Sydney Folk

figmental1978 · 11-10-2009, 05:01 PM

Hi there,

I'm moving back to Australia in January and have applied all over the country to different Universities to attend, my first choice being Melbourne. Just yesterday I was offered to attend the University of Western Sydney and was wondering what the consensus was from people living in Sydney about the uni and living in Western Sydney. Is it a shithole or is it a good place to take my wife and 1 year old baby? Cheers.

Last edited by figmental1978; 11-10-2009 at 05:30 PM.

**Ash** · 11-10-2009, 05:06 PM

It's not as scummy as it once was considered.
It's now quite a prime university.
I'd lived in Sydney for most of my life - I've never studied at UWS but visited the campus often and worked in Campbelltown for a while as UWS was building its reputation.

Not all areas of W Syd are as bad as you hear, but you may want to avoid Cabramatta (for example). Where would you want to live? Have you ever been to Sydney?

figmental1978 · 11-10-2009, 05:14 PM

Thanks Ash,

I guess I'd live somewhere close to the uni, Penrith area. I've read it's very family orientated but I have no idea. I've been to Sydney a few times but never to the outer suburbs let alone out west.

**Ash** · 11-10-2009, 05:34 PM

It's been a while for me too.
But whenever I've visited Sydney, it was always the south coast and inner southwestern suburbs.
Penrith has sure changed in the last few years. I'd stopped by there 2 years ago for a conference, and it certainly had a nice feel about it - certainly more family-friendly than Sydney CBD

. But can't tell you any more than that.

figmental1978 · 11-10-2009, 06:25 PM

Cool, cheers for that Ash.

lithos · 11-10-2009, 10:34 PM

I'd stay outta real estate, if I were you. There's better ways to die.

figmental1978 · 11-11-2009, 12:28 AM

not buying, just renting.

figmental1978 · 11-11-2009, 10:15 PM

How about the University Of Technology Sydney?

**Ash** · 11-12-2009, 04:00 AM

UTS is a well acclaimed university - a high standard and competitive rates AFAIK. Being located in inner city Sydney, you'll be commuting in if you don't want all your income to go to rent...

pop4 · 11-12-2009, 06:33 AM

UWS doesn't tend to have the reputation of the main Universities in Sydney such as USyd, UNSW and UTS, however, it is slowly improving. I'm not too familar with the Penrith area, but there is the image of a stereotypical bogan that is associated with the West, so make of that what you will. Cabramatta does have a bad reputation, but has been cleaned up in recent years.

UTS is located in the city, so as Ash mentioned, if you want to live near the uni, then rent could be quite steep, but since UTS Broadway is right in the city, it's really convenient to get to by public transport.

EDIT: btw, if you end up going to UTS, be sure to join Exposure, UTS' photographers society!

Alfisti · 11-12-2009, 08:53 AM

I went to UWS and lived near Penrith until the age of 25.

UWS was an absolutely HORRIFFIC experience, I don't know if other universities are better but i found the lecturers useless, with poor english and too reliant on the text. Access without a car is mind blowingly horrible, parking was insufficient and though i enrolled at Werrington I was shifted to Parramatta three years in. Paramatta of course was not really ready, so no airconditioning ... it was just awful.

A few years later my girlfriend (now wife) went there and it seemed better to be honest, at least the campus was ready.

UTS is HIGHLY regarded, a very serious university with an outstanding reputation. Hard to get into though.

As for Penrith, if you're young and single i'd go to UTS, Penrith has it's bad areas but plenty of nice areas too. If I were you i'd rent a house in somewhere at the base of the mountains, say Emu Heights or Leonay, REALLY nice leafy areas. You'll need a car to get to UWS though. You can't stay near UWS if you are at the Kingswood or Werrington campus, the area is just bleak.

If at the parra campus, you could stay nearby.

