Suburb Profile: Liberty Grove 2138

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Profile created by:  wombat, F, 26.

How I know the area:  Lived there for 1 year, 2006-2007

Good area for:  Young couples, young families, older people

Not so good for:  People with two cars, people who want space, people who enjoy the peace and quiet, people with no car

What I like most about this suburb:  The greatest drawcards for Liberty Grove are the location, and the access to some of Sydney’s best facilities, like Olympic Park, Bicentennial Park and the Parramatta River. The suburb itself also has gym/pool facilities for all residents.

What I like least about this suburb:  Located next to a busy road and Sydney’s only (at the time of writing) IKEA, located on former contaminated/industrial land, noisy and crowded. The design means the sound travels and echoes off the buildings, so parties are loudly broadcast and offensive.

Land in Rhodes is undergoing decontamination for its previous industrial uses (e.g., pesiticides factories). The smell and dust from the sites travel to Liberty Grove and can be smelly/dirty and potentially dangerous.

Region:  Inner West

Local Government Area:  Canada Bay

Nearby Suburbs:  Rhodes, Concord, Concord West

Best parts:  The attached housing at the southern end of Liberty Grove, near the swimming pool and Concord West.

Character of development: The development was completed around 2000, so all the infrastructure is the same age. There are residential towers along Olympic Drive, mid-height apartments around the northern end, moving into terraces then attached housing in the south. Pretty much everything is a pale brick colour, and there is consistent planting and kerbs etc throughout the entire suburb. Liberty Grove is a gated suburb without a gate – but does employ a private security guard at the eastern entry.

Development Prospects:  There are no development prospects! You are moving into something built very recently so there might be some renovation potential, but there is a pretty clued up strata/community body.  Everything is attached too, so no chances to knock anything down.

Traffic/Accessibility:  Honestly, this is probably where the suburb suffers the most. The entry points to the gated suburb are located at the northern end, in Rhodes, and along the western side onto Olympic Drive. Olympic Drive is virtually always busy, and slows to standstill at peak times (sometimes in both directions, due to heavy traffic into and out of Ryde). The M4 motorway, Victoria Road and M2 motorways are all located relatively conveniently for Liberty Grove, but due to their proximity are often busy and congest the surrounding roads.

Traffic on the weekends can also be mayhem, as the Rhodes Shopping Centre contains Sydney’s only (current) IKEA. Getting through the traffic and into Liberty Grove can be chaotic, and despite signage, many confused shoppers end up inside Liberty Grove.

There is parking along the streets of Liberty Grove in marked bays but it fills quickly. Most residences have a single car space, some have double, but it seems that the levels of car ownership far exceed parking capacity. This author often had to park a second car three blocks away.

Public Transport:  Liberty Grove is located between Rhodes Railway Station and Concord West Station, both on the Northern Line. There are no bus services in Liberty Grove, but there are some in walking distance located in Rhodes and Concord West.

There is a paved and lit path from the northern end of Liberty Grove to Rhodes Railway Station, it is approximately 1km and takes about 10 minutes.

Schools and Universities:  There are no schools within Liberty Grove. Surrounding suburbs include a number of public schools, however this author has no experience with any of them. Many of the children in Liberty Grove appear to attend public primary schools but private high schools.

The closest university is Macquarie University, which is accessible on the Northern train line. Other universities are primarily located in Sydney city and would be most easily accessed by public transport.

Shops:  There is a corner store in Liberty Grove, which sells a range of groceries, newspapers and hires out Indian/Bollywood DVDs to residents. The closest supermarkets are located in Rhodes Shopping Centre (literally across the road at the northern end) and in Concord town centre, on the eastern side (not directly accessible from Liberty Grove due to the railway line running between Liberty Grove and Concord).  

Cinemas/Theatres:  Cinemas at Rhodes Shopping Centre

Other Services:  Essentially all services for Liberty Grove are located in Rhodes or Concord, and are more accessible by car than by foot.

Churches:  None in Liberty Grove

Best Cafe:  None in Liberty Grove, there are several decent cafes in Rhodes Shopping Centre, and plenty on the main drag in Concord – but they are constantly changing.

Best Pub/Bar:  There are no pubs or bars in Liberty Grove. There are also no pubs or bars within easy walking distance.

Best Takeaway:  There is no takeaway in Liberty Grove, but many Rhodes/Concord businesses will deliver to the suburb.

