North Sydney

Living in North Sydney

The five districts in North Sydney are Northern Suburbs, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Hills District and Forest District. A full list of all the suburbs within these districts are at the end of this page.

Videos About North Sydney

Manly is on Northern Beaches, here’s a good look around that beach, with thanks to Guangelo…

These are the suburbs of North Sydney:

Northern Suburbs

  • Beecroft, Carlingford, Cheltenham, Cherrybrook, Denistone, Denistone East
  • Denistone West, Dundas, Dundas Valley, East Ryde, Eastwood, Epping
  • Ermington, Gladesville, Henley, Hunters Hill, Huntleys Cove, Huntleys Point
  • Macquarie Park, Marsfield, Meadowbank, Melrose Park, North Epping, North Ryde
  • Normanhurst, Pennant Hills, Putney, Ryde, Telopea, Tennyson Point
  • Thornleigh, West Pennant Hills, West Ryde, Westleigh, Woolwich

North Shore

  • Upper North Shore
    • East Killara, East Lindfield, Gordon, Hornsby, Killara, Lindfield
    • Mount Kuring-gai, Pymble, Roseville, Roseville Chase, St Ives, South Turramurra
    • Turramurra, Wahroonga, Waitara, Warrawee, West Pymble
  • Lower North Shore
    • Artarmon, Cammeray, Castle Cove, Castlecrag, Chatswood, Chatswood West
    • Cremorne, Cremorne Point, Crows Nest, Greenwich, Kirribilli, Lane Cove
    • Lane Cove West, Lavender Bay, Linley Point, Longueville, McMahons Point
    • Middle Cove Milsons Point, Mosman, Naremburn, Neutral Bay, North Sydney
    • Northbridge, Northwood, Riverview, St Leonards, Waverton, Willoughby
    • Willoughby North, Wollstonecraft, Woolwich

Northern Beaches

  • Manly
    • Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Clontarf, Fairlight, Manly, Seaforth
  • Warringah
    • Allambie, Allambie Heights, Beacon Hill, Belrose, Brookvale, Collaroy
    • Collaroy Plateau, Cromer, Curl Curl, Davidson, Dee Why, Forestville
    • Frenchs Forest, Freshwater, Killarney Heights, Manly Vale, Narrabeen, Narraweena
    • North Balgowlah, North Curl Curl, North Manly, Oxford Falls, Queenscliff, Terrey Hills
  • Pittwater
    • Avalon, Bayview, Bilgola Plateau, Church Point, Clareville, Elanora
    • Ingleside, Newport, North Narrabeen, Mona Vale, Palm Beach, Warriewood
    • Whale Beach

Hills District

  • Baulkham Hills, Beaumont Hills, Bella Vista, Carlingford, Castle Hill, Cherrybrook
  • Dural, Galston, Glenhaven, Glenorie, Glenwood, Kellyville
  • Kellyville Ridge, Kenthurst, Kings Langley, North Rocks, Pennant Hills, Quakers Hill
  • Round Corner, Rouse Hill, Seven Hills, Stanhope Gardens, Thompsons Corner, The Ponds
  • West Pennant Hills, Winston Hills

Forest District

  • Belrose, Davidson, Duffys Forest, Frenchs Forest, Forestville, Killarney Heights
  • Oxford Falls, Terrey Hills

Do you live in this area? Tell us about your town or suburb in the comments below…

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{ 29 comments… add one }
  • Akshara February 15, 2019, 7:22 am |

    Hi

    Our family is moving to Sydney by April end. Would you be able to suggest a good area in North Sydney that consists of good schools. My husband would be working in Lane cove.
    I have a 2.5 year old and 7 year old. So would prefer a good area for families thats got good schools close by and lovely parks.

    • BobinOz February 15, 2019, 6:03 pm |

      This is a question best answered by a local. If you do don’t get any response here, it would be worth looking on my main page about Sydney and skimming through the comments already made. There is plenty of talk about the various suburbs.

