Surry Hills Suburb Review

Summary: A prime example of the trend of inner-city gentrification at work, Surry Hills – a formerly slummy haven for dodgy activity – has over several decades transformed into one of the trendiest and most convenient suburbs in Sydney, with a pricetag to match.

Sitting right on the edge of the Sydney CBD and populated with a mixture of hip cafes, historic pubs, startup and established businesses, and terrace-and-tree lined streets, it now ranks as one of the inner city’s most desirable places to live, and ideal for those who prefer a more active environment in particular.

It’s also not without some lingering ongoing crime issues given its proximity to one of the city’s largest train stations, and retains one of the highest overall crime rates in the entire city despite its ongoing gentrification. Traffic likewise is an issue for drivers, given its inherently hilly & unwalkable layout in spots.

Key stats

It’s amazing what a difference 20 or so years makes. What used to be a gritty, village-style slice of inner Sydney today has become a hub for young professionals & the cashed-up affluent, teeming with a mixture of bars, pubs, cafes and high-end dining; you’re (slightly) more likely these days to stumble over a pug on a leash than a junkie passed out on the footpath.

The current state of Surry Hills is largely reflective of most of the suburbs which fringe the Sydney CBD – where nowadays many of their old, charming terraces originally built for low-income workers eons ago have been given a fresh lick of of paint to coincide with their soaring property prices.

What was once a necessity of housing for poorer types who couldn’t afford fully-fledged standalone homes now ranks as a highly desirable home category that will seldom sell for anything less than $2 million, if they should sell at all. Renting is likewise pricey, with around $750 per week the general baseline as a starting point for anything acceptable in the suburb apartment-wise, outside of smaller studios or old and rundown 1-bedders.

It’s not hard to see why Surry Hills appeals to so many as a place to live: the city is within a 10 minute walk from most accommodation here, yet many of its streets are wide and tree-lined, and many slices of it boast an entirely different atmosphere to some of the madness and crowds that occur just a few streets away.

This is a suburb of compact dog parks (although it’s lacking in sidewalk grass for your dog to do their business), streetside cafe dining, trendy arts and craft stores and up-and-coming businesses that still provides quite a “community” feel to the point that there is real variety in the faces that now call it home.

The massive Prince Alfred Park at the suburb’s city-side end is worth a mention as a public space, as it’s both huge and offers an array of amenities including walking tracks, kids playgrounds, basketball courts, barbecue facilities and even the simple enjoyment of a ton of benches for enjoying a work lunch in the sunshine.

There’s also Belmore Park on the suburb’s fringe adjacent to Central Station, however it’s all of smaller, less pretty and prone to serving as a favoured resting place of the homeless & those sleeping rough, and not the most desirable place to hang out (particularly after dark).

Hipsters, startups, cool pubs and open minds

The area is (along with neighbour Darlinghurst) renowned as one of the most open and accepting hubs for same-sex couples as well, and is largely a diverse and welcoming environment for all races and other demographics.

The majority of its action all centres around its main hub road of Crown Street – an open and inviting stretch of road dotted with all sorts of cafes, high-end dining and niche boutique stores selling hand-crafted wares. Most cuisines are well-represented here, from Asian to modern Aussie fusion, to pub food, Mexican and much more – they’re not cheap, but if you’ve got a deep wallet and are a fan of food, you’ll be eternally entertained in Surry Hills.

Surry’s got several excellent pubs to choose from for those after a drop of the good stuff, both around the Crown Street area and further down around Devonshire Street closer to Central station.

Gentrification at work

While there are still some dodgy elements around – sticking to main streets as opposed to back alleys at night still comes advised, and there’s a few homeless around, for example – it’s largely much safer and more welcoming now. As a result it’s also become more family-friendly, although you’ll be lacking space in terms of larger housing availability unless you’re well and truly cashed up.

The suburb also boasts a quality primary school, regular markets, and excellent connectivity via public transport, with both buses and Central station only a short walk away which provides a springboard to literally anywhere on the rail network you’d want to go in Sydney and its surrounding regions.

On the downside, its proximity to the city brings along with it the same burdens of bad weekend traffic, and finding parking is an exercise in frustration for all but the luckiest of drivers. Many apartments available in Surry Hills also don’t offer dedicated parking spots, so if you’re the type who can’t largely rely on public transport for your needs you may want to look elsewhere.

Despite its new, desirable reputation, Surry Hills also still faces some ongoing issues when it comes to crime. 

Each of its proximity to Central Station, its adjacency to Redfern’s public housing (and Surry HIlls’ own quantity of this), the odd halfway-house, and its popularity as a nighttime hotspot for drinks combine to make it a statistical outlier when it comes to both drug offenses and alcohol-related violence. In addition, its high quanity of break and entry-related crimes per capita are an on-flow effect of each of these as well.

“The majority of its action all centres around its main hub road of Crown Street – dotted with all sorts of cafes, dining and niche stores.”

Many of Surry’s back alleys are still quite dingy and not the place for, say, single women to be walking late at night. Stick to the main well-lit areas and you’ll be mostly fine, sure, but it’s still a notable factor that should be considered when choosing here as a place to live.

Even on a purely cosmetic, non-dangerous level – considering the price you’re paying for property here – the fact you can exit a high-paying restaurant and immediately walk down an alley stinking of urine, or have to negotate main streets dotted with countless smelly rubbish bins that line the streets isn’t the greatest of atmospheres (especially on a hot Sydney summer day).

Combining all of the above, and Surry Hills will likely largely appeal to certain groups of people. Namely: those who don’t need too much space of their own to be satisfied and can deal with a little noise of night; younger uni-student-and-young-professional types who enjoy easy access to nightlife and are content to live in a smaller place; and a select few well-heeled home owners who use it as an easy launchpad to their daily grind in the city.

The Verdict

If you’re the type who puts a high priority on peace & quiet, rolls their eyes at hipsters or envisions having a huge backyard for your kids and dog to play around in, then Surry Hills – and inner-city Sydney life in general, by association – is likely not for you. Especially unless you’re heavily mortgaged with existing equity to draw on, or a millionaire multiple-times over.

But if you can afford it, or are willing to compromise on space, few suburbs of inner Sydney provide the blend of city life, trendy character, and a bit of extra breathing room that Surry Hills can offer… with the standard “if you can afford it” disclaimer that goes hand-in-hand with most well-located parts of inner Sydney.

In addition, while it may not entirely suit most people as a place to live, it’s still one of the more worthwhile suburbs in Sydney to visit on a regular basis.