3 little questions please

[sue2oz]

i just want to know where there are nice child friendly suburbs

1]good school for the kids plenty of things going on out of school

2]good community lots to do and join in with

3]good number of shops in the area as i dont drive

i hate posting questions like this, but if you dont ask you dont get hey

hope some of you help me out, even if you could answer my 3 questions about where you are because you are there and we are not yet, also you would be helping everyone else stuck in the 'where should will live' zone

thanks guys ;)

suexxx(stressed out sue at the mo)

[Rachiegarlo]

Well the area I live in has within walking distance 1 largish mall type shopping centre (due to expand), 1 smaller shopping centre, several strips of small shops with post office, newsagents, fruit n veg, some chinese and indian restaurants, a library, a pub. There are about four petrol stations too.

There are scouts/ guides, sporting teams, plenty of different parks and Glenelg, the city and Marion are only a short tram, train or bus ride away.

There are three kindies, one catholic primary, one state primary, but the one in the next suburb is better, and a private christian R-12 school which has sliding scale fees, depending on your income.

There is a lazer skirmish and a dvd hire shop or two.

Rachel

[caoimhe]

Maybe a silly question but what is lazer skirmish

[Rachiegarlo]

an indoor maze where you play against others with a laser "weapon". You wear a special jacket that records hits. You also have to wear goggles of course. It's futuristic themed and the kids know it doesn't resemble real use of guns. It's just a fantasy kind of thing.

[caoimhe]

Know what you mean now

[The Monaghans]

We're in Woodcroft which is south of Adelaide. It's a quiet, green suburb with a biggish shopping centre and about 15 minutes to the beach by car. Not sure about things like Joeys, my two are too young yet. Our daughter goes to swim lessons in Seaford but there is a swim school closer. She's been going to Seaford for a year now though so I'm not going to change it to somewhere closer. She also does ballet in Morphett Vale. Not sure how old your kids are but there are plenty of playgroups in the area and several child care centres. The schools are pretty good round here, Woodcroft Primary is a state school, it's large but has a good reputation and there is Woodcroft College which is private and has a very good reputation I believe. For older children there is Reynella East High School but I'm not sure how it rates. I think Libby's girls go there so she might be able to help further.

[HALT]

We are in Coromandel Valley - Don't live here unless you can drive and have access to a car. Lovely area but a nightmare with public transport etc. You have to drive to get anywhere.:)

[sue2oz]

just like to say THANKS to jackie, the monaghans, rachie and halt for your feedback it really helps alot
we have chosen afew suburbs in the north and south so i just guess its a case of when we land we will suss them out have a good look around.

suexxx

[Diane]

There are some lovely suburbs all around Adelaide. Personally I like the North East, because there are trees and hills here, and everything is within reach. We can be at the beach in 30 minutes, we have a local shopping centre, Tea Tree Plaza, just five minutes away, and (something that I realised just the other day is really a huge benefit) the City is just 20 minutes drive away. That means that we can nip down there on a Friday night to go to the market, and have something to eat at one of the many restaurants. The children have access to all the opportunities that the City offers - the best sports clubs are concentrated around the centre, the Adelaide Oval runs top class cricket coaching there in the holidays (for my son) and there are musical drama opportunities there (for my daughter), my daughter is in the Aussie Girls Choir and the top level rehearses on the edge of the City, the theatres are easily accessible for a night out, without it costing us a fortune in cab fares to come home, in festival season we can nip in, enjoy the street theatre, and not have a long drive home afterwards, we can go and watch a top level football match( well, ok 'top' is relative!), a basketball game, a netball game, an international cricket match, the rugby 7's, a band or a show and be home 30 minutes after it finishes... the list is endless. I have driven round some wonderful suburbs in the south, such as Happy Valley, Coromandel Valley etc, but I do wonder if the 40 minute+ drive from such places into the centre means people living there don't make the effort to pop into the City unless they really have to, and to be honest, (obviously just in my opinion!) if they don't, I really feel they are missing out on a lot! One of the things we wanted here was the best opportunities for our kids, and I feel that having the City within easy reach means they do get those best opportunities, not just what is available 'locally'.

I guess what I'm saying (rather long windedly of course - that's me!) is don't just consider what is IN the suburb of your choice, but also WHERE it is located.

Diane

PS There is good public transport too - I think the OBahn is a wonderful invention!

[Medindie Delight]

As someone without kids I maybe shouldn't comment, but it appears to me there are bloomin kids everywhere and lots of places of child friendly activities, from kids clubs, to little athelitics and surf life saver clubs. I don't know where the good schools are but from what my colleagues tell me then nearer the city the better, there are probably exceptions but that's just a 3rd party opinion, so take it with a pinch of salt.

usually the crooks of it are what you want to do as a family when you are here, the outer suburbs are great value to the south or north and you can probably own a huge house with pool for not much money (relatively speaking) and have great bbq parties at home, but as Diane said i often get the impression here that so many people here live 30 mins plus from the city, and then rarely come into it, yet it is a great place to be, with all the festivals, shops, museums and activities they make the rest of the city look boring. And the transport is important too, ensure your near a rail line or the o'bahn...

Just one other thing to consider, your kids when they are 12+ are more likely to come into contact with drugs here than the UK, from what i get told by locals then the outer suburbs are rife with soft drugs and people grow there own. You can get drugs towards the city too, but townies seem much more savvy, where as the suburbs has that country feel where it's almost accepted as the norm.... An ex girlfriend from Seacliff had a stash so large and Weed garden that would make the yardies in birmingham blush..