Best place to stay for a young couple

Mortdale or Penshurst are great areas if you want to rent a unit within your budget. Mortdale is right on a great rail link that offers "speed" through-trains into the city CBD area and has a fantastic shopping centre that is full of great cafes, restaurants and is a close drive to the M5 arterial freeway which gives you quick access to the domestic and international airports. Mortdale/Penshurst and Oatley are central to everything with great schools, shopping and facilities and close to larger shopping centres, eg Hurstville, Miranda and the beach areas of Cronulla. Once you establish your family, and have a better budget, then you are only one suburb away from Oatley which is a gorgeous leafy-green suburb set right on the banks of the Georges River (but a lot more expensive than Mortdale).

Sorry to partially disagree with you Katie but the m5 is more like a car park unless you use it like 2am in the morning and dont get me started on our rail network...lol

Well every motorway is like a carpark in the mornings whether it be M2, M4 or M5. Welcome to Sydney! There are plenty of good suburbs on the train lines. Despite what 2770 says about the rail network I find it fine and have been traveling on it for 10 years.

I just mentioned in another post try looking south as well. I have recently spent some time over that way and found it a great area. Revesby, Panania, Holsworthy and Wattle Grove. Watch these area's. There is huge ammounts of constructoin going on these area's (as most of us looking for a bargain look out for). Direct line into the city via Airport or Sydnehm.

I too found the rail network fine.....20 years ago but we're in 2011 now and still have slow un-air conditioned trains and clogged up motorways from the growing number of people who wouldn't use the rail network even if it was free.
My problem isn't with this amazing city,
It's with both past and present state governments letting it and ultimately us down.