      Feel free to ask this question again over there if you wish, that page gets more traffic than this one.

  • Dv July 8, 2018, 4:26 am |

    Hello,

    I am looking for a good suburb to live while i will be working in the North Ryde area . So family consists of myself , husband and a 6 yr old son.

    So school + housing is in mind and need some safe neighborhood and good school.

    Have been to Australia just once in 2009 and have no idea how things are after almost a decade . So any valuable advise would be taken

    Thanks very much

    D

    • BobinOz July 9, 2018, 7:08 pm |

      This is one I will need to leave to the locals, hopefully someone will see this and help. If not, check out the comments on my main page about Sydney, that does have some people talking about North Ryde.

      For example, if you look for comments by Paul, he knows that suburb well and likes it. I think he also says traffic can be very slow in the area so he advises living close to one of train stations.

      Feel free to ask this question again on that page about Sydney if you don’t receive any response here.

      • JW October 30, 2018, 2:50 am |

        Hey – not sure if too late..Loads of good places around that area, North Ryde is a main hub now. It just depends on what you want socially – Chatswood is close & on the north side – Busy & vibrant with good rentals – and access to beach only around 10-12 km. if you want any more details and still looking pm me

  • Habiba May 11, 2016, 3:43 pm |

    Hi there! I will be moving to Sydney within couple of months so I wanted some suggestions as to in which suburbwe can rent a apartment or house. We want to stay in a suburb where the rent will be reasonable, and also not more than 30 mins drive from Sydney Cbd. The suburb should be clean, green with parks and good day care centres for my kids. Someone told me that Western Sydney is cheap but not good for staying, so I was thinking of south or northern suburbs. Please send me some suggestions as I need urgent help.

    • BobinOz May 11, 2016, 8:36 pm |

      I don’t think you will find reasonable rents just 30 minutes drive from Sydney CBD, the closer you get to the city centre the more expensive rents are.

      May I suggest you have a read of the comments on my main page about Sydney, there are plenty of people offering advice about the best suburbs to choose.

  • Clair Payne July 25, 2015, 2:00 am |

    Hi, looking to move this year. Office is based Chatswood area so need to be able to commute there. Would like to live in a place you can easily walk out in the evenings and there be bars/restaurants, ideally near water or marine. We’re a mid-30s couple, no kids. Would appreciate any pointers – many thanks 🙂

    • BobinOz July 26, 2015, 9:11 pm |

      I will leave that to one of the locals to help you out, but do be sure to read the comments already made here and also on my main page about Sydney, you should find them very helpful.

      Hopefully somebody will answer you here though.

    • Koko Xu October 19, 2015, 11:37 am |

      Hi Clair, I would suggest you to look at the Northern Beaches area. My family lives there and we’re about a 10-15min drive to Chatswood and also 10-15min to Manly, the major beach in that area. Manly has many bars and restaurants that are quite nice too and there is also a large shopping mall nearby. However, you’ll find that there are many beaches in that area and our closest beach is only about 5min drive away.

  • Abi June 16, 2015, 6:46 am |

    Hey Bob,

    Awesome website. 🙂

    My partner and I are moving to Sydney in August and are unsure of where to live.

    I’ll be working in Bella Vista. However, we want to be able to get into the city and to a beach on evenings and weekends,

    We have friends in Manly, Kirribilli and Surry Hills.

    Just need advice on an area that I can easily to commute to Bella Vista but give us all the things to love about Sydney.

    Hoping for some wisdom. I currently commute 40 mins here in the UK one way.

    Cheers

    • Indi June 16, 2015, 12:27 pm |

      Hi Abi,
      Local Sydney resident here. Bella Vista is in North-Western Sydney and is a fair trek to any beach area. The closest beach area to BV I can think of is the Northern Beaches which is still a good 45-60minute drive (non-peak hour). Unfortunately BV does not have it’s own train station (it’s currently being built, due for opening in 2019) so public transport, again, you’re looking at 1hour minimum.
      However, if you are happy to travel 45mins for the beach, Bella Vista itself is a nice area for a family, located in the Hills District (where I currently live) with good schools (both private and public) and plenty of parks/space for kids.
      Hope it helps!

