charisee

I would never recommend bringing up kids in this area unless they attend a really good private school.

When travelling in public transport with kids from the different schools the difference is clear. You have the foul mouthed, fare evaders who tend to bully others. Doesn't surprise me that domestic violence is also high in this area. Kids are learning from their parents.

And if you raise a kid there, don't allow them to take public transport. The influence from the foul mouthed ill behaved kids could rub off on them.

The Dawson Mall area attracts all kinds of people that attract police attention. Unfortunately it's the thoroughfare to the Westfield mall.

The mall is nice and has pocket friendly fashion. I enjoy going there.

I've never been to the older side of Mount Druitt so can't comment.

Plumpton would be a better option to live in.

I lived near Cook River near Illawara road. This area is very clean, has minimal airplane n
oise and there are beautiful refreshing parks near the river. You can walk to Woollies and the train station. Illawara Rd has a bus every 20 minutes or so that connects to the Marrickville and Newton train stations and goes all the way to Martin Place. The main disadvantage were the locals who've been there a long time are not friendly so I didn't feel any community spirit. But the peace and quiet made up for the cons.

My experience of Black town is West point mall and railway/bus station close by. The bus/train connections are great and cover a wide area.

The area between the station and the mall seems to attract a lot of idlers who attract a lot of police attention. Once or twice I had to get off the train at Black town close to midnight and it wasn't a pretty sight. The 7 eleven there can't even operate at late hours. For someone using public transport late hours, I would strongly suggest looking closer to the city like Parramatta etc

I haven't lived there so I can't add more.

Went to Lakemba to inspect a great looking apartment that seemed great value for money. It was a 15 minute walk from the station. Simply put there was rubbish on the streets everywhere. It didn't help that it was a bin collection day. The stench was unbelievable. Would it be too hard to clean the bins. The place seems a bit neglected. Apartment blocks look old and tired like they should all be given a good clean and a paint job. It's quite multi cultural with a lot of people who seem to stay at home but not hanging out at the streets. Not sure I would walk the distance at night.

Plumpton

Lived there for a couple of months in 2017. It is very clean, quiet and mainly has single and double storey well kept homes. It has a popular catholic school which is close to a public school and a private school. They are all close to the shopping centre. The centre has a woolies, Big W, cafés, KFC, Maccas etc which can be quite busy on the weekends so go early to get a good parking spot. There's a taxi rank at the centre. My suggestion with the centre is to avoid the medical centre (check reviews online) and try the new one at Marsden Park. It's worth the commute. Everything else at the shopping centre is great.

Plumpton is serviced by several buses to nearby train stations of Rooty Hill, Mount Druitt and Blacktown. There's quick access to the motorway. I haven't had any issues with traffic as I wasn't driving but I hear there can be some build up sometimes during peak hours.

Plumpton may not be entirely green and leafy but it has a park where locals hold birthdays, picnics etc

I didn't hear of any negative incidences while there and my friends and I could safely use public transport any time of day or night.

If looking for a public school it's best to avoid the ones in Mount Druitt. It's also advisable, if your kids are using public transport, to ensure they are not travelling with kids from schools with low values and poor discipline.

Plumpton is a great place to raise kids. It's main downside is you may need to travel further to find work and the commute to the city is quite long. Everything else is great!!