Best and worst suburbs in Canberra

dreaming09 · Post by **dreaming09** » February 12, 2014, 5:16 pm

I'm thinking about retiring to Canberra to live, I don't mind the cold and going to the snow.
I've lived on the far north coast all my life, and it's a great area to live, but I feel like a change.
I'm been down a few times to watch the games and stayed at the Tradies Dickson and Woden
and Abode at Tuggers.
Not looking at the posh suburbs, maybe closer to the city and what you would call a safe and friendly neighbourhood.
Lol, not Fyshwich either when I say friendly.
Can any of the locals, or people who have lived there give me feedback please?

Post by **greeneyed** » February 12, 2014, 5:28 pm

Inner South is the place to be. Don't think about North of the lake!

Captain Punish · Post by **Captain Punish** » February 12, 2014, 5:31 pm

As a Belconnen boy, I recommend anything south of the lake also.. It offers more and is cleaner, younger and newer (most parts). Belco West is a brothel these days.. Unless you go Gunghalin (Belco north) which is new, but I'd recommend shooting yourself before doing that.

Toviii · Post by **Toviii** » February 12, 2014, 5:31 pm

Yep I agree with GE/Lucy.

The Woden Valley area is nice, generally not too pricey, and is fairly close to some of the major attractions in Canberra (the city, Manuka/Kingston, Fyshwick, GIO Stadium).

-TW- · Post by **-TW-** » February 12, 2014, 5:33 pm

I live on the new side of Bruce.. It's pretty nice

Post by **greeneyed** » February 12, 2014, 5:37 pm

Very inner north is good if you find a completely renovated place and like old style 1930s and up houses. Or there are more and more new apartments.

Dr Zaius · Post by **Dr Zaius** » February 12, 2014, 7:17 pm

What are you after, apartment style living or a house?

dreaming09 · Post by **dreaming09** » February 13, 2014, 5:23 am

Thanks for the info guys, I was looking at Woden and Belconnen.
Ideally I like apartment style living, but not with a lot of apartments that I'm seeing in the
real estate sites. So at this stage I will look at houses with very small yards or duplex units.
It's a long term goal, buy it, rent it for l to 2 years to help pay it off quicker and then move down.

dreaming09 · Post by **dreaming09** » February 13, 2014, 5:33 am

Lucy wrote:As a Belconnen boy, I recommend anything south of the lake also.. It offers more and is cleaner, younger and newer (most parts). Belco West is a brothel these days.. Unless you go Gunghalin (Belco north) which is new, but I'd recommend shooting yourself before doing that.

Hey Lucy, is Westfield shopping centre in north, south, east or west Belconnen. some of the apartments across the road looked new and there was water nearby.
Lol in saying that we were lost, and looking for the carpark of Westfield.

The Nickman · Post by **The Nickman** » February 13, 2014, 5:47 am

I recommend asking bigcheese for his crime report on which suburbs are the most dangerous and which ones are safe to put the bins out without wielding a machete.

Post by **greeneyed** » February 13, 2014, 6:28 am

Westfield is Belconnen Town Centre. Inner north and inner South are good for smaller apartment complexes.

Dr Zaius · Post by **Dr Zaius** » February 13, 2014, 6:32 am

If thinking apartments have a look at Kingston and a little more upmarket New Acton

Botman · Post by **Botman** » February 13, 2014, 6:41 am

If apartment living is the dream, wont get better in Canberra than Kingston.

Captain Punish · Post by **Captain Punish** » February 13, 2014, 7:05 am

dreaming09 wrote:
Lucy wrote:As a Belconnen boy, I recommend anything south of the lake also.. It offers more and is cleaner, younger and newer (most parts). Belco West is a brothel these days.. Unless you go Gunghalin (Belco north) which is new, but I'd recommend shooting yourself before doing that.
Hey Lucy, is Westfield shopping centre in north, south, east or west Belconnen. some of the apartments across the road looked new and there was water nearby.
Lol in saying that we were lost, and looking for the carpark of Westfield.

As GE said, Westfields is the town centre. You'll find a few place ls there worth investing. I was more advising against the old suburbs I grew up in of anything south west or north west of Florey.

That central area of Belco is definitely the better part, but as I said, for good Canberra, the life South of the lake area is the area to be.

Post by **dubby** » February 13, 2014, 8:32 am

I remember friends of mine lived in Kambah in the 90s. It wasn't a real nice place.

Shadow Boxer · Post by **Shadow Boxer** » February 13, 2014, 9:00 am

Get a professional mate.

Now is not the time to be investing in the Canberra real estate market. Houses will be worth less or the same in two years than they are now.

If you are looking for trends you can punch any postcode in here

http://www.sqmresearch.com.au/free-statistics.php

If you must invest look at apartments and townhouses anywhere on the light rail corridor from the city to Gungahlin with a particular emphasis on Braddon or new Acton.

The apartment towers going up around Westfield Belconnen are also interesting. The new development of Molonglo looks really interesting (I might invest there myself). Kingston and Manuka are nice but a bit passe and have probably peaked in price.

Canberra's best new houses are in Nicholls in Gungahlin (most of the Raiders live there or Bruce in inner Belconnen).

If you want to be objective and look at any particular metric you choose (schools, sporting facilities, university's, golf courses, restaurants, night life, swimming pools there is more of it and better on the north side).

Post by **greeneyed** » February 13, 2014, 9:15 am

Kingston and Manuka are influenced by the number of new apartments going in on the lake foreshore, but given proximity to the lake/lake and park views, Parliamentary Triangle and Civic, prices will keep going higher long term.

