Garie Beach

Should I move to Manly or Bondi Beach?

I am moving to a Sydney from the US in a couple months and am trying to figure out where exactly I should live. I am definitely keen on the idea of living in a beach neighborhood - and Manly and Bondi are the 2 beaches that I hear about the most! I need some more info and help on deciding which one would be a better fit for me (or if you think there is a better beach area than those 2, let me know as well)...here are some things to factor into my decision: - Commute. The shorter my commute to work is, the better (obviously!) I almost definitely wouldn't want to have a commute more than an hour, and a 45-minute or especially a half-hour commute would be nice. My office will be in North Sydney (5 Blue Street to be exact). I'm not sure I would have a car, so my commuting options would either be a ferry, bus, or train. - Type of people. While I like to go out and have fun, I am a little bit more down-to-earth, so I might not like a beach that is overly pretentious or trendy. From what I've read so far, Manly might be better than Bondi in this regard, but I wouldn't mind more insight on this. - Things to do. I definitely want an area that has a pretty good amount of nightlife, restaurants, shops, sports and beach activities, etc. - Also, other things to consider: I am 30 years old but still like to go out a decent amount at night - but am hoping for an area that has a great nightlife but with a lot of young professionals in their mid-late 20s or early 30s....and not dominated by students and other people in their young 20s. Also, it wouldn't hurt if the suburb I'm in I can get to other fun areas of the city pretty easily. Thanks for your help! Any specifics as to why you think one beach would be a better fit for me, over the other beach, I would greatly appreciate!!! :)

Public Comments

1. Bondi - you'll never regret it.
2. Manly is a way shorter commute.it also has more of the lifestyle you seem to be looking for. Bondi has a lot of backpackers. You can also catch the Manly ferry staight into the city .Otherwise they are both great beaches
3. bondi would be a big commute to north sydney especially in traffic which ever you choose you will need lots of money as rent is very expensive in both suburbs
4. you could always try noosa in brisbane or sunshine coast, any each round here is good :)
5. Manly would be your best bet.Beautiful beach,plenty shops,bars restaurants,and good nightlife,Regular ferry to Sydney Harbour taking about 20 minutes.Do you have accomodation?
6. Berman25, I was totally flabbergasted with two Beaches when I was down there, Manly and a place called Dee Why (is that how you say it). Unfortunately I couldn't handle Bondi, and I will keep my opinions to myself about that one. I'm from Canada by the way. Chris
7. Manly would definitely be the better choice. It's a lot closer to North Sydney (you have to get across the harbour from Bondi), it has plenty of public transport with buses and ferries, it isn't pretentious, there are loads of shops, restaurants, clubs etc, it isn't a University area with younger people. The only things to consider are that it isn't cheap, parking can be an issue if you get a car, and some of the other beaches around are nicer. You may want to look at Curl Curl or Dee Why instead - there aren't as many clubs, shops etc but the beaches are gorgeous. They have a more relaxed beachy feel with less tourists, as Manly can be a little intense. See www.realestate.com.au or www.domain.com.au for property listings (these sites are owned by the major newpapers and nearly all Australian properties are listed on one or both of these)
8. I personally dislike Bondi, as it is full of pretentious snobs and would-bes-if-they-could-bes. The neighbouring beach of Bronte is much nicer. Bondi rent is astronomical. Parking is a nightmare. And there is only a bus service for transport means. In rush hour traffic it could take you two hours to drive from Bondi to North Sydney. Otherwise you would have to get a bus to Bondi Junction, then a train to Town Hall and then another train to North Sydney - which could take over an hour. Manly is better because not only does it have a bus service, it also has a regular ferry service and a regular cat jet service. I am pretty sure there is a direct 30 minute ferry from Manly to North Sydney and then it would be a five minute walk from the ferry to Berry Street. Manly has some decent restaurants and pubs but then again, so does Bondi. You could also get the ferry from Manly across to the city for more nightlife. I don’t like eating out in Bondi due to the general pretentious attitude of the locals. I love eating out in Manly, as there is little snob factor there. I totally agree with the comment above that Manly can get a little intense, especially being over-run with hoards of day trippers. There are lots of young backpackers in both Manly and Bondi, no getting away from that. The Northern Beaches (Mona Vale, Dee Why, Avalon etc…) are more laid back So here are some more suggestions: http://www.sydney-australia.biz/beaches/sydney-northern-beaches.php Personally, I love Balmoral Beach. Balmoral Beach is very expensive for accommodation but you could live in nearby Neutral Bay. There is no beach at Neutral Bay but it is very close to a number of fantastic beaches and it has a ferry and bus service. Very much a young professional area. Good restaurants in the Neutral Bay / Mosman area. A friend of mine lives in Neutral Bay and walks to her place of work in North Sydney. Everywhere is expensive to rent in Sydney, so you may have to find a house share: http://cracker.com.au/neutral-bay-lower-northern-sydney-2089/unit-house-share/classifieds.htm http://www.domain.com.au http://www.rent-a-home.com.au/accommodation/nsw/sydney-lower-north-shore/neutral-bay When I first arrived in Sydney, I booked into a nice backpacker hostel and spent my first few weeks visiting surrounding suburbs every weekend and from there I decided where I wanted to live. .
9. Manly. The E50 bus goes from manly to North Sydney, takes about 40 minutes, driving would probably take an extra 5 -10 because you cant drive in the express lanes (bus lane). Manly has alot of nice cafes and restauarnts and great night life. The Steyne is probably the best place to go in Manly,m t heres a huge range of people who go there (not just the young and trendy).