Glebe Suburb Review

Summary: Both slightly bohemian and artsy, yet still retaining somewhat of a warm and communal feel, Glebe is a unique animal amongst most of Sydney’s suburbs that combines some remaining legacies of its gritty past alongside now-extreme levels of gentrification.

It’s sort of a Frankenstein-esque fusion between the inner-west and the likes of Pyrmont, with mansions and denser housing, greenery and waterfront views coexisting alongside remaining graffiti-and-mural specked back streets – and is somehow both convenient and not so at the same time.

It’s an eclectic mix with a highly desirable location just a stone’s throw from the city, and its property prices have ballooned to pretty staggering levels in recent years – something of a shock for an area that previously was once more of a home to the “artistic student” demographic. Traffic likewise remains a pretty significant blight on its liveability as well.

Key stats

Glebe’s nothing if not different, even in the present day when it’s been well and truly whacked with the gentrification stick. The suburb is unusual in the way it mixes so many disparate elements of what make Sydney both good and bad, and yet still manages to make it (mostly) work.

It benefits from the light rail, yet still feels somewhat disconnected and different from the rest of the city and its neighbours; it’s got some rough and dirty elements and semi-seedy establishments, yet also is home to one of the most lovely waterfront walks in the city; and it’s still got some lingering character but has also undergone a significant facelift that’s made it both safer, and more sterile.

In terms of location, it’s hard to fault Glebe as a whole – the suburb lies only a couple of hops over from Sydney’s CBD, meaning professionals can easily jump on the light rail and connect to basically anywhere at Central, while students can save money by walking or cycling to UTS.

The water’s just a short walk away, and there’s plenty of parkland for a relatively dense city-adjacent location, with gym equipment, walking/running tracks, basketball courts and the like all just a stone’s throw away as well. Glebe is basically still the “gateway” to the beginnings of the Inner West, and still has an expected slight-if-not-excessive hipster vibe that comes along with it… but there’s also a fair bit of “old money” lingering around here too that belies the not-insignificant amount of wealth that now populates the suburb.

Things to Do

Stretch your legs and walk into the city for some shopping or dining, or take the light rail around the corner to the Sydney Fish Market, or to try your luck at the Star Casino, or keep things local and browse the Glebe Markets on the weekend for some quirky artisan goods… if you’re willing to go outside, be active and do things, you’ll seldom be short of activities in Glebe and its immediate surrounds, and this is one of its biggest selling points.

Glebe’s the type of suburb that’s going to be largely wasted on those who a more of the quiet home-type; if you’re going to live here and not do much, then it’s pretty much pointless paying the pricetag.

Likewise, those who fancy a drop of the good stuff will be spoiled for choice in Glebe as it’s got potential to be the hub for a truly epic pub crawl, with larger hotels / beer gardens along with more niche backpacker and Euro-themed bars, as well as swankier drinking joints, dotting multiple locations from the top of Glebe Point Road almost all the way back down towards the Sydney CBD.

It can still be quite rowdy in some places as a result (although nothing compared to what it once was), and noise is a factor for those who live in its central portions, especially those on streets not sheltered back from some of its main thoroughfares.

Families will likely thus want to base themselves on the suburb’s fringes, or secure a home in one of its leafier, terrace-lined streets in order to maximise peace levels.

Property & Prices

The suburb’s mostly a mid-density affair in terms of buildings, with very few truly detached homes – terrace and apartment living is the name of the game in Glebe outside of its smaller quantity of expensive mansions (waterfront Glebe Point is some of the most expensive real estate in Sydney).

Demographically it’s evolved into mostly a hub for both generational wealth and the professionally well-heeled, although it’s also still somewhat populated by students in share accommodation looking to keep costs down while attending university nearby.

Formerly, its bars and other “less reputable” establishments used to give it somewhat of a seedy vibe in some sections, however many of these have followed suit and gentrified alongside the rest of the suburb; what used to be a place where you could grab some cheap eats is now another pretty expensive Sydney hub, with trendy yet pricey cafes and other venues concentrated mainly around its strip of Glebe Point Road.

Its array of bars and clubs still do have something of a spillover effect onto crime rate, however, as does Glebe’s city-adjacent nature, with affecting its crime rate somewhat.

While it’s no longer home to heavier concentrations of public housing like in the past, suburbs which draw people in to drink alcohol in some form still inevitable experience an uptick in crime rate, and with a 0.35% crime rate per capita at time of writing Glebe clocks in at more than double higher than the Sydney average.

Despite Glebe’s present-day premium aspect, a number of its terraces on several streets are also quite run down and dilapidated which doesn’t help with the overall vibe in some sections & feels at odds with the price point required to live here these days.

Any hint of a rundown nature doesn’t do much to knock down the price of its desirable terraces however – you’re looking at over $2.5 million for a 3-bedder – although paradoxically there is still somewhat affordable rental apartment accommodation available in Glebe (by central Sydney standards) due to its decent supply.

Students sharing can get themselves a reasonably priced room for a couple of hundred a week, and given its combination of pub scene and proximity to the CBD makes for a pretty damn fun choice for youngsters wanting a slice of city life that’s less pretentious than some other inner Sydney suburbs.

Despite its patches of facelift, parts of Glebe still just feel like they could do with a “fresh coat of paint” as a whole – although some would likely argue that it’s one of the few inner-Sydney areas that still retains some of its original charm, and this would merely make it just as bland and even more gentrified as many of its brothers have become.

Transport & Traffic

In terms of daily commute, most will want to rely on either its light rail connections or simply walk/ride if working in the CBD, as Glebe faces traffic conditions that are pretty damn unpleasant. Bridge Road, Glebe Point Road and St. John’s Road are all fairly main arteries that collide with one another far too quickly, contributing both frustration for commuters and plenty of ambient noise for inner suburb residents.

“Overall, Glebe’s just kind of “cool”… yet for those looking for a polished slice of Sydney in which to raise an average family you’d almost certainly want to look elsewhere.”

The suburb is quite pet friendly on the whole, with its leafy streets and park areas offering nice spaces to walk the dog, and its Glebe Foreshore Walk is one of the loveliest walks in central Sydney – the track goes all the way from Bridge Road to Bicentennial Park, right alongside the water and past various bays all the way around to the Fish Market and beyond.

There are few better places so close to the city for a walk with the pet, or a run of a morning or evening.

The Verdict

Should you live in Glebe yourself? That will likely depend on how much cash you’ve got to burn, as it’s still got a pretty high-end quality of life on offer for those with the money to afford a terrace here, and it’s not hard to see the appeal of a suburb with a bit of character about it so close to the city and yet that’s also pretty lively and quite cool.

Glebe is more pretentious than it used to be, but it’s still far less sterile than expensive places on, say, the North Shore, and has much more of a communal and social vibe than generic suburbia further out elsewhere as well.

The more elite sections of Glebe are likewise immensely appealing – it’s got a great outlook, and the truly well-off would be able to buy some exclusive isolation while still having its markets, foreshore and the city right nearby.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which end of the economic spectrum you fall on), Glebe’s now priced out many of the people who in the past had made it more unique.

Overall, Glebe’s still just kind of “cool” when compared to other now-expensive suburbs, and will suit those who can appreciate that factor… yet for those looking for a truly “polished” slice of Sydney in which to raise an average family you’d almost certainly want to look elsewhere. Great place to visit, though.