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This article is from the soc.culture.australian FAQ, by Stephen Wales with numerous contributions by others.

10.1.2 Housing in Sydney [BJ]

Sydney is a big place. It's population is about 3.7 million,
depending on where you stop counting. It spreads in every direction
from the CBD (Central Business District) until the sea or mountains
stop it. Sydney has about 950 suburbs and 40 local government areas
("Councils"), 15 of which are cities in their own right. Sydney also
has the highest population density in Australia. Most dwellings
within a 10 km radius of the city centre are apartments, terrace
houses, or townhouses, with a smattering of semis (semi-detached
houses) and detached houses (on blocks of land that would be
considered tiny in other Australian cities) depending upon the suburb.
However, Sydney is generally clean and green, with lots of trees and
parks to compensate.

Outer suburbs and newer suburbs usually consist exclusively of
detached housing, but it is now State Government policy to enforce
higher density housing to contain the urban sprawl, which now sees
Sydney's outer suburbs a 60 kilometre drive from the city centre.

Sydney has by far the most expensive housing in Australia. Luxury
homes with city and/or harbour views easily command multi-million
dollar price tags to purchase, or cost thousands of dollars a week
to rent. Sydneysiders are obsessed with views and will pay to get
them. The average price of a 3 bedroom house in Sydney is about
A$230,000, the average price of a 2 bedroom apartment is about
A$160,000, but the variation is enormous depending upon style and
location. The typical rent is approximately 1/1000th of the value
of the dwelling per week.

Sydney's suburbs are generally classified by "area", going clockwise
from the city centre, in the following way:

- Inner City (CBD, Kings Cross, Pyrmont, Ultimo, Surry Hills)
- Eastern (Paddington to Vaucluse and Waverley)
- South Eastern (Kensington to Malabar)
- Southern (Rockdale to Sutherland and Cronulla)
- South Western (Canterbury, Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown)
- Inner West (Glebe and Marrickville to Ashfield)
- West (Croydon to Parramatta)
- Far West (Blacktown to Penrith)
- Blue Mountains (Emu Plains to Katoomba)
- North West (Blacktown to Windsor)
- The Hills (Pennant Hills, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill)
- Far North (Asquith to Brooklyn)
- Upper North Shore (Lindfield to Hornsby)
- Mid North Shore (St Leonards to Chatswood)
- Lower North Shore (Longueville to Mosman)
- Northern Beaches (Manly to Narrabeen)
- Peninsula (Mona Vale to Palm Beach)

Unlike many American cities, the suburbs closer to the City are
generally considered to be more desirable, and those further away,
less desirable, but this is by no means true in all cases. There is
no widespread inner-city decay in Sydney, in fact it tends to be the
reverse, with many people lovingly restoring old inner city terrace
houses, or moving into expensive new apartment complexes complete with
swimming pools, squash courts and gymnasiums.

Sydney has a large number of Manhattan style residential towers (some
up to 50 floors) in its city centre, unlike Melbourne, which has
virtually none. It is common for companies repatriating staff to
Australia for extended stays to arrange long term rent of these
apartments, or rent one for two weeks to enable that person to find
their own place to rent after arriving.

The Eastern Suburbs are considered the most prestigious, with City and
Harbour views, closely followed by the rival Northern Suburbs (the
"new money" Lower North Shore, and "old money" Upper North Shore).
Expect to pay big dollars in these areas to buy or rent. To make life
complicated, there are prestigious areas within otherwise unremarkable
suburbs. For example, a small part of Strathfield is very prestigious
and houses there command twice the price of other houses less than a
kilometre away.

This geographical snobbery in Sydney is far stronger than in any other
Australian city. It may not be overt, but it is an undercurrent in
many people's thoughts. Some in the Eastern Suburbs never dare cross
the harbour to visit the rival Northern Suburbs or vice versa. Some
think all the cultural unwashed live west of Ashfield. People who
live in the West hate being stereotyped by the snobs in the East and
North.

Surfies live on the northern beaches, trendies live in the Inner City,
the evangelists live in The Hills, and many suburbs noted for their
high concentration of one particular ethnic culture, whether true or
imagined (South Africans in St Ives, Chinese in Haymarket and
Chatswood, Vietnamese in Cabramatta, Arabs in Lakemba, Italians in
Leichhardt, etc etc). Sydney is a real patch-work quilt.

Continue to:

• prev: 10.1.1 Housing in Melbourne [miscellaneous contributors]
• Index
• next: 10.1.3 Housing in Canberra [TN]