Penrith is hot, really hot, as in 40 degrees plus in summer when it gets going. Try to rent a house with a pool if possible

One HUGE advantage of living there is that you are very close to the wonderful Blue Mountains National Park with world class hiking and natural areas. I spent three to four years walking the trails each weekend, what a wonderful place.

Alfisti · 11-12-2009, 08:57 AM

OK just noticed wife and 1 year old baby. So a permanent move i see.

Again, the nicer areas are at the base of the mountains, very leafy and very family friendly. You can be trapped there though, what i mean is, real estate is far cheaper than in Sydney itself so you fall into the trap of never being able to afford living closer to the CBD if you need to for work. Commuting to the CBD from penrith is a no-no, too bloody far.

figmental1978 · 11-12-2009, 05:18 PM

Thanks for the info. I've been offered placements at UWS and UTS but UWS is a masters degree (12 months fast tracked) and UTS is only a post grad course (12 months) but it does seem better, so I guess I'd have to do another year to get my masters is I went to UTS.

We are moving from Japan and my family are in S.A so wherever I study doesn't mean it will be permanent so we will be renting.

I don't really want to take my family to a bogan area or go to a below average uni and living in inner Sydney would be expensive, so, If I were to go to UTS Kuring-gai campus, where would be a good place to live? Sorry for all the questions but I don't know anything about Sydney.

Cheers,
Dan

Alfisti · 11-12-2009, 07:05 PM

See whilst Penrith is a little bogany (is that a word?) take a drive through Emu Heights, just over the Nepean Bridge. If it's not a permanent move then UWS works, IMHO get out of schoolasap and get your credentials ............ then get working is SA.

If it's one year, go UWS, though UTS Kuringai would be nice, have you seen the rent there????

**Ash** · 11-12-2009, 07:14 PM

Ku-ring-gai is a lovely area - and expect the lovely prices you need to pay for it!
UTS won't disappoint you for quality of education.

Hornsby is as cheap as you'll get and it's an OK area to live in - but be prepared to look around. Check Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent - realestate.com.au for price figures and do your homework to balance the savings and costs!

11-10-2009, 05:01 PM	#1
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789	Sydney Folk Hi there, I'm moving back to Australia in January and have applied all over the country to different Universities to attend, my first choice being Melbourne. Just yesterday I was offered to attend the University of Western Sydney and was wondering what the consensus was from people living in Sydney about the uni and living in Western Sydney. Is it a shithole or is it a good place to take my wife and 1 year old baby? Cheers. Last edited by figmental1978; 11-10-2009 at 05:30 PM.

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11-10-2009, 05:06 PM	#2
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	It's not as scummy as it once was considered. It's now quite a prime university. I'd lived in Sydney for most of my life - I've never studied at UWS but visited the campus often and worked in Campbelltown for a while as UWS was building its reputation. Not all areas of W Syd are as bad as you hear, but you may want to avoid Cabramatta (for example). Where would you want to live? Have you ever been to Sydney?

11-10-2009, 05:14 PM	#3
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	Thanks Ash, I guess I'd live somewhere close to the uni, Penrith area. I've read it's very family orientated but I have no idea. I've been to Sydney a few times but never to the outer suburbs let alone out west.

11-10-2009, 05:34 PM	#4
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	It's been a while for me too. But whenever I've visited Sydney, it was always the south coast and inner southwestern suburbs. Penrith has sure changed in the last few years. I'd stopped by there 2 years ago for a conference, and it certainly had a nice feel about it - certainly more family-friendly than Sydney CBD . But can't tell you any more than that.

11-10-2009, 06:25 PM	#5
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	Cool, cheers for that Ash.

11-10-2009, 10:34 PM	#6
lithos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, AUS Posts: 3,261	I'd stay outta real estate, if I were you. There's better ways to die.

11-11-2009, 12:28 AM	#7
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	not buying, just renting.

11-11-2009, 10:15 PM	#8
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	How about the University Of Technology Sydney?

