HELP - Where do we live!!

I have spent the last 2 weeks of my life on realestate looking at properties!

Its an absolute minefield.....

We had decided that we were gonna go to Glenelg and rent for 6 months, to be in a good location with plenty to do on the doorstep and give us time to get a feel for the place, but....

With the exchange rate at the minute that could really eat into our savings as its not exactly cheap and most the properties have hideous decor!

So with that in mind, what other suburbs have the appeal that Glenelg does?

We want to strike a balance between price and location, we want a decent property with shops and bars nearby, preferably near to the beach too.

Ive been watching alot of Wanted Down Under recently and the properties on that are WAY nicer than what i can find to rent in Adelaide, and the price they are selling for is alot less than the rental charges in Adelaide are warranting? Is it more expensive to rent in Australia than it is to mortgage?

Do the suburbs all have their own thing going on? Are there beachfront bars and restaurants in Henley, Grange, Hallett cove, Brighton and Seacliff etc?

We are in our 20's with no kids, so schools are not on the agenda, plus we dont need to consider work location.

So with that in mind, if you could choose anywhere in Adelaide, where would it be?

Thanks

Not beachside, but not too far - I'd suggest Norwood, Unley, or North Adelaide. Plenty of stuff going on, easy to get to everything, young and buzzing.

Hey there

Yes, you'll find that rentals can really be hit or miss...the trouble is that the nice rentals are always in high demand and you can often be up against up to 60 others all trying to get the place - I work with a person who missed out on a 2 bed apartment in North Brighton - 65 others applied for it...she'd even offered to pay 12 MONTHS in advance...and guess what - she didn't get it....go figure that out.

Don't let that bother you though as there are lots of places up for rent all the time....you just have to get out and see them and apply apply apply...oh and keep checking on here as often there are people who are breaking their lease and you may be able to get in before the place gets advertised - we were lucky as that is how we ended up where we are.

Good Luck.

Mark

Glenelg really is the place to be if you want lots of nightlife and restaurants near the beach. I lived there in the mid 90s when it was fairly lively, but now it seems much much busier on a Saturday night compared to then!! I assume you are looking at all the Glenelgs (ie East, South and North as well).

Elsewhere along the coast north of Glenelg, Henley Beach has Henley Square, with restaurants and bars on a much smaller scale to Glenelg, and I would say maybe a slightly older crowd of people (more like couples enjoying a glass of chardonnay watching the sun go down!). Grange has one beachfront pub and one restaurant/cafe at the end of the jetty, so it does have its own scene but it's very small scale, mainly families and couples. Semaphore has some life of its own, there is the Semaphore palais on the beachfront and a number of restaurants/cafes. There is quite a strong gay/alternative scene going on there and some lovely old houses so worth having a look at. See http://www.postcards-sa.com.au/features_videos_pages/semaphore.html and http://semaphoresa.com/walkabout/

I agree with Diane that places like Norwood, North Adelaide and Unley are nice areas, very trendy etc, but obviously not near the beach and also pretty expensive. The city has lots of bars and restaurants and stuff going on, so maybe consider getting a place to live along the tram line between Glenelg and the city. That way you can get to both places easily by tram and a cab ride home shouldn’t be too expensive. Plus rentals should be a bit cheaper there. Look at Glengowrie, Plympton, Morphetville, Glandore, Goodwood, Forestville etc.

Yeah Anne is spot on. Glenelg is definitely the liveliest place next to the beach but you could try Brighton, Henley and Semaphore. Hallet Cove is a nice place to live but not what you would call lively. Sorry all you Covesters!

Thanks for the advise guys, im gonna have a look at the suburbs between Glenelg and the city now.

"There is quite a strong gay/alternative scene going on there and some lovely old houses so worth having a look at."

Whatever gave you that impression? Haha!