What's the safest part of Western Sydney? Bikies?

Save Medicare on 20/07/2017 - 08:02

A bit of an oxymoron, I know.

My girlfriend and I have been offered jobs in Concord and Penrith, and would ideally like to live somewhere in between for ease of travel. The jobs were randomly allocated and identical to the degree where we can actually swap with each other, however the job in Penrith is going to be worse in terms of lifestyle and on the job training.

We are thinking of living closer to Penrith because Penrith is worse for the person working there and also because I'll be giving up a highly attractive (merit based) job in Melbourne to be with her.

Money is no object. The biggest concerns would be safety and travel time. Reading about bikies and gangs in Penrith has gotten me a bit worried. Where should we live?

Poll Options

  • 15
    Parramatta area
  • 2
    Merrylands area
  • 2
    Mt druitt area
  • 5
    Penrith area
  • 4
    Other
  • 15
    Bikies
Home & Garden

Comments

  • EightImmortals on 20/07/2017 - 08:27
    +19

    "I'll be giving up a highly attractive (merit based) job in Melbourne to be with her."

    Why doesn't she give up her shitty job in Sydney and move to Melbourne?

    • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2017 - 09:34
      +1

      lmao exactly what I thought

    • Save Medicare on 20/07/2017 - 14:12

      She got lucky in NSW and was randomly allocated a her first choice job in Concord.

      The way the industry works is that as someone from NSW she would only have the chance to be offered a job in VIC from August onwards (and it's unlikely) , whereas I have to decline my VIC job and accept NSW in the couple of days.

      Basically we're stuck at concord and penrith if we want to live together.

  • John Kimble on 20/07/2017 - 08:43
    +14

    Cooper Cronk, is that you?

  • cypher67 on 20/07/2017 - 09:14
    +1

    I'd recommend Penrith, rent is cheaper and I find it very safe. Catch the express train to Strathfield and the other can drive to work in Penrith. As with most areas, there is the good and the bad. Parramatta would be my second choice, but rent options are more hectic

    • Findo on 20/07/2017 - 17:36
      -1

      Penriff, safe? Hahaha

  • edwardsajl on 20/07/2017 - 09:15

    remember pork has been banned in western sydney for some time now.Also you will want to buy a handbag as the men in the area seem to wear these a lot.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2017 - 09:19
      -1

      Not sure if trolling or not.

      golfclap

      • edwardsajl on 20/07/2017 - 09:39
        -1

        fact is not trolling.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2017 - 10:31

          Pork statement is a bit much in my opinion - again, each to their own. Plenty of places that still serve pork in the area from when I've been in the area (every weekend for the last couple of years).

          Handbag statement is now something I will look for - but have seen the slow creep of them onto male shoulders.

  • sicklad21 on 20/07/2017 - 09:16
    +1

    Hawkesbury Area, Richmond/Windsor and some of the surrounding suburbs. It's a quiet place, feels like you aren't in Sydney.
    Might be a bit of travel to Concord, but only 20 minutes from Penrith.

    • Mister LoLPants on 21/07/2017 - 09:03

      the only legit way to travel to penrith from the hawkesbury is to drive though, sounds like the OP wanted public transport options

  • idontalwaysnotlie on 20/07/2017 - 09:40

    Just north of Penrith is all new and really nice. 3 stop trains to the city (45 min). Bit more expensive but worth it compared to the older side of Penrith.

  • TheBilly on 20/07/2017 - 09:50
    +1

    Parramatta - concord doesn't have as accessible public transport from Penrith - and if you had to drive driving west to east is shit and east to west in the afternoons - so you would want to be as close as possible.

    • Save Medicare on 20/07/2017 - 14:21

      I took a look at this on Google yesterday and the drive to concord from parra is shorter than the drive to penrith in the morning.(45 min to penrith 30 to concord)

      I was surprised too, but my sense of selfishness and entitlement makes me less happy with this arrangement.

  • spychiatrist on 20/07/2017 - 10:14
    -1

    Warringah

    • Save Medicare on 20/07/2017 - 14:16
      +1

      By all accounts a nice enough place but it doesn't look like the location is ideal for either Penrith nor concord.

      • kerfuffle on 20/07/2017 - 18:07
        +2

        I think that was a joke comment in regards to Tony Abbott being the Member for Warringah

  • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2017 - 10:31
    +5

    Penrith; along with all the western line Suburbs are literally the ghetto of Sydney:

    Check out the theft, domestic assault and arson rates around those areas.

    http://crimetool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/bocsar/

    People are somewhat hillbillies or hicks. Bikies are least of your worries; will actually usually just try and go on with their lives without causing a fuss so they can perform their delinquency uninterrupted.

    There are domestic violence posters plastered all across Penrith, with violent junkies from the injection clinic quite aggressively "asking for a dollar".

    Many people will say Penrith, such areas are full of "Hard working honest cobbas". Though, in truth they are depressing welfare holes with quite high crime rates, tonnes of housing commission and just bad suburbs in general.