    • Red June 18, 2015, 10:09 pm |

      Abi, move as close as you can to North Sydney. This will place you close to your friends in Kirribilli and Surry Hills, not far from Manly and the beaches, and close to the CBD for all the excitement and culture that it has. Heaps of apartments around Artarmon, and lots of options around Lane Cove and Naremburn.

      To commute to Bella Vista from Nth Sydney is an easy 30-40ish minute drive up the M2. Its a tollway but you’ll be going against the traffic – the hordes are coming from dull suburbia towards the city in the morning, you’re going to other way, so traffic is very light. Same in the evening.

      Do NOT live in the Hills District. It’s like living in Slough. It’s dead boring, and it’s ages from anywhere. You don’t move overseas to live in a housing estate 40km from the city.

  • Emad May 13, 2015, 11:47 pm |

    Hello,
    I’m planning to move to Sydney with my family in few weeks, and I was thinking mainly about schools and housing cost, and after a lot of search I found that Northern Suburbs (Carlingford for example) will be best option as it has good schools and the housing cost there is moderate, so am I right about this conclusion considering the mentioned criteria..? any advice could help?
    Thanks..

    • BobinOz May 14, 2015, 6:39 pm |

      Hopefully somebody who knows the area can help you out with this one, but it may also be worth you having a look at the comments on my main page about Sydney, there’s a lot of talk about the various suburbs on there.

      But maybe somebody will read this and help you out, anybody?

      • Indi June 16, 2015, 12:22 pm |

        Hey Emad
        Bang on Carlingford and the surrounding ‘Hills District’ area well known for good schools and affordable housing, nice area to raise a family.
        Carlingford has its own train station too which should take about 45minutes to the city

  • Pam Roddick July 9, 2014, 8:22 pm |

    Hi, Loving the site and it has helped a great deal with what is the biggest decision of our lives so far. We are about to make the jump down under to Sydney as its where my husband s company are relocating him to. Recommendations have been made for areas to live in and we are coming over next week to check some of them out/ look at schools/get a feel for them and Ive got a list from your website (Brilliant thanks!) but what I’d like to know is how long it takes to commute from these places? It would be really handy if you could put an indication of that on your website. I know the timings would be approximate but it would just give some idea of what we are coming to and help out with online research on houses etc. I can’t find a site that offers this info. Keep up the blog though! Thanks.

    • Tom July 9, 2014, 8:39 pm |

      Hi Pam.
      We did the move just three months ago and ended up in Mosman. Really nice neighborhood but quite up market.
      In regards to commute I would use the public transport route planner on Google Maps. It works quite well for Sydney, and is easy to use. It gives you commute time and whether it’s bus, train or ferry that works best. Remember to put in the time of day as eg Monday morning.

      • Hilary July 10, 2014, 12:24 am |

        Hi Pam
        Not sure if this is the area you’re looking in but I can confirm that the train from Pymble/Turramurra (upper North Shore) area into the CBD takes 45 mins with a frequent service. It’s a nice area with some good houses, though expensive. Plenty of local shops and nearby Chatswood or Hornsby have larger shopping areas.

        In the other direction the Eastern suburbs are lovely, again very pricey areas, but the transport is less good and unless you can get to Bondi Junction easily to pick up the train line into the CBD you’ll be relying on the bus service. The buses run fairly frequently but are subject to the bad traffic congestion that Syndeysiders have to put up with at rush hour. The Eastern suburbs are not good either for returning after an evening out in the city as taxis are expensive.

        • BobinOz July 13, 2014, 10:06 pm |

          Thanks for chiming in here Tom and Hillary, great answers. Being a Brisbane boy myself, I have no idea how long the commutes are, so I’m glad you have taken the time to help out Pam.

