Smiley Spark

Love the peace and quiet of Paxton Avenue. It is a loop road that is almost exclusively used by the residents. This makes the street almost feel like a gated community. I'm getting to know my neighbours during my after-dinner walks and they seem friendly. Only 7 minutes walk to the train and easy access to arterial roads and shops. There are also no townhouses or units on this street which is rare to see these days.

We purchased in Belmore after doing our research as wanted a detached house with a decent sized backyard for the kids and pets. After settling in we've come to realize what an underrated suburb it is and have come to love where we live. Whilst there are still a few rough streets near canterbury rd, Belmore is definitely changing and you can get a decent sized block which is half the price tag of something 8 mins drive away in say Burwood or Strathfield. Here's my summary:

Pros:
1. Excellent transport to Town Hall for work which will only improve with the Metro upgrade next year.
2. Village-feel shopping strip on Burwood Road run by locals
3. Multicultural community of mainly younger families and older greek/leb/asian immigrants
4.(relatively) Affordable large blocks of land around 500sqm.
5. Nice mix of period, interwar, 60's/70's homes and new duplexes.

Cons:
1. Not great for schools. Local public schools are run of the mill. Need to look at catholic schools around like All Saints and St. Ursulas for the kids.
2. Lack of a major supermarket - need to go to campsie/burwood for coles and woolies (or online delivery).
3. Football hoons that honk and drive too fast when there is a Bulldogs game at Belmore oval.

Future prospects:
1. Metro train line upgrade will be a game changer.
2. $300m upgrade of nearby Canterbury hospital
3. Local council currently repaving main shopping strip.
4. $60m upgrade of parks and facilities around Belmore Sports Ground

A lot of public money is being invested in this suburb and I feel it will only get better from here. Will be interesting to see where Belmore can go in the next 7 to 10 years from its rough working class immigrant roots. I'm excited to be a part of it !