11-12-2009, 04:00 AM	#9
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	UTS is a well acclaimed university - a high standard and competitive rates AFAIK. Being located in inner city Sydney, you'll be commuting in if you don't want all your income to go to rent...

11-12-2009, 06:33 AM	#10
pop4 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: YMML Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,879	UWS doesn't tend to have the reputation of the main Universities in Sydney such as USyd, UNSW and UTS, however, it is slowly improving. I'm not too familar with the Penrith area, but there is the image of a stereotypical bogan that is associated with the West, so make of that what you will. Cabramatta does have a bad reputation, but has been cleaned up in recent years. UTS is located in the city, so as Ash mentioned, if you want to live near the uni, then rent could be quite steep, but since UTS Broadway is right in the city, it's really convenient to get to by public transport. EDIT: btw, if you end up going to UTS, be sure to join Exposure, UTS' photographers society!

11-12-2009, 08:53 AM	#11
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	I went to UWS and lived near Penrith until the age of 25. UWS was an absolutely HORRIFFIC experience, I don't know if other universities are better but i found the lecturers useless, with poor english and too reliant on the text. Access without a car is mind blowingly horrible, parking was insufficient and though i enrolled at Werrington I was shifted to Parramatta three years in. Paramatta of course was not really ready, so no airconditioning ... it was just awful. A few years later my girlfriend (now wife) went there and it seemed better to be honest, at least the campus was ready. UTS is HIGHLY regarded, a very serious university with an outstanding reputation. Hard to get into though. As for Penrith, if you're young and single i'd go to UTS, Penrith has it's bad areas but plenty of nice areas too. If I were you i'd rent a house in somewhere at the base of the mountains, say Emu Heights or Leonay, REALLY nice leafy areas. You'll need a car to get to UWS though. You can't stay near UWS if you are at the Kingswood or Werrington campus, the area is just bleak. If at the parra campus, you could stay nearby. Penrith is hot, really hot, as in 40 degrees plus in summer when it gets going. Try to rent a house with a pool if possible One HUGE advantage of living there is that you are very close to the wonderful Blue Mountains National Park with world class hiking and natural areas. I spent three to four years walking the trails each weekend, what a wonderful place.

11-12-2009, 08:57 AM	#12
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	OK just noticed wife and 1 year old baby. So a permanent move i see. Again, the nicer areas are at the base of the mountains, very leafy and very family friendly. You can be trapped there though, what i mean is, real estate is far cheaper than in Sydney itself so you fall into the trap of never being able to afford living closer to the CBD if you need to for work. Commuting to the CBD from penrith is a no-no, too bloody far.

11-12-2009, 05:18 PM	#13
figmental1978 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 789 Original Poster	Thanks for the info. I've been offered placements at UWS and UTS but UWS is a masters degree (12 months fast tracked) and UTS is only a post grad course (12 months) but it does seem better, so I guess I'd have to do another year to get my masters is I went to UTS. We are moving from Japan and my family are in S.A so wherever I study doesn't mean it will be permanent so we will be renting. I don't really want to take my family to a bogan area or go to a below average uni and living in inner Sydney would be expensive, so, If I were to go to UTS Kuring-gai campus, where would be a good place to live? Sorry for all the questions but I don't know anything about Sydney. Cheers, Dan

11-12-2009, 07:05 PM	#14
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	See whilst Penrith is a little bogany (is that a word?) take a drive through Emu Heights, just over the Nepean Bridge. If it's not a permanent move then UWS works, IMHO get out of schoolasap and get your credentials ............ then get working is SA. If it's one year, go UWS, though UTS Kuringai would be nice, have you seen the rent there????

11-12-2009, 07:14 PM	#15
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Ku-ring-gai is a lovely area - and expect the lovely prices you need to pay for it! UTS won't disappoint you for quality of education. Hornsby is as cheap as you'll get and it's an OK area to live in - but be prepared to look around. Check Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent - realestate.com.au for price figures and do your homework to balance the savings and costs!