Shadow Boxer · Post by **Shadow Boxer** » February 13, 2014, 9:49 am

greeneyed wrote:Kingston and Manuka are influenced by the number of new apartments going in on the lake foreshore, but given proximity to the lake/lake and park views, Parliamentary Triangle and Civic, prices will keep going higher long term.

Yeh that's probably right the foreshore ones are massively priced at the moment. I can't believe they are selling them.

The Nickman · Post by **The Nickman** » February 13, 2014, 11:45 am

Pigman wrote:If apartment living is the dream, wont get better in Canberra than Kingston.

And if you need retirement village living at its finest, Nicko can point you in the right direction.

-TW- · Post by **-TW-** » February 13, 2014, 11:48 am

I thought nick lived in Charnwood? Last time I believe billyt...

Please · Post by **Please** » February 13, 2014, 12:36 pm

I've lived in West Mcgregor and loved it.

Also lived in Dickson and Downer, but the only good thing with those is the location.

Ideally want to move into Bruce or Crace

Botman · Post by **Botman** » February 13, 2014, 12:50 pm

Tim W wrote:I thought nick lived in Charnwood? Last time I believe billyt...

No, as the real Pigman alluded too, i live in the retirement village-esque townhouses in Garran up near the hospital.

Shadow Boxer · Post by **Shadow Boxer** » February 13, 2014, 1:45 pm

not the infamous "Swinger hill" ?

The Nickman · Post by **The Nickman** » February 13, 2014, 2:02 pm

There's no "-esque" about it either, just quietly.

Bard · Post by **Bard** » February 13, 2014, 2:12 pm

Mawson gets my pick for south at the moment, and a lot of development at the moment with some nice options, depending on the kind of house you are after. Best of the not so posh options.

Is there a rough budget??

Toviii · Post by **Toviii** » February 13, 2014, 3:23 pm

I occasionally walk the dog past those places in Garran whenever I'm visiting home. They seem nicer than your average retirement village...

dreaming09 · Post by **dreaming09** » February 13, 2014, 4:22 pm

Gus- wrote:Mawson gets my pick for south at the moment, and a lot of development at the moment with some nice options, depending on the kind of house you are after. Best of the not so posh options.

Is there a rough budget??

I was looking at around $400,000, but it seams that's about the entry level for single bedroom apartment in the nicer suburbs.
There seems like a lot of apartments for sale, and more development going on.
Some of the one bedroom apartments seem over priced, considering they are quite large complexes and privacy is none existent if you open you curtains.

afgtnk · Post by **afgtnk** » February 13, 2014, 5:30 pm

Yeah, unfortunately 400k doesn't get you much near the city these days.

Given your description, I would narrow your options down to:

Braddon
Ainslie
Campbell
Reid
Acton
O'Connor
Turner
Lyneham
Dickson
Bruce
Kaleen

Tough choice but I'd probably go Bruce. Lots of new apartments and units available at your price range, pretty quiet and safe, close to Belconnen and the City, close to the footy.

If you want to be closer to restaurants, cafes and the like then Braddon and Dickson.

gerg · Post by **gerg** » February 13, 2014, 7:01 pm

Where are you currently living? It seems odd to retire to Canberra from the North Coast, most people go the other way. Why are you doing it? It may be more of a change than you expect. I have lived most my life in Canberra and would love to live on the North Coast but work mainly keeps me here. Don't get me wrong I love this city but the North Coast certainly has a lot going for it too.

400k won't stretch you too far in Canberra. One bedroom places are expensive here because there isn't a great deal of them. There are a lot of older crappier 1 bedders and some new exy ones, but not a lot of middle ground. So they are a pretty decent investment option in Canberra - that is why they seem expensive. As for location you can't go too far wrong in Woden area. Nice and central, less bogans than outer Belconnen and Tuggeranong.

EDIT: Weston is also a great location as far as proximity to the much talked about bike track where all the NRL players hang out.

The Nickman · Post by **The Nickman** » February 13, 2014, 7:43 pm

lol @ Gerg.

Post by **greeneyed** » February 13, 2014, 7:46 pm

Shadow Boxer wrote:not the infamous "Swinger hill" ?

No in Garran.

Post by **T_R** » February 13, 2014, 9:12 pm

Shadow Boxer wrote:not the infamous "Swinger hill" ?

I recommend that you get into a bidding war for a rental in Swinger Hill.

Green eyed Mick · Post by **Green eyed Mick** » February 14, 2014, 6:57 am

Apartments in Belconnen are really cheap. 1 bedrooms are well under $400K these days. You can probably get yourself a 2 bedroom for around that money if you negotiate hard.

Bruce also has some cheap apartments at around the same price with the added bonus of being able to walk to and from Raiders games.

If you have a bigger budget I would look at something in the inner North. Turner and O'Connor are nice, spacious, green suburbs. Close to the city, Northbourne and the expressway.

Shezza · Post by **Shezza** » February 14, 2014, 7:47 am

I'd stay on the Far North Coast Dreaming. God's country. Whereabouts are you?

I'm planning on retiring to Bangalow or Lennox or somewhere like that.

Post by **T_R** » February 14, 2014, 7:49 am

Shezza wrote:I'd stay on the Far North Coast Dreaming. God's country. Whereabouts are you?

I'm planning on retiring to Bangalow or Lennox or somewhere like that.

I get Lennox, I really do. But Bangalow? Really?