“We love this neighbourhood. We’re never leaving.”
This was the repeat mantra at our street party held by our new neighbours just a few weeks before Christmas last year.
When I say new neighbours, we (as in Ben and I) were in fact the ‘newbies’ to the neighbourhood, but what I realised following the numerous conversations I had with members of our new ‘hood’, was that no one wanted to actively move away from the area.
Now I know from my experience as a Brisbane Buyer’s Agent that Kalinga is a sought after pocket, but what I didn’t expect was just how tightly held and close knit the community really was.
It was a nice feeling to know we had moved to a place that was so valued by the people who lived there.
So much so that the residents recently won their battle to stop council from turning their quiet little side street into a cycle lane (but that’s a whole other story – and blog post).
But Kalinga isn’t the only suburb of Brisbane where locals are firmly laying their ground roots for the long haul.
There are many other gem-like pockets around Brisbane that share the same characteristics.
Let’s explore my top 4.
KALINGA
Kalinga is a small pocket of streets within Clayfield that most people have never even heard of, but once you’re in – you’re hooked.
With an average house price sitting around $1,700,000, what makes Kalinga such an attractive proposition for home owners is it’s perfect mix of beautiful character homes on sprawling lots, tree-lined wide streets, top local primary school, proximity to Eagle Junction train station and of course, the one and only Kalinga Park.
Walk the trails around the Kedron Brook and you’ll feel like you’re in a rainforest smack bang in the heart of the city.
There’s an off-leash dog park where the pups can swim in the brook, a huge playground in the Park and green space for miles. It really is a slice of inner-city paradise that outsiders (and some locals) are still yet to discover.
Houses in Kalinga don’t last long on the market – an average of 30 days which is a standard auction campaign in Brisbane.
GRACEVILLE
Let’s head south / west across the heritage listed Walter Taylor Bridge connecting Indooroopilly to Chelmer, and before you know it, you’re entering the leafy suburb of Graceville.
Sharing many similarities with Kalinga, but with a slightly older demographic (40-49 years is the average age of residents) Graceville has a distinct community vibe and arguably hosts some of Brisbane’s best streets. Laurel Avenue in neighbouring Chelmer ranks highly as one of Brisbane’ most prestigious addresses and properties on the riverside can fetch as high as $6M.
But if your budget doesn’t stretch that far, you can still own a piece of Graceville and take advantage of all the perks, like Graceville Fine Foods – a local cafe favourite, and of course, the good schools and various parks that complement the area.
At the time of this article, the average house price in Graceville is currently $1,335,000.
ASCOT
Heading back over to the Northside, I’m now taking you to pompous Ascot.
Contrary to what you may have heard about Ascot, no, you don’t need to pay 8 figures to get a foothold into this suburb. The average house price is sitting at around $2,450,000, which is a fair hike above most inner city suburbs in Brisbane, but there’s just something so special about Ascot.
I feel it’s the combination of the proximity to the City, the Airport, the River, various local Parks and of course, the beautiful character homes. I recently purchased a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom Queenslander in Norman Street, Ascot for interstate investors well below the median house price, at just a touch over $1,300,000.
Outside of its super convenient location, the cafe strip on Racecourse Road is the central hub for Ascotians and has just about everything a person could want for within minutes of where they live.
From macaroons and lattes at the iconic Le Bon Choix to authentic italian cuisine at The Italian Plate, this bustling strip connects to the Riverwalk along the newly upgraded Kingsford Smith Drive so you can enjoy spectacular views of the city skyline from across the river whilst taking a leisurely stroll either toward the city or upstream to Portside where you will find a whole other city of retail shops and dining options.
Ascot Primary is also considered one of Brisbane’s top public primary schools and parents have been known to camp out the front of the gates during enrolment intake if they don’t fall within the catchment, just to get their kids a chance of getting in.
HAWTHORNE
When Brisbanites think of the Southside, the suburb of Hawthorne often springs to mind as one of the top lifestyle suburbs on this side of the river.
Hawthorne and Bulimba merge together to form one very nice lifestyle river precinct, and once upon a time it was Bulimba that took the spotlight, but nowadays, many of my clients are opting for the Hawthorne address.
The drawcards are Hawthorne Park and the dining options lining Hawthorne Road including the famous local grocery store, Hawthorne Garage and various other cool cafes, restaurants and local cinema.
You’ll need an average of $1,825,000 to buy in Hawthorne in 2023.
The downside to this suburb and most of the southside of Brisbane is the flight path but you’ll soon forget about that when you’re catching the ferry into the city, strolling the boardwalk around Bulimba, relaxing in the park or enjoying a movie at the local cinema. It really is lifestyle central for families.
Since residents don’t really feel the need to move away from these suburbs, housing can often be tightly held and a lot of homes are sold off-market. That is, some of the best homes never even make it online so your best bet is to align with a well-connected Buyer’s Agent to get you in.
My current client intake is now closed due to capacity but if you’re looking to buy in March onwards this year, I urge you to BOOK A CONSULTATION with me now to avoid disappointment as I limit my clients to just five at a time.