Buying in Leichhardt & Lilyfield.
Little Italy, family homes and more space for the money, close to the city and the bay.
Space and value in the inner west.
Leichhardt and Lilyfield are two of the best value family suburbs close to the city, and I know them very well. They suit young families and upsizers who want more room without leaving the inner west.
Homes include Federation and Victorian houses, semis and terraces, with some apartments near Norton Street and Parramatta Road. Lilyfield adds quiet streets near Callan Park and the bay.
Value can change a lot between streets, depending on traffic, flight paths, flood zoning and how close a home is to the shops and parks.
From a country estate to Little Italy.
Leichhardt was named in the 1840s by Walter Beames after his friend, the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. It became a municipality in 1871 and grew quickly as trams and subdivisions spread west from the city.
After the Second World War, many Italian families settled here, and Norton Street became known as Sydney’s Little Italy.
Lilyfield grew around the grand Callan Park estate, which opened as a hospital in 1885 and is now a large public park beside Iron Cove.
The pockets I know.
Each part of these suburbs suits a different buyer.
Parks, schools and getting around.
- Parks. Callan Park, Leichhardt Park, the Bay Run around Iron Cove and the Hawthorne Canal GreenWay.
- Schools. Leichhardt Public, Orange Grove Public and Lilyfield’s local primary schools, with Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt campus and Fort Street High nearby.
- Shops and cafes. Norton Street, Marion Street and the Leichhardt Marketplace.
- Getting around. Light rail through Lilyfield and Leichhardt, frequent buses to the city and easy access to the WestConnex.
What I tell buyers here.
- Check flood zoning. Some streets near the canals are flood affected, which can affect insurance and building plans.
- Know the flight paths. Aircraft noise varies across the inner west. It is worth checking at different times of day.
- Heritage still applies. Many streets are in conservation areas, which limits changes to the front of a home.
- Families move fast. Good family homes on quiet streets often sell before auction.
General information only, not financial, legal or tax advice. Please read my terms and disclaimer.
Other Inner West suburbs I cover.
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