Mosman Suburb Review

Summary: One of Sydney’s prestigious “brand-name” suburbs, and a ritzy Lower North Shore Sydney suburb that is teeming with wealth, Mosman boasts some of the most expensive properties in the region for a reason.

It’s not hard to see why; sitting in a desirable location surrounded by greenery, water and some gorgeous pockets of beach with Sydney city just across the harbour, there’s multiple reasons living here carry an aura of exclusivity.

It’s not without its flaws, however; as a suburb it’s also quite isolated, suffers from a hilly topography with narrow roads, a disconnect from the rail transit system and a nightmare road situation getting in and out putting some dampers on its otherwise gleaming facade – especially considering the price of admission.

Key stats

Mosman remains one of the more polarising suburbs in Sydney, with people tending either towards highly favourable or strongly negative views depending on their persuasion; as usual in such situations, the truth lies somewhere in between.

To some (mostly who don’t live here), this is the land of towering waterfront properties, giant Porche Cayennes on narrow roads, excessive amounts of Lululemon, and baby boomers who have won the property lottery and probably never intend to leave. To others, it’s a highly aspirational and well-located hub of wealth that symbolises what can be achieved along with success and a dash of luck.

Make no mistake, this is a prestigious suburb with some truly impressive houses – many of which boast some incredible views – and the land on which it lies, so close to the CBD of the wealthiest city in the country, is always going to have massive inherent value. Yet for those mere mortals who need to go about their daily lives, the suburb is somewhat lacking in convenience given the hefty price of admission.

Let’s start with the positives: there’s no doubt that Mosman has most of what one could want on its doorstep, with an array of high-end bakeries and delicatessans in abundance, gyms and more, along with some great restaurants within close proximity mostly concentrated within its central strip along Military and Spit Roads.

It’s got several supermarkets located within its borders, meaning you’ll seldom have to venture elsewhere for daily needs; Woolworths, multiple IGA’s, Aldi and Harris Farm as well as a number of smaller boutique grocers are all represented here, with yet more options lying nearby in neighbouring Neutral Bay as well.

It’s also undeniably physically beautiful, with a bevy of greenery and national parkland on its east, and the lovely Balmoral Beach – one of Sydney’s best despite its relatively small size – within a stone’s throw away from most residences (although parking remains a bitch here, and public transport options in terms of buses to Balmoral are almost eternally overcrowded due to its popularity).

It’s highly safe, pleasant to walk around (particularly its waterfront track that leads around to Cremorne Point, or can be done in the opposite direction and capped off with a meal on the water at Mosman Rowers or with a ferry trip back to the CBD), and is eminently pet friendly.

Mosman’s streetscape likewise overall is undeniably pleasant, and mostly immaculately well-kept. It’s home to a range of high-quality parks and ovals for outdoor exercise and entertainment, and the entire Georges Head portion is a wonderful mix of greenery, views and history courtesy of its military battery and myriad of tunnels and passages. The panorama looking out to Sydney Harbour is also impressive and worth a visit in and of itself.

There are a range of quality schools here as well which cater to all age groups, and provide some excellent learning opportunities should your little ones be lucky enough to make the shortlist.

The other side of the scale

And… that’s about as far as it goes. For a suburb that’s such an iconic example of wealth, there’s also a handful of factors working against Mosman as a whole.

It sure is hilly, for starters, and walking around here will soon put a burn in your calves. Good luck with parking as well, as the streets are narrow and very lacking in places for non-residents to put their vehicles even for a short time window, or perform turns to head back the way you came.

Its lack of connectivity to the rail network is a strike against the suburb for daily convenience, and while buses are technically an option, both their further out departure point and the road they have to contend with make for a transport method that’s better in theory than in reality despite the relatively short distance to the city “as the crow flies”. 

This is largely because its main artery which connects it to the city and elsewhere – Military Road – ranks as one of the worst traffic chokepoints in Sydney, as people scramble each day to cross the harbour (or Spit Bridge if heading in the other direction) and head into the city or Northern Beaches for work.

