street ) in Norwood.

Enjoy