How's Palmerston?

devils_advocate said :

farout said :

BimboGeek said :

Also check out Nicholls.

+1

If you’re looking for a bit of a backyard for a small family, you should look at Nicholls. Just across the road from Palmerston, but nicer houses on larger blocks IMHO.

And more expensive. Markets do a pretty reasonable job of incorporating amenity into price signals.

True, but for someone looking for a long term view (10 years +), remember that as the young couples and families in apartments/townhouses and small blocks in the rest of Gungahlin will be looking towards places like Nicholls as their family grows and they need a bit of space. So the premium that Nicholls commands will only increase into the future IMHO.

Palmerston is 12km from Civic, and about the same from Belconnen, It is also only 1 bus ride away from both these places. No changing buses at interchanges. Yes, there are traffic issues at peak times, but there are ways around it. It’s an easy ride to both Civic and Belconnen, if you like riding a bike.

The blocks are bigger than in the newer suburbs. We have a mid-size block (for Palmerston), 789m2, but this is considered a big block in the newer suburbs.

If you are planning on living in Palmerston, do not work in Civic or Belconnen. The traffic jams go right back to both main roads bordering Palmerston – the GDE and Gundaroo Drive. Gridlock from 8:30-9:30 is a wonderful way to start every day. At least in Belconnen, there are more than 2 ways to get to employment opportunities.
Why are you even looking at Palmerston with small family in mind? It is all townhouses, tiny blocks and single bathrooms. Charnwood will give you almost double the block size, an extra bedroom and ensuite for about $50-100k less. Sounds like a better option to me.

I quite like Palmerston. The Manawatu River and the Otorahangi Kiwi House are nearby. Oh sorry, wrong Palmerston…

Aeek said :

noone’s mentioned Harrison

Except MightyJoe in #6 and now arescarti42.

Harrison is harmless enough if you like that sort of thing.

Growling Ferret said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

As long as you don’t mind not being central.

Its 13k from my house in Nicholls to the city by bike. My work colleague in Duffy rides 14k. My colleague in Flynn is 14k.

Bits of Gungahlin are surprisingly closer than you think.

Indeed, Gungahlin is psychologically a lot further out for many people than it actually is.

I used to live in Harrison, and by road it was closer to the city than some parts of “inner” suburbs like Red Hill and Narrabundah.

noone’s mentioned Harrison

Growling Ferret said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

As long as you don’t mind not being central.

Its 13k from my house in Nicholls to the city by bike. My work colleague in Duffy rides 14k. My colleague in Flynn is 14k.

Bits of Gungahlin are surprisingly closer than you think.

Palmerston has good bits and bad bits, but you are buying into a 20 year old established suburb with NBN about to be turned on. The school is ok and the shops are adequate.

I live in Duffy. Don’t get me wrong, canberra is small. It’s no more than a 40 min drive from end to end depending on traffic.

My previous job had me going from Duffy to all over canberra. Palmerston is still out in the sticks, but its no issue as its only a 15 min drive from any other central canberra. But it does suck ass going from a job in condor to a job in ghunners.

Most suburbs are nice and almost all have some public housing. Generally, the closer to Civic, the more expensive. Palmerston is in one of the outer satellite areas, Gungahlin, which has a lot higher density than the others. Personally not my preference (as I like having a backyard). Also, lots of traffic problems if you live on the Northside and have to commute to Civic or Barton. I would avoid if that’s you.
If you don’t mind outer suburbs, some of the nicest, newer ones are Conder and Banks on the Southside – and it’s a quick drive to most places up the Monaro Hwy, Athllon Drive or Drakeford Drive/Tuggeranong Parkway. Check out Allhomes.com.au

This to me sounds like some one doing a paper on public perceptions of different suburbs in Canberra. Then I could be wrong….

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

As long as you don’t mind not being central.

Its 13k from my house in Nicholls to the city by bike. My work colleague in Duffy rides 14k. My colleague in Flynn is 14k.

Bits of Gungahlin are surprisingly closer than you think.

Palmerston has good bits and bad bits, but you are buying into a 20 year old established suburb with NBN about to be turned on. The school is ok and the shops are adequate.

All of gunghalin is fine besides ngunnawal. As long as you don’t mind not being central.

farout said :

BimboGeek said :

Also check out Nicholls.

+1

If you’re looking for a bit of a backyard for a small family, you should look at Nicholls. Just across the road from Palmerston, but nicer houses on larger blocks IMHO.

And more expensive. Markets do a pretty reasonable job of incorporating amenity into price signals.

BimboGeek said :

Also check out Nicholls.