    People want to get out of these areas, not move into them.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2017 - 13:48
      -2

      +1

      Im not sure why the 3rd poster endorsed Penrith..it really is a ghetto lmao

  • ProjectZero on 20/07/2017 - 11:20
    +1

    IMO, better off to be in the areas like Blacktown any further and I agree it's ghetto AF…

    • Save Medicare on 20/07/2017 - 14:22

      How are Rouse Hill and Wetherill Park?

      • ProjectZero on 20/07/2017 - 14:24
        +1

        Rouse Hill is definitely nice, but transportation wise, it is a pain.

        I actually work in Wetherill Park and can say that transportation sucks unless you drive. There are buses but there is no train line direct to the area.

        If you don't mind the transportation, you can try stanhope, quakers hill or glenwood as well. Bella vista is getting their train line built as well so these four places would be worth considering, however, which line the train will be on is beyond me atm. I haven't done a lot of research.

        • habibby on 21/07/2017 - 10:49

          I live in Kings Langley (next to Blacktown and Seven Hills) and I work in Cambridge Park (next to Penrith) and regularly travel to Lidcombe (3 exits before Concord on the M4) and I find travel to and from work a breeze. A colleague who lives in Wetherill Park also has good runs going to work on the M4 with the new exit/entrance recently opened near Kingswood.

          As a High School teacher and Year Advisor in charge of student welfare, I get a glimpse of student's lives and it's a really mixed bag. While broken homes and stereotypically low-SES scenarios exist, I have found they do not typically affect the "innocent bystander" or neighbour. The people with problems who you would want to avoid generally stick to their own crowd. I can't speak for other Penrith areas, but Cambridge Park has just as many typical well-to-do Aussie families (not necessarily wealthy) as you would expect. I have found that community relationships are a big thing here and parents and the community are very involved in the school I work at.

          For what it's worth, I've heard from colleagues who live local to Penrith mention a recent increase in new shops and big chains moving closer to Penrith.

          Personally, I wouldn't choose to live in Penrith as I have many other commitments further east and south.

  • onetwothreefour on 20/07/2017 - 14:51
    +2

    I vote for moving the selfish girlfriend to Melbourne.

  • Davo1111 on 20/07/2017 - 15:00

    If you've got so much money, just pay the bikies off?

    If you can't beat em, join em.

  • Gotchacha on 20/07/2017 - 17:02
    +1

    Lower Blue Mountains (Blaxland, Glenbrook, Lapstone, Mt Riverview). Great lifestyle, only five mins from Penrith, express train to Strathfield. Driving down the M4 to Concord at peak hour is a nightmare though, so make sure public transport suits what you need.
    I'd never live in Penrith. Apparently it is becoming less ghetto (as it becomes more expensive) but it still seems like a hell hole when I have to go there.

  • Mister LoLPants on 21/07/2017 - 09:07

    Have a look at the new options popping up directly north of penrith station. however for all the options, head out to the suburbs, spend some time there. You will be wherever you go for a long(ish) time, spending a little time actually seeing the suburb instead of relying on peoples outdated views or 'a current affair' anecdotes could see you pay much less rent and enjoying yourself more.

    It really comes down to what your priorities are, saving for your own place, eating out, swimming, hiking? Write down your priorities and weight up the options

  • speedracer on 21/07/2017 - 09:10
    +3

    suprising to see so many ignorant comments on here. the west is so diverse. It's got a bit of everything. You can find a suburb or location that meets your needs or wants. Sydney property is forcing mass migration of middle class city dwellers out west. The demographics are changing rapidly. plus jobs are decentralising from the cbd that can potentially make it more convenient.

    You might be surprised but it can actually be a great place to live.

  • TheBilly on 21/07/2017 - 12:05

    Why not just spend a day out in the suburbs of interest (short list 3) then spend 3 weekends? Wake up early like 6.00am-7.00am and head to the suburb, go to the shops, go to the cafes, stations, drive around look at houses. Make your decision like that. Random opinions are like ass holes.

  • WT on 21/07/2017 - 13:14

    merrylands is a hole, greystanes is better and the next suburb over west

  • Deridas on 21/07/2017 - 15:29
    +1

    May I guess you two are professionals in the healthcare industry (possibly starting graduate entry jobs from Feb next year)?

    My suggestion is to live around the Rhodes area. The rationale is that it's far easier to drive against traffic than with traffic. The drive from Rhodes to Penrith aren't too bad as quickly onto Homebush Bay drive and the new G-turn into the M4 results in barely more than 1 traffic light from home and against traffic all through to Penrith.

    Rhodes is a relatively new suburb with heaps of apartments very suitable for young couple with no kids.

    Alternatives include Newington, probably even better as rents are cheaper, but more difficult train access.

    Homebush along Parramatta road also has stacks of new apartments, though probably too new for me to make a comment.

    Good luck.
    PM me if my guess regarding your job is correct and you would like me to clarify my suggestions.

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