Palm Beach Suburb Review

Summary: Perhaps more than any other suburb on the Gold Coast, Palm Beach exemplifies the rapid gentrification that has gone on in the city in recent years. Formerly a slightly dingy seaside spot with a handful of dodgier elements, it’s rapidly had much of its main areas modernised and now boasts a large, ongoing facelift to go alongside all its inherently pretty natural elements.

Always physically one of the most naturally-beautiful spots on the Gold Coast, ‘Palmy’ offers seaside living with an “eternal holiday” vibe. It now also includes a much-increased array of amenities along with a continually-growing dining and cafe scene that help round it out as more of an overall destination. There’s much more to see & do here these days than simply go to the beach, and it’s much more vibrant – and a fair deal safer than in the past – as a result. It’s now a true hub for foodies, nature-lovers, and pet-owners all in one spot.

Its rapid surge in popularity has also led to a big spike in the price of housing, making it now one of the most expensive suburbs on the Gold Coast. Additional added apartment density to house its growing population – along with ongoing infrastructure issues – have also exacerbated what was already a pretty stretched situation in terms of both traffic & parking. Its southern-leaning location likewise places it a little far from key hubs for jobs/employment, marring it somewhat.

Key Stats:

If you had told a Gold Coast local not too many years ago that one day soon Palm Beach – that suburb renowned for Centrelink, Cash Converters and a McDonald’s that has seen a number of significant crime incidents over the years – would soon become a bougie hub of trendy dining & multi-million-dollar modern homes, you’d have likely received a laugh in return.

And yet, in the present day that’s exactly what ‘Palmy’ has evolved into. The suburb was formerly an increasingly rundown, ho-hum strip with many aging fibro beach shacks and storefronts backed by large detached houses, sandwiched between the Gold Coast Highway & the M1 that did something of a disservice to its fundamentally beautiful nature nearby. However, now this is a place that’s gentrified rapidly to a surprising degree – and mostly (but not all) for the good.

Location-wise, Palm Beach has always had a lot to like. Its obvious seaside-adjacent location is a major strength and has long made it one of the best showcases of Gold Coast ‘beach life’ on the southern end of the coast, while still being close enough to other key lifestyle needs (such as Coolangatta Airport, multiple schools, decent-sized shopping centres, etc).

However it also had somewhat of a seedy nature to it, with increasingly rundown homes and dated motels and one of the higher “can I bum a ciggie bro?” per capita ratios whenever you’d be out and about on its streets.

Nowadays – and particularly since the mass-migration that the pandemic and post-pandemic boom caused to South-East QLD – things have taken a pretty drastic turn. Significant amounts of money have been pumped into the suburb from property developers, those relocating, and the more cashed-up in general alike, and the level of development has been pretty eye-opening.

It still boasts most of its original ‘eternal holiday’ vibe – beachy, with beach-oriented architecture, ample greenery, light and breezy as a whole – but now has an extra layer of added wealth plonked on top.

This has resulted in a host of new mid-rise apartment buildings dotting its landscape, and an almost-continual atmosphere of home renovation/rebuilding and the upgrading of homes. This single suburb alone feels like it’s enough to keep the entire population of the Gold Coast’s tradies busy.

A ton of cashed up inter-staters have flocked to Palm Beach with the aim of building their ‘dream beach house’, and it’s not hard to see why the suburb has massive appeal for this factor alone.

At its most basic level, Palm Beach (perhaps alongside Burleigh and a couple of others) remains one of the most beautifully nature-endowed suburbs on the Gold Coast. Obviously, part of that is “beach by name, beach by nature” – it was heavily influenced due to a strong dose of inspiration from places like Florida in the USA in the 1960s/70s in Australia – and it does the ‘beach thing’ very well.

Most of the suburb’s eastern portion is beach-adjacent and places at least one entry point to the beach within easy strolling distance of most homes. And even should you live further out in Palm Beach’s ‘western’ extremities, you’re still only talking about a 20-ish minute walk until your toes hit the sand. 

Palm Beach’s actual beaches are as clean and pretty as most other spots on the Gold Coast, with the added benefit of being typically less crowded than more tourist-oriented spots like Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach etc.

However it’s not only the simple, straight stretches of raw beach that cap off each of its main ‘avenues’ where Palm Beach excels from a natural perspective. The suburb boasts two separate beach-park areas on either end which are basically examples of ‘peak Gold Coast’ at its best.