Best Pizza:  Crust in Concord deliver to Liberty Grove and have a good range of gourmet style pizzas

Best Restaurant:  Check out the shops at Concord for a range of Italian and modern Australian style restaurants (they change so see a future Concord review for better information). There are some really excellent Indian restaurants in the area too, including Abhi’s Indian on Concord Road, North Strathfield.  

Gyms:  All residents of Liberty Grove have free access to centralised facilities, including a 25m outdoor pool, a gym and tennis courts. The gym has cardio and weights machine, but no trainers or classes etc. Smaller gyms and pools are located between the residential towers, with a couple of treadmills. These community rooms can be hired out by residents (e.g. for kid’s parties) so the main gym is more reliable and often not too busy.

For gym junkies, there are more significant facilities located at the northern end of the Rhodes Shopping Centre.

Parks and Recreation:  There are two large-ish parks in Liberty Grove, one near the northern entrance and the other near the eastern entrance.  As mentioned above, there are facilities available such as a gym and swimming pool, as well as a smaller pool between and parks between the residential towers. It is a short walk to Bicentennial Park, and a longer walk to Olympic Park, where there are a range of facilities, parklands etc.

Walking/Cycling:  The streets in Liberty Grove are not particularly safe for pedestrians and cyclists, with a lot of vehicle movement. However, there are extensive cycle and walking paths in Bicentennial Park, which is on the opposite side of Olympic Drive

Suburb Profile: Lugarno 2210

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Profile created by:  wombat, F, 26.

How I know the area:  Lived there for 9 years until 2007, and still visit family

Good area for:  Families, snobs, church-goers

Not so good for:  Teenagers without a driver’s licence, young people, people with unusual lifestyles

What I like most about this suburb:  Lugarno has many positives, including the number of trees and the amount of remnant bushland. There are no busy roads or traffic lights (just roundabouts) and there is access to decent public schools. It feels safe and there are a lot of families.

What I like least about this suburb:  Prices are high – not just property but also groceries/services, due to people’s willingness to pay. There is also the constant summertime spectre of bushfire – embers can jump the Georges River from Illawong.

Region:  South

Local Government Area:  Hurstville

Nearby Suburbs:  Peakhurst Heights, Peakhurst, Mortdale, Riverwood

Best parts:  The further from Forest Road, the better – river views/access is the ultimate aim (e.g., Moons Avenue,

Character of development:  Along the main spine, Forest Road, there are a number of older red-brick or fibro houses remaining but they are fairly quickly being renovated or replaced by larger houses or dual occupancies. Further out, along the river, large houses from the 80s mix with brand new mansions, which are often 3 stories and rendered. There are rumours that some contain lifts.  Many of the blocks have difficult terrain – very steep slopes etc, so residents have had to rely on architect designed homes to build at all. There are blocks with virtually no yard space due to the size of houses and the extreme slope. Inclinators are common on some lots due to difficulty of access.

Development Prospects:  Dual occupancy development permitted on large blocks on the main road, but generally speaking you would buy, build or rebuild a single dwelling. This is a great place to build the mansion you’ve always dreamed of, but remember that your neighbours probably want to do the same if they haven’t already. The Council appears to allow additions/renovations which have quite a lot of overlooking and result in the removal of trees, so be prepared to relinquish your privacy or bush outlook.

Traffic/Accessibility:  Lugarno has one road in and one road out – there can be a queue around peak times but it’s never worth complaining about. Old Forest Road near Lugarno Public School becomes a carpark at school starting and finishing times, and should be avoided at all costs. It is dangerous for everyone involved and parents walk out into traffic and swing car doors open at leisure.

Heading out of Lugarno in the opposite direction to peak traffic (e.g., away from the city in the mornings) is generally not an issue, but with the traffic at peak times it can be very congested, especially along Forest Road and then to King Georges Road and the M5. It is faster to travel via the airport but even that is Sydney-style congested. If heading to the city, definitely consider public transport or be prepared to fork out for fuel.

There is timed parking at both sets of shops – Chivers Hill and Lime Kiln. They tend to get busy around the start and end of school also, but not ridiculously so. Street parking in the suburb is readily available due to the number of houses with 3 or more car garages.

Public Transport:   Lugarno has two bus services, one which travels to Bankstown via Riverwood (including Riverwood Railway Station) and the other to Hurstville via Penshurst (including Penshurst Railway Station).  These buses run approximately once an hour and can get busy at school times with high school students. They are operated by Punchbowl Bus Company.

