Living in Randwick

Randwick is a suburb six kilometers southwest of the Sydney CBD. It's near to the exquisite Coogee beach and only minutes by bus to the main Kengsington campus of the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Randwick is a place with a hint of tranquility and relaxation but still has an energetic feel to it as well.

Housing

Unlike many of its neighbouring suburbs, Randwick has a higher property price average. Property pricing in Randwick is higher than people expect. There are quite a few property agencies setting offices offering good deals. Housing costs in Randwick gain credit from its location next to Coogee Beach and the convenience for UNSW, Sydney CBD and many other eastern suburbs.

Shared accommodation including studio, apartment, flat, townhouses and terraced houses offer a wide range of prices from about AU$100 to $350 per week. You can usually rent a room in decent shared accommodation in Randwick for about AU$200 per week. There are hostels and motels in the suburb off the main road, Belmore Street, which are usually renovated historic terraces or aged mansions that sit along quiet streets with less traffic. There are also a few hotels along the main road next to Randwick Junction.

People

Randwick has a lot of old people due to several old age homes in the area. You can see grannies and grandpas buying their lotto tickets in news agency shops, or reading newspapers while they enjoy their coffees and sunshine in the cafes. The area is small so you will probably find yourself bumping into people you know or recognize in the streets. Randwick is full of local residents who have lived there for decades. Overseas students are increasing as Randwick is close to UNSW, TAFE (the Randwick campus) and the Institute of Languages.

Pubs, Clubs and Entertainment

There are several underground pubs; if you don't look closely you'd never know those doors are their entrances. Liquor shops can often be found next to pubs. There is also a small shopping mall in Randwick.

Sydney's Race Course is situated in the Centennial Park that's at the edge of Randwick, where the opening Final Mass of WYD was. The Race Course is the venue to hold grand events such as the WYD which millions of tourists have come for.

Parks and Recreation

The coverage of green in Randwick is high. The Centennial Park is the major park that's only 15 minutes walk from Randwick Junction. Inside Randwick there are quite a few grasslands off the main road, and facilities are set up for children. Paths going across these grasslands provide residents shortcuts to their destinations.

Curves Randwick is loacated in the Randwick Shopping Centre and has all the equipment you can find in a standard gym.

Shops, Restaurants and Takeaways

There are many shops, restaurants and takeaways in Randwick including Lebanese, Thai, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian ethnic food. KFC, Subway and some other fast food shops are along Belmore Road, which are open until late at night. Bakery shops on the opposite side of the shopping mall are open very early in the morning.

The Randwick Junction shopping mall has it all from supermarket, fruit market, grocery shops, butchery shops, cafes, and food courts. The only major thing lacking is a cinema. There are Asian supermarket and Asian meat shops next to the shopping mall, together with DVD Rental and Internet cafes. Brand name stores aren't really that common in Randwick. Instead there are a number of small clothing shops along the main road and their prices are usually moderate.

Transportation

Bus is the main public transport service though and more than ten bus routes go past Randwick from the Sydney CBD, Bondi Junction, Coogee Beach, Marouba, and Bronte. Express buses are available during rush hour in the morning that go directly to the CBD. The airport bus (route 400) also goes to Randwick. In general, bus service in Randwick is very frequent day and night, on weekends and during public holidays but traffic jams are common and buses are crowded during rush hour.

Trains do go from central Sydney to most of the eastern suburbs, including Randwick.

Parking is generally alright in Randwick except during dining hours. Taking residential parking places into account, availability of space in the suburb is pretty good.

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