Best Suburban Real Estate in Australian Capital Cities (Part 1)

From leafy inner-city areas to sun-drenched coastal hotspots, Australians are spoiled for choice.

To narrow down the top places to live in every capital city, realestate.com.au asked local property experts from across the country to judge the best suburbs – with some surprising results.

Sydney

The popular Port City, along with its most exciting suburbs, has a reputation, said buyer’s agent Michelle May.

“The up-and-coming suburb of Alexandria is the perfect choice for couples, families and trendy urbanites,” said May.

Located 5km south of the CBD, Alexandria is part of the city’s industrial history and is “the epicenter of the vibrant suburban center that exists on the outskirts” of Sydney, she said.

Dominated by colorful warehouses, sawtooth factories and towering chimneys from a bygone era, the suburbs were rapidly gentrifying.

Its alleys and walkways are today home to some of Sydney’s most iconic eateries and trendy hangouts.

Despite its industrial heritage, Ms May said Alexandria “offers plenty of green space and modern amenities such as the vast Sydney Park” as well as “easy access” to “world-class beaches” – and has a “friendly neighborhood feel” to boot.

“Street parties are popular in the eclectic mix of warehouses, terrace houses and traditional apartments,” she said.

The inner western suburb of Marrickville, about 7km from the CBD, is another “vibrant, multi-generational suburb” worthy of being one of Sydney’s best suburbs, she added.

With a “vibrant music scene” and foodie hubs clustered in the Little Greece and Little Vietnam areas, “there’s always something to do” in the area, which has strong creativity.

“People express themselves however they like in Marrickville – any choice of clothing is accepted, even just shopping for groceries at the local Woolies,” Ms May said.

For families, the “slightly larger plots than other suburbs closer to the city” make the suburb a winner, as does the “sense of space” on offer.

With median house prices of $1.95 million and $1.92 million respectively, Alexandria and Marrickville are slightly cheaper than some of Sydney’s greener ribbon suburbs and represent “the ideal Sydney lifestyle”, she said.