On the south side, the Palm Beach Parklands is one such flagship beachside park area, boasting a gorgeous public, sheltered, sandy spot ideal for a walk or swim, as well as one of the few dedicated dog beaches on the Gold Coast.

It’s got a great, wide grassed area with plenty of room to lay out blankets, a cafe for basic eats, and a robust kids playground with a pirate ship and plenty of other play equipment. Its only main downside, and a not insignificant one, is a severe lack of parking (a recurring theme which we’ll touch on later) relative to its popularity – particularly on weekends.

Meanwhile on the opposite end, its Tallebudgeera Creek parkland section is perhaps even more iconic as an attraction. Long a go-to stay location of choice for holidaymakers, this section of foreshore along the river is as idyllic as it is popular, with not only the appeal of its stretch of sand, waterway and headland but also an increasing amount of amenities nearby to service it.

In the present day, you can enjoy a swim or paddle on the water, let the dogs off leash on the sand around the corner, grab a bite to eat at a couple of different cafes/canteens, or walk further along its walkways to spots like the recently-updated Tallebudgeera Surf Club for a more upmarket dining experience.

And it’s not only these waterfront areas where Palm Beach’s natural element stands out, either. Away from the ocean just a few streets back, another excellent public facility of greenery in Laguna Park offers plenty to visitors as well.

This is another top-notch parkland area that features an expansive lagoon-style hub encircled by a walking track and is highly well-equipped; multiple undercover areas, both small and huge playgrounds, BBQs, non-disgusting public toilets and more all round out what it offers.

For sports and more active recreation, the Mallawa Drive sporting fields/complex provides a large, spacious area for various sports such as soccer, footy, cricket, netball etc, as well as its Soccer Club serving basic pub-style food. This area also doubles as an off-leash dog area, however is not fenced which is something of a bummer.

There’s also other, smaller, lovely semi-hidden little areas like Murlong Park on the waterfront on the opposite side of the bridge which is likewise highly pretty, and comes with a boat ramp for water craft.

Combine all of these, and you’ve got a pretty idyllic suburb for pet owners (and those with kids who like the outdoors) overall. Dog beaches, dog parks, nice roomy footpaths with wide nature strips, and Palm Beach’s flat topography make for a place that’s highly walkable and dog-friendly as a whole in particular.

All of the above together might sound overly idyllic, but there’s a catch. As mentioned, Palm Beach’s inherent popularity as a spot to visit – combined with its booming population and increased density adding more cars to the road – means this is one of the suburbs where the region’s recent growth starts to hinder enjoyment of such spots somewhat.

Parking has not kept up nearly enough with population growth, and it’s busy enough even on weekdays to make fighting for a parking spot at any number of its pretty spots a chore if the weather’s good – if you consider arriving to any such place on a weekend outside the earliest of times, then forget it.

Part of this is a general ‘macro’ issue of problems for the Gold Coast as a whole, and part of it is Palm Beach-specific. The suburbs’ layout doesn’t really help matters; its trendy portion runs directly alongside the Gold Coast Highway and is sliced at regular intervals by a range of perpendicular ‘avenues’.

This makes for an excessive number of stop-start traffic lights on the highway portion, and an overdose of roundabouts in its back streets, with traffic frequently queued up and a chain-reaction effect taking place – especially during school pickup/dropoff hours.

Add in the fact that people are pretty much forced into on-street parking on every side street, and it makes for some pretty blind corners at STOP/Give Way signs. Even its strips of centre-street parking get filled up quickly, and most of these are limited to 1 hour parking during most popular hours.

Part of this is also due to its nature as a busy ‘thoroughfare’ type suburb that many people need to pass through to get elsewhere, and visitors/tourists loving it. You end up with people constantly coming and going, and some ambient road noise in most parts as a result, even in some of the wealthier/quieter back streets. Airplane noise can also be a slight factor in certain areas due to flight paths.

It’s also not the most ideal suburb for career professionals who need to commute for work, at least in the present-day. It’s essentially a choice between the Gold Coast Highway crawl, or quick M1 access (handy in theory) that soon gets congested upon merging, with sections still currently under seemingly-eternal construction for further expansion.

