Pyrmont Suburb Review

Summary: A central Sydney suburb with a difference, Pyrmont is extremely pleasant to stroll around and simply “be” in despite its hilly-in-places nature, with its waterfront location and ample-parkland environment overall highly vibrant and clean.

Its proximity to a huge array of things to see, do and eat just around the corner is a huge plus, while still feeling somewhat separate from the Sydney CBD.

High prices for small sized properties (it’s got one of the highest population densities in the country), a disconnect from heavy rail, and plenty of ambient noise make it a suburb far more suited to younger professionals looking to rent than larger families looking to stay longer-term, however.

Key stats

At surface level, Pyrmont is a highly appealing suburb that carries the best benefits of inner Sydney living without as much of the grit or dirtiness that can plague other similar locations. It’s packed with attractions and dining options nearby, and being bordered by Blackwattle Bay and Darling Harbour on either side makes for a lovely, open seaside atmosphere that’s hard to fault.

As a result, it’s not hard to see why many new movers to Sydney are drawn to Pyrmont as there’s a certain “energy” to the suburb that makes it really enjoyable to navigate on foot, particularly on a sunny day.

Its aspect is thus one of its biggest drawcards, with some great outlooks on offer and plenty of public greenery in general; pet owners and those with younger kids alike can both benefit from this, as both Pyrmont Bay and Pirrama Parks offer wide spaces for playing, playground equipment, and idyllic waterfront walking tracks.

Add in access to the city just around the corner, and it’s location, location, location that scores Pyrmont most of its liveability points.

There’s no heavy rail station which is a bit of a downer, but it’s well-serviced by a mixture of buses, light rail and ferry services that cover most bases – just take the light rail to Central and you’ll have connectivity to everywhere else in and outside the city in short order.

A ridiculous amount of dining and drinking options can be found both in and just outside Pyrmont, so those with deeper wallets who enjoy their culinary delights will be spoiled for choice. It’s quite a decent hub for quality pubs, and has enough daily amenities to get by without travelling further afield too.

Its location does mean that many of these outlets suffer from “tourist prices syndrome” however, so expect to pay for the privilege of a decent meal or drink. Supermarkets of all major brands are nearby for those looking to keep costs down and cook themselves as well.

All of Sydney city on its doorstep…

Attraction-wise, there’s a ton to do nearby that gives Pyrmont even more appeal – the Sydney Fish Markets are right there, the Star Casino offers entertainment for those so inclined, the Lyric Theatre offers some great live performances, and all the token tourist-y attractions await just across the Pyrmont Bridge, while the ferry offers a chance at yet more goodies on the North Shore.

The suburb has become something of a miniature hub for prominent tech industries basing their Sydney offices here, and as a result the demographic skews more towards younger professionals who have the benefit of being able to walk to work – either in the Sydney CBD or Pyrmont proper. This also results in an auxiliary side benefit for residents of great fibre Internet connectivity and high online speeds in general.

… and also the cons that entails

Pyrmont isn’t 100% all smiles-and-sunshine, however. Traffic here is a nightmare during peak hour with only one real way out of the suburb, so it’s strongly suggested to rely on public transport if at all possible.

If you’re working further out, needing to connect to the heavy rail lines and then travel onward can draw out commutes longer than one might want; the optimum situation for living in Pyrmont is thus taking advantage of its location & trying to walk or cycle to work if at all possible.

The suburb’s popularity also makes it quite noisy in general – the business of its roads create associated traffic noise, sirens from emergency vehicles are frequent, public service vehicles abound, and there’s some drunkenness and its associated issues as a result of its proximity to the Casino and other drinking establishments as well.

Pyrmont’s thus not the greatest suburb in the world for family living or for those who require a good night’s sleep; ensuring your apartment has double-glazed windows comes highly recommended here.

“Attraction-wise, there’s a ton to do nearby that gives Pyrmont even more appeal.”

And it’s almost certainly apartment living you’ll be dealing with here. Pyrmont is renowned for very high-density living, and an absence of living space in general, and it’s quite a hilly suburb to navigate. While its external parks may be great for the kids or pet to play in, the apartments themselves are less-so, and a lack of pet-friendly apartment availability makes it hard to find a place for those with an animal given how competitive the rental market is here in the first place.

Pricing is also obviously going to be an issue given how popular the suburb is – expect to pay around the $1 million mark for a 1 bedroom apartment, or fork out around $750 per week when renting the same, with each added bedroom adding exponentially to the price as well.

Its newer developments can jack these prices up far more substantially as well, with many also not offering dedicated parking spots in return for the price either.

The Verdict

Overall, Pyrmont is strange in that it comes extremely highly recommended for a relatively specific demographic of society: if you’re a young professional with a bit of cash to throw around looking for somewhere central in Sydney that’s a bit “classier” and cleaner than other nearby suburbs, and are likely to maximise what the city has to offer, Pyrmont’s arguably up there with the best suburbs in the entire city to choose.

For literally almost anyone else – be it larger families, those who work outside the CBD, those with pets, or those who like the freedom of driving, for example – there’s probably another Sydney suburb that can give you a better combination of these factors than Pyrmont can.

Like a more artsy/grittier atmosphere? Glebe’s probably better. Need more space? Head north across the bridge to somewhere like Wollstonecraft or Artarmon that’s on a major train line instead. Want a bit more of a “true” experience of inner city life? Darlinghurst or Chippendale may better fit the bill.

For those in its “sweet spot” however, few other suburbs can do for inner Sydney living what Pyrmont can.