Lugarno is equidistant to Mortdale Railway Station (Illawarra Line) and Riverwood Railway Station (East Hills Line). Trains are frequent to both stations, although some trains do not stop at Riverwood and there is one train every hour which does not stop at Mortdale. East Hills trains are significantly less crowded than the Illawarra Line, which is packed from 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm. There is free parking near both stations, and while Mortdale is a “safer area”, you can park much closer at Riverwood.

Schools and Universities:  Lugarno Public School is located on Old Forest Road and is a relatively small K-6 school. White collar verbal or cyber bullying is more likely than violence or underage drinking. There are a number of public primary schools in the surrounding suburb of Peakhurst, any of which would be an equally good substitute despite being further away. Opportunity classes are available for years 5-6 at Hurstville Public School, about a 40 minute bus ride.

Lugarno does not have a public high school, but feeds into the Peakhurst Campus of the Georges River College. Peakhurst Campus is a co-ed public middle school for grades 7-10, and the Oatley Campus of Georges River College features the senior high school years (where boys from the Hurstville Campus and girls from the Penshurst Campus also attend if they continue to year 12). Because of its size, George River College provides a wider range of HSC subjects than any of its feeder schools could previously offer, including more ‘higher range’ and ‘lower range’ options and vocational studies.

Most high school age students in Lugarno tend to attend either local selective schools (St George Girls High School in Kogarah, or Sydney Technical College in Bexley), or private schools. The closest private schools include Marist Brothers, Penshurst (boys), St George Christian School (Penshurst/South Hurstville, co-ed), and Danebank Anglican School for Girls (Hurstville).  More popular are the prestigious options available in Sydney, such as Newington College, St Andrew’s College, Waverley College. Some female students also attend East Hills Girls Technology High School, a public girls high school near Panania.

There are no university campus’ near Lugarno, all require travel to the city, the northern suburbs or the south-western suburbs.

Shops:  The main shops at Lugarno, referred to as Chivers Hill, are located on Forest Road near the entry point to Lugarno. They include a newsagent/post office, a bread shop, a hardware store, a pizzeria (see below), a Chinese take away store, beauty/hairdressers, a florist, a chicken/takeaway store, a chemist and an IGA. There is also a café, a butcher and a real estate agent. There is a deli which sells a range of good products and also operates a café/sandwich bar. Opposite the Chivers Hill shops is a doctor’s surgery. All businesses are locally owned, frequently used and the staff are friendly.

The secondary shops are referred to the Lime Kiln Shops, and are significantly smaller. They include a corner store (drycleaning, groceries, some DVDs for hire), hairdresser, real estate agent, cafe and a doctor’s surgery.

There is a BP service station on Forest Road near the Chivers Hill shops, and their prices are competitive for the region.  There are a number of other petrol stations locally, including at Riverwood and Peakhurst. There is also a hand car wash next to the petrol station although prices can be steep.

There are shops in Mortdale, Riverwood and Oatley which include major supermarkets and a wider variety of specialty stores, and a significantly greater choice of restaurants and cafes. A haircut will be much cheaper in Riverwood than Lugarno!

The closest shopping centres are both 20 minutes away – Hurstville Westfield and Roselands Centro.

Cinemas/Theatres:  Cinemas at Hurstville Westfield (20 minutes)

Other Services:  Most municipal services for Lugarno are 20 minutes away in Hurstville (libraries are in Hurstville and Penshurst, Council Chambers/offices are in Hurstville).

Churches:  Anglican, Uniting, Catholic and Church of Samoa. There is also a Baptist congregation which meets at Lugarno Public School. The surrounding area is also surrounded by churches, including Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness (Mortdale) and Christodelphian (Riverwood).

Best Cafe:  Sienna on Forest, Chivers Hill, for breakfast, or the Lugarno Gourmet Deli for lunch

Best Pub/Bar:  No pubs/bars in Lugarno, but there is a bowling club on Forest Road which is officially in Peakhurst. For local pubs, there is Oatley Pub on a Friday night, for the early 20s set, Mortdale Hotel for a meal, and Maso’s (St George Masonic Club) for the oldies. Avoid the Peakhurst Inn, and Mortdale Hotel has lingerie waitresses now and then so don’t take the kids for a meal on those nights.

