Newcastle's best Suburbs & Pricing

[B Rich]

Hello All.

I am thinking about moving over to Newcastle NSW, (i am currently in Bunbury WA) and am wondering if any one in the area could let me know of any good suburbs (Have wife & 2 young children). Would like a 3 x 2 or 4 x 2 with room for the kids to play. Price range of 220 - 280. Could you also if possable let me know if you think pricing may be inflated at the moment & it might be an idea to wait or is this a good time to buy. :)

Thanks in advance.

Brian.

[Simon]

Hi Brian,

We moved to Newcastle last February. We had never been here before in our lives (except for my wife's overnight stay for an interview) and we moved here from a stint overseas.

Got to say we are very pleasantly surprised. Gone is the working class image with BHP, steelworks, mines and dockyard picture of Newcastle that we had imagined. The beaches are great, the city is big enough that it has everything you need and small enough that it is easy to get around.

The suburbs have really boomed here. Many say it hasn't been artificially stimulated too far and suggest that it would have happened ayway given the closure of BHP and the removal of the layer of smog that used to cloud some of the inner city suburbs. As far as future prospects go I will have to duck down to the shed and dig out my crystal ball.

We bought in New Lambton which is a great middle class suburb. $280K will get you in here - just. Better suburbs are Merewether, The Junction and Bar beach. You could get a two bed apartment there or something a bit run down on a busy road for under $300K.

Most of the established suburbs have weatherboard homes which are pretty but usually don't have the ensuite. Although ours does have a second shower and toilet in the laundry. There are some new subdivisions opening up in your price range but they are a bit further out of town.

Drop me an email or a call and I am glad to answer any specific questions you might have. I will happily post you the local papers too if you like.

Cheers,

[dook]

hi b rich, im in bunbury too i have a brother in newcastle. if you dont know it, it is like a big bunbury i love it .
im certainly not going to give you any advice over simon ive only been on this site twice and can pretty well see where the knowledge is. as for newcastle i hope things work in youre favor .
cheers. dook

[Ajax]

Hey peoples,

I'd like to resurrect this thread. Have just been to Newcastle and had a drive around the following inner city suburbs: Carrington, Tighes Hill, Islington

Am researching cheap inner city property. Any input on what suburbs to look at?

Carrington seems to have quite a bit going for it including the fact that developers have moved into some waterfront areas and the proximity to harbour foreshore redevelopment/fishmarkets/yacht club etc.

I found Tighes Hill to also be interesting (geographically). Not flat like Carrington, some houses with views. Reminded me of a cross between Tempe and some parts of Balmain/Rozelle/Lilyfield in Sydney.

Also what is an "Iso"?

Ajax

[Simon]

What was the context of "Iso"?

Might be slang for Islington which is a suburb I would avoid. Police have turned a blind eye to girls working their trade on a section of Maitland Rd through that suburb and it has tended to reduce the popularity of the whole small area.

As far as cheap inner city property goes then you will have to follow Maitland Rd out of the city. Heading south will take you to all the best suburbs.

Heading west gives you Tighes Hill, Maryville, Wickham which are three that I like. Carrington is interesting but it was suppsoed to be taking off back when this thread started in 2002 but it hasn't really happened yet. Lot of young people moving into a suburb once owned by families of dock workers and steel workers and their descendents. Can be rough in areas but that will change as the gentrification does - but not fast.

Give me a call next time you are up and I can take you for a drive if you like.

Ciao

[pulse]

just bought in King street tighes hill... great spot and a real bargain at $245K

Currently live in Roslyn Ave Islington which is also a great spot... These suburbs are great value and close to town.. some dodgy streets which means local knowledge really helps...

I think it might take a while to gentrify but a 20 year outlook is positive..

Cheers
Pulse

[pulse]

The maitland road hookers are a pretty rough lot... reminds me of the expression... good from afar but far from good... white boots and mini skirts are deceptive at 200m!!

[Ajax]

Hi Simon,

thanks for that offer...would like to take you up on it some time (though am not ready to buy again just yet).

re my question about "iso's", was being a bit facetious. Had a local explain that when they were growing up in Newcastle a long time ago an iso was a derogatory term (bit like the word bogan). Had it explained to me that Islington residents used to be seen as struggling.

I didn't have much of a look at Maryville..would have if I had more time. Wickham is the closest of all of them to the city which is good...though I see it has commercial properties mixed in with it.

I find that whole inner area interesting and good value though am not too up to speed with what the economy is like in Newcastle.

Hi Pulse,

reckon you have got a great buy too. I enjoyed driving around Tighes Hill a lot. I liked the water glimpses and the hilliness. Good to see interesting older style property at very reasonable prices.

[lizzie]

mayfield east is also an up and coming suburb ... but i wouldn't go mayfield at all. i'm kicking myself for not taking my own advice 18mths ago about buying in islington - prices have increased dramatically in the suburb for anything decent with off street parking. broadmeadow and adamstown are also up and coming areas to look at

however, under $300,000 is not much for newcastle nowawadays, if you're wanting inner suburb. you'll be priced out of merewether except for older units.

but if you're wanting close-ish to town - my list would be (in no particular order):

islington
maryville
tighes hill
hamilton
adamstown
broadmeadow
mayfield east

[Simon]

My Mum and Sister live in Mayfield East now. I agree about not touching Mayfield itself but I do like Mayfield East.

Not so keen on Broadmeadow but Adamstown has heaps of potential in my eyes. As does Lambton.

Leave Waratah, Jesmond and Shortland alone but North Lambton has a nice feel with lots of older people and students.

Georgetown is weird. Older people but not friendly older people. Older people that watch each other silently all day .... spooky place.

[Kirsti]

Leave Waratah, Jesmond and Shortland alone but North Lambton has a nice feel with lots of older people and students.


What's wrong with Waratah? I don't see it as much different to North Lambton tbh. I'm considering a first home there right now in the backstreets near the Mater Hospital that I'd intend to keep as a rental when I move on in a year or so. I'm a uni student though so maybe our standards are different.