There’s also an IGA and a train station, earning this pocket all-rounder status. Heavy traffic can be a source of frustration for drivers and those travelling by bus, with no trains nearby. It’s not particularly walkable either.It’s easy to understand the desirability of Castlecrag, a suburb that has Fig Tree Cove to the north, Peach Tree Bay to the east, and Sailors Bay to the south. That makes it possible to get to the CBD in about half an hour or Parramatta in about 10 minutes, with the suburb also boasting good access to buses, retail (including several supermarkets) and employment. Being located in the Lower Blue Mountains area means that Mount Riverview gets a perfect score for its abundance of open space and tree cover, with excellent traffic conditions adding to the serenity. Sadleir is near the bottom of the list in the cafe category, with poor results for cultural services, tree cover and walkability. This suburb might be positioned near Penrith’s shopping mecca, but there isn’t a huge amount of action happening in Regentville itself, which gets low marks for retail, but a perfect grade for traffic conditions and a solid score for safety. Most cafes and shops are in neighbouring Blakehurst, including yum cha at the Imperial Peking Restaurant. But Lethbridge Park also has a number of liveability strengths, including access to schools and buses, smooth traffic and open space.Voyager Point has many of the liveability triumphs and shortcomings that you would expect of a secluded riverside suburb with a park at its centre. It also gets a nod for having good access to buses and job hubs, but the crime rate detracts from the suburb’s overall appeal, and there aren’t a huge selection of schools nearby.Cafe culture and retail may only get moderate marks for Connells Point, but the appeal of this waterfront suburb is obvious. Bordering on Heffron Park and Bonnie Doon Golf Club, you’re not far from your fix of greenery, although there is little open space in Eastgardens itself. Slightly low are its scores for open space, tree cover, cultural services and trains, with the nearest station about 5 kilometres’ drive east in Minto. Despite Middleton Grange’s terrific scores for safety and traffic, it performs poorly for employment, walkability, primary education and secondary education.If you don’t mind living in a quiet suburb with no retail hub, Castle Cove has plenty to offer. With several parks and reserves nearby, it does well for open space and tree cover, but has poor marks for cafes, employment and walkability.From bagels to sushi and organic baked goods, Redfern locals have some enticing lunch and dinner options to choose from. This stretch is also where residents can find the local train station, where a trip to Central takes close to 45 minutes. It isn’t a top performer for access to education hubs, although it is home to Knox Grammar School. Despite being close to Morrison Bay Park, there isn’t much open space either.A similar distance from Bankstown and Strathfield, Birrong is a small suburb with a nature reserve along its western border and a handful of primary and secondary schools nearby, earning a near-perfect score for overall education and good marks for open space (though not for tree cover). Residents have good access to primary schools and job hubs here, and the train station in Lindfield isn’t too far to travel.
The small suburb does best in categories such as safety and being close to primary education, with Melrose Park Public School positioned near the water.Nestled between Dulwich Hill and Canterbury, Hurlstone Park is well-connected on the T3 railway line. Werrington is held back in the liveability rankings by its poor crime rate and limited walkability.Yarrawarrah is partly shielded from view by Loftus as you drive along the Princes Highway. The Hume Highway forms one of its borders, and the shops along this stretch are mainly industrial, but there is a wide selection of cafes, restaurants and retailers a few kilometres west in Cabramatta. Across the Nepean River from Penrith, Emu Plains lies at the end of the Western train line and the beginning of the Blue Mountains Line. With particularly strong marks for safety and congestion, there is a lot to be said for the suburb’s liveability.This lower north shore pocket has climbed from second place in 2016 to top spot. Those include a high crime rate, difficult traffic, and hardly any tree cover. In terms of retail, trains, open space and tree cover, Ambarvale earns mid-range scores that hold room for improvement.La Perouse in Sydney’s east is home to the NSW Golf Club and a selection of beaches and lookouts.