where to live

[Guest coral]

can anyone tell me where the safest place to live with kids please and good for kids:notworthy:

[Diane]

Hi, I posted the following in response to a similar question on PomsinOz, hope it helps:

 

Sort out a short term rental to start with (before you arrive)- for between 4 and 6 weeks ideally so as not to put yourself under any major pressure. Prices are a little higher for short term furnished, but trust me, it's a worthwhile investment!

 

When you get here, I would say the first priority is to get an idea of where you might be working. For some professions the area is pretty clear - for instance most manufacturing is based towards the north of the city, building work could be all over, admin work you are looking at being within reasonable reach of the city. Don't lumber yourself with a nightmare daily commute by choosing an area to live on the complete opposite of the area where you'll be working. Wouldn't you rather be home with a cool glass of wine within 30 minutes, rather than sitting at traffic lights and watching your speedo for 45mins to an hour each way?

 

Then consider what your hobbies are. If you are a family who love to spend time on the beach, then you don't want to be too far away. Decide how far for you is "too far" - do you want to be within walking distance, or is half hour in the car ok? If your family are into walking, cycling, then perhaps the hills might suit. If any of your children excels at something in particular (music, sport for instance) or you like going out to shows, restaurants, festivals, sporting events on a regular basis, then your proximity to the CBD (City Business District - the city centre) is going to be a factor.

 

There are good schools all over, so I would decided on a rough area first based on the above, then start looking for schools (unless for instance your child is a musical genius and you don't want to pay for private schooling, in which case Marryatville High School is probably the school for you, and you'll need to be in catchment area!!)

 

Once you've got all of that clear in your mind, look at your budget and start looking at longer term rentals (and properties for sale even if you intend to rent initially - nothing worse than renting in an area you can't afford to buy in, and finding you have to uproot yourself all over again a year down the line). You really can't do anything about this though till you're in the country, as realestate agents don't like renting to people they haven't met, and online photos don't tell you the real unvarnished truth about properties!

 

Home2Home has a great suburb guide on their site which is searchable by time/distance from the CBD - go to Welcome to the NEW Home2Home website and look for the Suburbs link at the bottom of the home page.

 

Finally try not to make any fixed irreversible decisions before you've been to check places out. Don't go by what someone on a forum has said is a nice area - how do you know that their concept of "nice" is the same as yours? I've lost count of the number of people on here who say "Never been to Aus before, coming out in a few months, and like the look of xx suburb" - Every time I read that I think, how on earth have you picked that one suburb out of the hundreds here in Adelaide, when you've never even been there? Internet research can only go so far.... I know of several people who have had a suburb in mind before coming, who have then totally changed their mind when they get here!

[Guest Guest75]

Biiiig Question Coral!!!

Totally agree with what Diane has said.

 

Spend plenty of time looking back at the older posts in here and have a go using the search button above.

 

So many areas to choose from. I am told the foot print of Adelaide is around the same as London but with only 1 million people!

[Guest Squareman]

We live in Glenelg and have a 6 yr old boy. Plenty of things to do within walking distance, but generally, just about anywhere in Adelaide south of the city would be safe and good for kids. There are nice places north and east too, but there are some dodgy parts here and there which you will learn about in time

[jim and adel]

We live in Glenelg and have a 6 yr old boy. Plenty of things to do within walking distance, but generally, just about anywhere in Adelaide south of the city would be safe and good for kids. There are nice places north and east too, but there are some dodgy parts here and there which you will learn about in time

 

Just as many (or as few, depending on how you see it) dodgy suburbs in the south imho.

 

'Safe' is a difficult one, because who knows what incident is just around the corner? Places that don't have much trouble might suddenly face some, and places that have bad reputations (often perpetuated by people who have never actually spent much time in the said places) might well have changed in recent times.

 

Of course, 'safe' might not just mean crime, but could extend to accident blackspots, beaches with dangerous rips, threat of bushfire etc.

 

Research is great, but there's no suistitute for getting here and making your own mind up based on what you see and feel.

 

Jim

[Guest Squareman]

People who have anything negative to say about the southern suburbs need to understand that I live there now, which automatically increases the attractiveness of the area. As for the variety of dangers mentioned, I must also point out that Chuck Norris now lives in Brighton North and as such all other dangers have thus been made redundant.

[Guest Guest5035]

not a good place

 

Toxic water has seeped into groundwater under 2000 homes in Edwardstown | Adelaide Now

 

stevo

[Guest kangomik]

Try woop woop.

 

Nothing ever happens there

[Diane]

Try woop woop.

 

Nothing ever happens there

 

..thought that was Cricklewood! Damn, now I've got that damn tune in my head!!

[Guest Mizzmp]

Does anyone know what Tea Tree Gully or Modbury is like? I see there are plenty of good schools with a hospital and TAFE?

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

All i would say as a bus driver and the people i generaly pick up is to stay away from Arndale and mansfield park area's.

When we do get major hassle on the buses its is 9 times out of 10 Arndale or Mansfield park area.

The majority of suburbs around Adelaide north south east and west are all pretty good but like everywhere they have there good and bad places.

Its gonna be upto you really to decide where you wanna live.

[Guest Guest5035]

Does anyone know what Tea Tree Gully or Modbury is like? I see there are plenty of good schools with a hospital and TAFE?

 

Everywheres good and bad in everyones eyes, TTG and Modbury are 10 minutes from GG and Wynn Vale,( Kangomik Greenwith ) and me Wynn Vale

 

stevo

[Diane]

The suburb of Tea Tree Gully is lovely - green, leafy, a little hilly (so some places have great views over the city to the coast), good shops, schools nearby, transport etc. Modbury is one of those big areas with lots of smaller suburbs within it, such as Modbury Heights, Modbury North... there are some nice roads around there... the centre (Modbury) is mostly taken up with a big shopping mall and the hospital so a little more built up, less green - great if you won't have a car as everything within walking distance. Look also at Fairview Park, Vista, Hope Valley, Highbury, Dernancourt, Greenwith, Wynn Vale, Golden Grove, Banksia Park.