LustStarrr

My partner & I have been living in Surfers for about 5 years now, & have found it to be a pretty good place to be, for the most part. We find the cosmopolitan atmosphere it has, along with the convenience of the extended trading hours of many of the businesses & restaurants, along with the close proximity to the tram line &, thus, to many of the conveniences of other places along that, & even to Brisbane (& beyond), now the heavy rail link-up at Helensvale has been built. I'm really looking forward to the Southern extension of the tram line down to Burleigh, now that's definitely happening, in the near future. For us, the positive factors have proven worth enduring the drawbacks mentioned by many of the other reviewers.

Of course, there's the hustle & bustle of traffic, particularly around holiday time, & the rowdy, often alcohol-fueled, behaviour of some tourists, backpackers, & locals, but that's par for the course, we figure. For us, the pros outweigh the cons, but as with everything, your mileage may vary. There is a wide variance in quality of life, according to location - a building or block can be vastly different from that next door to it, something that makes finding a place to rent an interesting endeavour, particularly down the lower end of the rental market where we shop. It's pretty hit & miss. . . buyer, & especially renter, beware! Conduct your inspections thoroughly, & check online reviews, before choosing a place, especially if you're on a limited budget like we are. That said though, it's been worth the effort necessary, shopping around to find the right place, to gain the benefits of living in the heart of the Gold Coast.

Despite the central location though, one negative factor I've discovered is that, apart from the convenient tram line, the public transport is pretty bad if you have to take buses, especially to some places. It can be stressful having to factor in extended trip times, especially late at night or on weekends, long walks to or from bus stops, & multiple transfers between services. I'd highly advise doing your research if you plan on using public transport regularly, if you're going to be reliant upon buses in addition to catching the tram. It's something that's proven quite difficult for me, & I'd like to help others to avoid similar experiences if I can help it.

Feel free to hit me up if you've got any other questions about living here - I'm more than willing to give you a local's opinion.