The road and its array of lanes and sudden merge and turnoff points is a madhouse on a daily basis; add in even a hint of rain, and you can forget about getting to work anywhere close to on time. Buses benefit from clearways helping to speed up access to the city during weekdays, but on weekends their viability drops by several degrees.

While residents of Mosman may feel that this isolation from rail-based public transport does contribute towards keeping the suburb pristine, they themselves will still need to deal with the pain of driving (or being driven, in the case of its high-rollers). It’s a hassle that can accumulate quickly and make life far less enjoyable & more stressful.

Its other saving grace in this regard – dependent on your place of work – is its ferry terminal at Mosman Bay, which can provide an incredibly scenic commute for those who it applies to, and the potential to transfer onwards to elsewhere at Circular Quay.

Exclusivity (and exclusion)

In terms of cost of living, Mosman is about as expensive as one might expect given its premium factor.

Detached housing prices here are exorbitant given their scarcity, as most property owners have been firmly entrenched for decades and have no real reason to leave.

The average house price even for smaller homes hovers around $4 million, however even those are dwarfed by some of the extremes on the pointy end of the scale at which “Price on Request” (a.k.a “More Than You Can Afford, Pal”) instead of an actual list price becomes the norm.

Ironically, apartment living here isn’t too bad; Mosman has a reasonable amount of higher-density buildings (around 50% of the suburb is flats or apartments), and there are some older buildings in particular that offer a decent balance of quality vs. rental price.

It’s still “expensive” compared to the Sydney average of course, but at least still achievable for a wider array of people; rental prices for two-bedder apartments sit around $800 per week which – again, while more expensive than average – isn’t too bad considering how close it lies to the CBD, its low crime rate, and all the other premiums Mosman offers.

For those willing to compromise on size even more, one-bedders are fairly widely available, with some decent amount of single-bedroom stock for under $600 per week rent.

This is where another paradox for Mosman lies in this regard, however. Given you’ll likely be a young professional working in the city within that price range, there’s no real reason to choose Mosman in that circumstance over other similarly-priced suburbs given Mosman’s relative lack of entertainment or youth-culture scene (unless you happen to work on the Northern Beaches and can stomach a bus commute).

There’s a reason regions like the Inner West remain more popular among this demographic, as Mosman is something of a cultural wasteland for the younger audience.

“Its lack of connectivity to the rail network is a strike against the suburb for daily convenience.”

Its propensity towards wealth means the suburb skews quite a lot older than Sydney’s average, with most of the younger crowd you’ll see around more likely to simply be visiting for the weekend or taking the kids to (the excellent) Taronga Zoo as opposed to locals. Mosman’s median age is 45 years old – that’s well over the Australian number of 38, and reflective of the demographic which populate the suburb.

For older affluent residents, if you’ve got sufficient cash, Mosman offers easy access to the waterfront, and boating enthusiasts will find plenty to love about its maritime-focused atmosphere with yachts and other craft a common sight around its shores, as well as various clubs and associations oriented around these.

The Verdict

In short, Mosman is one of the most physically appealing residential places in Sydney, albeit largely only for a very select few who can afford the best of its offerings; and regardless it’s highly recommended to all residents and locals to visit at least once. The atmosphere of the suburb is quite lovely (if somewhat pretentious), and Balmoral and its beachfront dining are worth a look in and of itself. 

As a base for your everyday living, its array of self-contianed amenities are an undeniable plus, however there are plenty of high-end suburbs in Sydney that also offer most of what Mosman does with a slightly lower pricetag, and far less hassle than is required to enjoy it. Its isolation, public transport and road congestion issues remain a factor, and it’s not exactly teeming with attractions or activities to encourage visitors to want to visit outside of the zoo.

If you’re willing to fight the traffic or rely on buses or ferries however, Mosman sure is pretty, and it’s not hard to see why its prestigious reputation lives on to this day.