          Cheers, Bob

  • Kristine April 3, 2014, 1:57 am |

    We are hoping to move to Australia in a years time. It looks like Sydney is the best option as there are better job prospects for my husband (he is an it project manager). He will be working in the city or crows nest. I am a doctor and will most like be working at westmead childrens hospital in the western part of the city. We will be bringing out two kids 3 and 1.
    We have been looking at seven hills and castle hills as it seems affordable, the houses are big, it is quiet, child friendly and close to my work.
    Would really appreciate some advice on these suburbs.
    Thanks

    • BobinOz April 4, 2014, 9:34 pm |

      I’ll leave that to my Sydneysiders, can anyone help Kristine with this? If you don’t get a response Kristine, it may be worth asking this question on my main page about Sydney, it does get more comments.

      Good luck, Bob

    • Callum May 24, 2014, 12:32 pm |

      I live in Castle Hill, it is a highly sought after suburb with large homes and a welcoming community. There is good public transport to the inner city and is not too far from westmead. Castle Hill is more upmarket than Seven Hills.

      Hope this helps!

      • Red June 3, 2014, 7:30 pm |

        Castle Hill and it’s surrounds are barely in Sydney – it’s over 30km from the central business district (which is on the harbour) ie where everything happens. It’s cheap because it’s hard to get to (1 hour each way by bus from the city) and there is no infrastructure – massive housing estates with huge silly houses, one central mall, and not much else. It’s known as bland suburbia.
        If you’re working in the city or crows nest, I again suggest Artarmon and Lane Cove and its surrounds, maybe up to Roseville or Chatswood. You’re 5 min from Crows Nest, 15 min from the city on the train, and 40 minutes to Westmead (as you’re driving against the traffic).
        I commute from my house beteen Crows Nest and Artarmon to Rosehill (nearly at Westmead) in 35 minutes as I’m driving against the traffic not with it.
        My in-laws live in Castle Hill and the drive out there is horrendous, due to massive traffic volumes on the M2 motorway, and when you get there, well, nothing happens. Definitely try for the lower north shore or inner west (eg Stanmore).

        • Blue August 27, 2014, 5:40 pm |

          Although transport is a major drawback for living in the Castle Hill, (train stations are being built here, but currently buses do take 1hr one-way to the CBD) it is a great place for a young family-plenty of good schools, wide open spaces with lots of parks, spacious houses and a population comprising mostly of young families such as yourself. Public transport to Westmead can take up to 45minutes from Castle Hill and 20mins via car. I have grown up this area and, although this might be a bias evaluation, absolutely love it and would definitely recommend it for a young family.

  • Red January 9, 2014, 1:26 pm |

    Manly is a long way from the city and business district – 45 mins on a ferry (which are cancelled in storms) and 1 hr on the bus.
    You are much better living somewhere like Artarmon, close to the city with buses and trains, lovely parks and many families, and you can drive to the beach on weekends in 20 minutes.

    • Emma September 19, 2015, 6:42 pm |

      Manly is 30 minutes to the city on the council run ferry and only 17 minutes on the ‘fast ferry’. They run regularly and very rarely get cancelled- only in thick fog.
      Great Aussie beach vibe but can be very touristy and busy in summer.
      Further up the Northern beaches there are plenty of family friendly suburbs with expresses buses into the city taking around 40 minutes from Dee Why/ 45 minutes from Narrabeen

  • Tom December 29, 2013, 5:36 am |

    We are looking to migrate to Sydney within the next 6 months. I’ll be working in the center and my wife will mind our three small children – where one has just started school. We have been recommended Manly as a place to live – it seems to have the Aussie beach life-style, which we would love to be part of. Others have recommended Mosman as a district close to the city and with a more children friendly beach close by.
    We would love to hear any advice or recommendations on these two neighborhoods.

    • BobinOz December 30, 2013, 5:16 pm |

      I don’t know these areas well enough. Can anyone help Tom with this?

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