+1

If you’re looking for a bit of a backyard for a small family, you should look at Nicholls. Just across the road from Palmerston, but nicer houses on larger blocks IMHO.

PBO said :

It’s a tough neighbourhood with all the plastic gangsters, backyard commodore re-birthing operations and single mums with kids named Heath, Braeden, Sha-fonda or Dashiki. (That’s Swahili for “doggy-style.)

Repped purely due to the “don’t be a menace to south central while drinking your juice in the hood’ reference.

Mama Wayans would be proud.

The first time I visited Palmerston I thought they were holding a “World’s Ugliest House” contest.

Some real shockers there.

Palmerston eh?

It’s a tough neighbourhood with all the plastic gangsters, backyard commodore re-birthing operations and single mums with kids named Heath, Braeden, Sha-fonda or Dashiki. (That’s Swahili for “doggy-style.)

The only way I got my ass out of there was to finish school, Cause without an education the only kind of work you’re gonna get in Ngunna’s is sellin’ drugs, takin drug’s, pimpin’ women, pushing C-Dores or workin’ security for Scotty and Nige.

Aint no life to be living!

Life is so bad there we be fighting to get some work.

Yes, we once even almost got our shit together enough to march on the Federal guvmint buildings.

Five hundred (a whole bunch) of us young unemployed bogan brothers, full of anger and VB, galvanised in a sense of pride and unity that can only come about when you are surrounded by a Hi-Visibility yellow sea of Psuedo-tradie polar-fleece jumpers .

But we didn’t know what had happened and we found out when we got there………

They released a new policy that day.

Our brothers came with pitchforks, wheelbraces and a point to get across

They left with flat screen TV’s, some roof insulation and 4g’s per kid, Oh, yes, the Man was very tricky.

So you might want to try Weetangera or Hawker as they are really nice and don’t have as many weirdo’s.

really???

Have you even lived out there?

Besides Forde, Harrison and Crace, the rest of the suburbs in Gunners are quite ok with block size.

Amaroo, nicer and newer than Palmerston (by about 10 years) – I sold there in April and recevied a decent price from what I paid.
Nicholls – the more expensive suburb of the older Gunners suburbs
Ngunnawal – Some good, some bad i.e. a bit like Charny.
Gungahlin itself – nice but pricey
Forde – small blocks big houses and big prices allround
Harrison – small blocks, big houses or next to the tip
Crace – its a got a revolving house!!! and pricey
Casey – imo I don’t like it, but not bad place
Bonner – decent mix of big and small and reasonably priced. i’m biased as I’m building there…

Skidd Marx said :

The nicest thing I can say about Palmerston is that is the least shite suburb in Gungahlin. I’d go Charny over anywhere out there, you’ll get much better capital growth and you won’t have to watch your neighbour peeing as you look out your kitchen window.

The nicest thing I can say about Palmerston is that is the least shite suburb in Gungahlin. I’d go Charny over anywhere out there, you’ll get much better capital growth and you won’t have to watch your neighbour peeing as you look out your kitchen window.

Most of Gungahlin is nice in its way. You can choose from dormitory flats, dogbox terraces, sterile housing estates or the older suburbs with bigger houses and gardens.

For me, the burbs are too quiet and far from the centres where I’m more likely to find people more like me. I also love the feeling of older suburbs.

But I had friends who lived in a beautiful house in Palmerston, the neighbours were nice, they had a decent garden and enjoyed it. As students the travel was difficult but they managed it. Palmerston is also a suburb that survives Canberra’s suburb snobbery. Also check out Nicholls.

I have lived in Palmerston since 1992.

There is a school, oval, easy access to both main roads to Belconnen and Civic, small shops, and a number of playgrounds for kids.

Yes, it’s a safe place. Not perfect (nowhere ever is), but safe. You need to think about what part of Palmerston you’d like to live in as there’s a mix of properties from large blocks and houses around the perimeter of the suburb, to cottage blocks and townhouses in other areas. Come for a drive out here and have a look around. Have a look at allhomes to see what’s available. Maybe try to find a few Palmerston residents to have a chat to.

I came has as a newly married person, and am now raising our kids (16 and 12) here. We had a small house and considered moving to a larger house in a different suburb, but decided that it was too good an area to leave, so extended our house instead. I honestly can’t image living anywhere else.

Perhaps a more efficient thread would be “where in Canberra is good to live and where to avoid”. That way you get a listing of everywhere that is livable and a listing of everywhere where you shouldn’t even make eye contact with the locals.

Some of my friends used to live in Palmerston, and really liked it. Nice and quiet and of course close to clubs and shops. They lived there for about 3 years and had no break ins or problems. The only moved because of increasing rent and the desire to live closer to work.