Best Takeaway:  Cindy’s Chicken Shop, at Chivers Hill (sell organic chickens); or Lugarno Chinese Takeaway, also at Chivers Hill

Best Pizza:  Mancini’s Woodfired Pizza (to be fair, this is the only pizza in Lugarno!), Chivers Hill

Best Restaurant:  The only “real” restaurant is the Lugarno Seafood Restaurant, which seems pretty popular but this author has found it to be very pricey and also very underwhelming. The best option is to head out to another surrounding suburb. Hurstville has excellent and cheap Cantonese noodles and Chinese food, and isn’t too far, and there are some decent restaurants in Beverly Hills, Mortdale and Oatley.

Gyms:  None, but there are a number of fitness classes, including Boxercise and aerobics at Lugarno Public School, and several martial arts schools in the area. Closest gyms are probably in Mortdale, Riverwood and Peakhurst.

Parks and Recreation:  The primary recreational park in Lugarno is Evatt Park, an ancient caldera of an extinct volcano. It features a lake (sometimes full of algae), children’s play area, rugby union fields in winter and baseball and cricket facilities in summer. There are also bushland walks along fire trails which start in Evatt Park. There are numerous other small parks dotted about, mostly with older children’s play equipment and lots of shade. There is also a mangrove/river boardwalk constructed along the Georges River near the Lugarno Seafood Restaurant.

Walking/Cycling:  The bushland in and surrounding the suburb has plenty of fire trails and paths, and there are long tracks through Evatt Park. Right at the border of the suburb (actually in Peakhurst) is Gannons Park, which has a walking/cycle track loop perfect for kids or walkers. There are walking clubs – the “Peaky Striders”, resplendent in their fluoro vests and flashing lights, who walk in groups for safety and fitness. Due to the topography, cycling can be an extreme sport instead of a leisurely ride.

Suburb Profile: Beecroft 2119

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Profile created by:  whereinsydney, F, 27.

How I know the area:  Lived there for 12 years until 2009, and I regularly visit family in the area.

Good area for:  Families, retirees.

Not so good for:  Teenagers without a driver’s licence, young people.

What I like most about this suburb:  The trees and bushland - it is so leafy you almost don’t feel as if you are in Sydney.  Also very safe.

What I like least about this suburb:  Not a lot of activities for teenagers aside from sport and hard to get around without a car.

Region:  North-west.

Local Government Area:  Hornsby Shire, visit their website at www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au.

Best parts:  East of station, west of station, west of Beecroft Road, west of M2 - in that order.  

Character of development:  Predominantly low density residential, one and two storeys, mainly brick homes but some fibro/weatherboard.  Blocks vary widely in size, though they tend to be larger nearer to the station.  Many gorgeous heritage-listed properties, but also plenty of 1960s red brick.  Seeing gradual renewal of older homes – either rendering and painting, or rebuilding new designer mansions or average project homes.  A few old and new apartments (2-3 storeys) on Beecroft Road near the station.  Some new mixed use recently built in the Village and under development.

Development Prospects:  Rezoning proposed for area around the station to allow up to 5 storeys mixed use and residential development.  Otherwise limited development potential unless you get a large block; the minimum lot size for subdivision is 500-600sqm.  Plenty of heritage items and heritage conservation areas.  Watch out for Nimbyism.  It can be hard to get approval to remove native trees (keep in mind that the greenery and low density character is what makes Beecroft so special!).

Traffic/Accessibility:  In close proximity to Pennant Hills Road, Epping Road and the M2 motorway.  Access the M2 from Epping Road (eastbound) or Pennant Hills Road (eastbound and westbound).  M2 eastbound is a car park in the mornings, as can be Pennant Hills Road in both directions (north to Hornsby or south to Parramatta).  Would recommend catching the train to the city (see Public transport below), however travel west to Castle Hill or Blacktown is generally fine.  It’s hard to get onto Beecroft Road from Kirkham Street; or Pennant Hills Road from Beecroft Road, Copeland Road or North Rocks Road in the evenings, especially Fridays.

There are no parking meters in the Village, however parking is time limited Monday-Saturday.

Public Transport:   Beecroft is situated on the Northern Rail Line, where you can catch trains to the City from Hornsby via Strathfield or Chatswood.  Minimal private and public buses to and from Beecroft station via Castle Hill/Cherrybrook/West Pennant Hills as well as along Pennant Hills Road to Parramatta.  Don’t count on getting a spot in the free CityRail car parks near the station much after 6:45am, luckily there is plenty of free on-street parking in residential streets nearby.

Schools and Universities:  Two primary schools (both public and private), no high school.  Closest high schools are Cheltenham Girls at Cheltenham (girls only, private), Pennant Hills High and Carlingford High (both co-ed and public) or Mount St Benedicts at Pennant Hills (girls only, private).

