Sydney suburbs

Hi, I am moving soon to Sydney for about a year, and I am not sure which suburb to look for accomodation (I am still overseas and would like to find sg before flying in)
Is there a suburb/area, that has a beautiful beach (for swimming) and maybe parks, but also close to the city centre (on foot) and hopefully convenient to access Sydney Uni?
Is Woolloomooloo bay like that? Is it good for swimming? sorry for too many questions, but it is hard to know these from web sites. any advice on web sites for finding a room? thank you for your help! m

There is nowhere close to the City or Sydney University that is also on the beach - even Woolloomooloo is not within walking distance of UnivSyd, and it is not swimmable in any case. You can either look at suburbs like Glebe, Camperdown, Annandale, Newtown, Redfern or Surry Hills and be close to the University (recommended) or you can live out on the beach (Clovelly, Bondi, Coogee, Bronte, etc) and go through a difficult commute each day (not so recommended). Live close to the University in a share house, and get to the beach on summer weekends. There are also public swimming pools both at and around the University.

thank you so much for your answer.

is there any nice beach area that is at least kind of walking distance/close to the City Centre area?

From this list, which one do you recommend?: Clovelly, Bondi, Coogee, Bronte, etc

In the winter months, is it not possible to swim on the beach? Too cold? From when to when is it too cold?

Thank you! m

The main beaches are on the ocean. The city centre is on south side of the harbour. The harbour beaches are on the north side. So, no beautiful swimming beaches within walking distance, but plenty reachable by public transport in a short time.

Woolloomooloo Bay is military/industrial docks etc as far as I can see

Don't you have a map (with a scale on it)? Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach would be 8-9 km (I guess). That is the sort of distance you are looking at. For many people it is too cold April to October. Some swim all year - at the other extreme some find it too cold on all but the hottest days of January-February. Please do some research - a lot of this is Gude Book stuff.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Gude Book stuff<hr></blockquote>
like the Bible?

I once lived in Rose Bay on the eastern suburbs - nice area... sort of halfway between Bondi and the CBD... Watsons Bay, just up the hill was OK too, if you couldn't be arsed getting on a bus on a Sunday.

thank you, all. Ianw, sorry, i meant, regardless of the distance, beach-wise, is it nicer to live at Clovelly or Bronte, or Cooggee? I guess Bondi is a bit too crowded/touristy to live there.

thanks, Nerb:
>The harbour beaches are on the north side. <

So you'd need to take a ferry to get there?

>So, no beautiful swimming beaches within walking distance, but plenty reachable by public transport in a short time.<

Do you mean ocean front ones, e.g. Bondi, Clovelly, Coogee, etc?

OK, so I guess it's either the ocean front or downtown city centre. Any nice suburbs for recommendation which are close to the city centre, but still livable?

Yes, I have a map and all, but it helps a lot to hear from the ones who actually live around there. Thanks! m

I am a Sydney Uni graduate who loves the beach! Ian is right that the easiest way to live (if you are intending to be at the uni on a daily basis) is probably to head for one of the suburbs he has mentioned above in #1- and surrounding - all of which are pretty lively suburbs to live in - and go to the beach on the weekend. Its much better to stay on the south side of the harbour for access to the university.

Alternatively, Clovelly, Bronte and Coogee are all good suburbs and therefore relatively highly sought after. Coogee and Bronte have good beaches. I also like Bondi, but lots of people don't. Coogee is probably the larger of those 3 suburbs, along with Bondi and there is a lot of rental accommodation in both. Rents vary a lot and you'll get what you pay for.

If you want to live on the beach side, you'll be better off if you're close to a bus route which goes across the city to central station- or live close to or on a route to - Bondi Junction train station.
Either way, unless things have changed, it is still a trip across the city and not well serviced by direct routes. If you live in one of the other suburbs close to the uni you can often walk.

As for your questions in #7, yes, a ferry is a good way to get cross the harbour, but it wont get you to any ocean beach except Manly. The harbour side beaches can be reached by a combination of ferry and bus or direct by bus.
Yes, the ocean beaches can be reached by public transport.
The suburbs Ian has mentioned in #1 will be your best bet. There are some closer as well - Ultimo, Chippendale etc.

Confused?

firstly I suggest you get hold of a map or nothing anyone says is going to make any sense

personally, i would suggest living somewhere like Waverley....

- walking distance to most of the eastern beaches like Bronte/Coogee/Clovelly
- walking disatance to Centennial Park
- walking distance to Bondi Junction Station from where you are 3 train stops from the City
- you can ride a bike to Sydney Uni ( which I did for several years as it was faster than stuffing around on public transport)

but basically what you are asking for doesn't exist and you wouldn't be able to afford it if it did....this is something you need to consider....what sort of money are you expecting to spend on rent?

There are some lovely harbour beaches on the south-side - Neilsen Park, Milk Beach, Parsley Bay, Camp Cove - in the suburbs of Vaucluse & Watsons Bay. And there's Seven Shillings Beach at Double Bay, though all these places are as far from the city or further than Bondi

But there's no suburb that's sensible walking distance to both the beach and Sydney Uni

What sort of accommodation price range are you lookign at?

This is Woolloomooloo Bay. Swimming not recommended - despite the kids in one of the pics here.

But - there's a beautiful pool there right on W'moo Bay.

Personally, I'd look around Surry Hills - 2-3 kms walk to Sydney Uni and close to bus routes to the beach suburbs.

Swimming in winter, can be done.

But wetsuit and a thick one is a must, or you will need the help of the surf rescue if hypothermia gets you.

You will at Bondi see even in deep winter, people going out to the rocks or in the sea, with surfboards.

The public transport is not so bad during the day, but it can be a bit iffy at nights, there are no visible security staff on the trains, there is only one guard who travels in the last carriage, (some are locked at nights), and you will see a lit blue light above the door where the guard will sit.

S/he does not patrol the train.

Depending on where you end up living, you can sometimes get a 24 hour bus service.

www.131500.com.au has info on public transport.

www.cityrail.nsw.gov.au<BR>www.sydneybuses.nsw.gov.au<BR>www.sydneyferries.nsw.gov.au<BR><BR>You could get a second hand smallish car if you want, parking will be $$$ though. But it does then give you a wider scope of things you can do. Ah, not forgetting the tolls.

You say you are here to study, so you will be able to do some work, to supplement your living expenses.

Oh, and also, as an overseas student, you will be lucky to be taxed when you work, as eligible for claiming the tax free threshold. Although your employer will take tax out from the first $ earnt, you can claim it back at the end of the tax year, June each year. Unlike WHV holders who get (usually) taxed at $0.29 in the dollar, and likely don't get tax back.

Think of getting a tax file number when you arrive, also when you come, do your research on banks in Aust.

www.domain.com.au<BR>www.realestate.com.au<BR><BR>Also your uni's accom office

Ultimately, don't let your heart dictate where you end up living, you need to consider 1 thing, and one thing only, the amount of rent you can afford.

Ie, its no use staying in one of those modern CBD apartments, if you have to pay $250 for a one bedroomer, you being sole occupant, or you paying $175 to share an aparment in the CBD.

Sharing between students has some merit, as would sharing with working people. Both have plusses and both have minusses.

Why, Daycat, why????

I think sare's idea of bike is good, and either Surry Hills or Waverley would fit the bill (or points btw like Moore Park, East Redfern) . Driving a car to Syd Uni is an idiotic idea. There is no freely available parkign anywhere in the vicinity. But plenty of buses, and train to Redfern if on a train line.

Yes, you need a map. And an idea of budget.