Macquarie University at North Ryde is a 20 minute drive (traffic permitting) or catch the train or bus from Beecroft Station.  There is a TAFE at Hornsby and another at Ryde.

Shops:  Beecroft Village Shops are located along Hannah Street and Wongala Crescent near Beecroft Station and off Beecroft Road.  Here you will find two small supermarkets (Franklins and Friendly Grocer), two fruit shops,  butchers, a post office, newsagent, two delis, bakeries, two pharmacies, optometrists, travel agent, a florist or two, shoe repair, clothes shops (multiple womens and kids, and a surf shop), two shoe shops, four beauty salons, restaurants, take aways and cafes, a video shop, a bottle shop, two jewellers, gift shops, doctors, dentist, chiro and specialists (ear/throat), a book shop, wool/craft shop, and a million hair dressers (Beecroft women like to have their hair done, can recommend Zalm Hair) and real estate agents (people who live in Beecroft like to talk about property).  Vintage Cellars bottle shop opposite the Village Green on Beecroft Road.   

No service station – need to go to Carlingford Car Care on North Rocks Road, Carlingford, the Shell on Pennant Hills Road (northbound) or BP on Pennant Hills Road (northbound).  Also a Caltex (southbound) and a Shell (northbound) on Pennant Hills Road near Carlingford Court, Carlingford.

Also, small strip shops at North Rocks Road, (North) Carlingford with service station, pool shop, bakery, florist, butcher, small supermarket, newsagent with post office, bottle shop, doctors and dentists.

The closest shopping centre is Carlingford Court, Carlingford located off Pennant Hills Road.  Carlingford Court has a Target, Coles and Woolworths, Bing Lee, Go-Lo, a bunch of specialty shops (clothes, shoes, books, handbags, electricals), food court (Maccas, KFC, Oporto, sushi, kebabs etc) a few restaurants open after hours (must try Wok N Roll Noodle Bar).  

Parking at any of these places can be a nightmare on Thursday nights and Saturdays.

Other large shopping centres nearby - Macquarie Centre, Castle Towers, Hornsby Westfield

Cinemas/Theatres:  Cinemas at Hornsby, Macquarie Centre and Castle Hill.

Other Services:  Fire station, community hall on Beecroft Road.  Public libraries at Pennant Hills and Epping (both near the station).

Churches:  A number of them, not sure which denominations.

Best Cafe:  Michel's Patisserie, Beecroft Arcade in Hannah Street.

Best Pub/Bar:  None in Beecroft unfortunately, so it has to be the Epping Hotel at 58 Beecroft Road, Epping.  Nice food, night club downstairs.  If you desperately have to go somewhere in Beecroft proper go to Beecroft Bowling Club on Copeland Road.  Avoid Patricks at Pennant Hills.  I think you can have a drink at the golf club also.

Best Takeaway:  Carlingford Char Grill Chicken at 492 North Rocks Road, Carlingford; Beecroft Gourmet Chicken & Salad on Hannah Street, Beecroft

Best Pizza:  Positano on Hannah Street, Beecroft (BYO)

Best Restaurant:  Zenya Noodle Bar, 217 Rowe Street, Eastwood; Wok N Roll Noodle Bar, Carlingford Court; Eat Thai, Shop 9 Beecroft Arcade, Hannah Street, Beecroft (BYO)

Gyms:  None, Fitness First at Carlingford Court or Pennant Hills, there is a Curves at Epping.

Parks and Recreation:  Playgrounds next to the station, and in the Village Green on Beecroft Road.  Pennant Hills Park off Brittania Street Pennant Hills has hockey, soccer, netball, tennis and archery fields.  Smaller oval/playing fields in Cheltenham.  Scattered pocket parks.  Bushland abounds.  Pennant Hills Golf Course off Copeland Road, Beecroft

Walking/Cycling:  Bushland everywhere with both formal and informal paths suitable for walking and mountain biking.  I can recommend the fire trails which start at the end of Day Road, Cheltenham and take you into the Lane Cove National Park.  From here you can walk or ride to Pennant Hills (including Pennant Hills Park), Epping, Thornleigh and Wahroonga.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!  I hope that you enjoy reading all about Sydney's suburbs - some well known and others not so!  Please feel free to comment.

Suburb profiles coming soon: Beecroft 2119 and Lalor Park 2147.