Distance from Brisbane is an issue, and it’s not really particularly close to any other hubs for higher-paying jobs that would be required to afford the better property here (unless you can Work From Home). Even Southport – the closest thing the Gold Coast has to a ‘CBD’ – is tedious to get to from here, especially during peak traffic commuting hours.

This is intended to be alleviated in the long run somewhat once the M1 roadwork is completed, and with the extension of light rail down into Palm Beach as part of the network’s growth, although it seems many longer-time locals are still unhappy about this fact.

All of this will hopefully get better in future as infrastructure is completed, and we may revisit this in a year or two to update its associated scores, but for now it’s a matter of “short-term pain for long-term gain” for commuters. It’s really become a spot more suited to well-heeled retirees than it was in the past as a result.

Amenity-wise, Palm Beach is decently-equipped for daily needs & retail (although not as amazingly as some suburbs), but is particularly starting to excel in terms of dining.

Historically, this was a suburb of almost exclusively lower-priced, tacky-but-tasty Chinese and Thai style food restaurants with decor that seemingly still hasn’t evolved from the 80’s. That’s changed markedly in recent years, and continues to this day.

Modern, bohemian-style cafes and restaurants (including those on the higher end, which would have been unthinkable in the past) serving a range of cuisines are pretty prominent here now.

This includes spots like the Collective – a very Melbourne-style modern mini eat-street restaurant hub, higher-end Asian fusion & Italian restaurants, and more in addition to all the oldschool staples that have been there for years.

Even most of its watering holes have received modern upgrades or been replaced. Its various pubs, bars, and other spots to enjoy a beer with a dose of sea breeze (given their proximity to the water) are still undeniably nice, although also increasingly pricey to do so.

Multiple mini-shopping complexes, a dedicated Coles supermarket, and all the longstanding services such as chemists, bottle shops, thrift stores, bank branches and more round out the shopping offerings along its main highway strip.

Elsewhere, its 19th Avenue Shopping Centre further down the west of 19th Ave (‘technically’ in Elanora, but close enough) has a Woolworths, whole foods store and plenty of mixed services and medical. And larger shopping centre The Pines (again, in Elanora) isn’t far away either for bigger retail shopping needs.

Its small shopping and dining strip on Philippine Parade serves to round things out in terms of essentials. Palm Beach also offers a decent array of medical services; think x-ray, GP’s, pathology, vets for the animals etc as well.

Even good ol’ Centrelink continues to stand proudly.

For those with kids, Palm Beach as a whole is highly family friendly, especially as it’s developed and its crime rate has gradually dropped over time.

Much of the elements of past dodginess have been pushed out due to gentrification; nowadays the only real occasional incident comes from young adults drinking too much – otherwise there’s not really many major crimes to speak of, especially when compared to the past. And the Palm Beach ‘cop shop’ is still there to act on things relatively quickly anyway.

In addition to all the parks, playgrounds and sporting facilities throughout the suburb that will benefit kids, it also sits in a spot with a bunch of schooling options both within its borders and nearby.

You’ve got PBC High (my, the writer’s, old highschool… /wipes away a tear) for highschool students and Currumbin State School for others in its geographic pocket flowing on towards Elanora. This lies alongside the modern, expanded/renovated Palm Beach Aquatic Centre complex for swimming lessons & aquatic activities as well.

Meanwhile Palm Beach State School lies centrally within the suburb, with the Eden Academy childcare centre just across the road. Throw in proximity to the various Elanora schools and further choices up the highway too, and it’s a pretty versatile place to live for those with children.

Streetscape-wise, the bulk of the rest of Palm Beach is largely residential housing. Around 40% of this is detached homes on pretty big pieces of land, while the rest is around a 40%-20% split between an increasing number of apartment/unit blocks and semi-detached dwellings.

There’s been a a lot of knock-down/rebuild action in recent times as its older fibro homes have been replaced by much more modern takes on the old ‘beach shack’ style house. The trend these are typically styled in most often goes for the popular ‘blindingly bright white beach house/Greek Islands’ motifs which are undeniably pretty to look at, but also a have bit of a ‘sameness’ to them.

Most of the detached homes here come with nice, open, green nature strips and wide property frontage, and the houses themselves range anywhere from ‘large’ up to ‘huge’. This is especially true in the case of its collection of big waterfront properties in Palm Beach’s fairly limited number of streets that back onto its canals.

Palm Beach has continued to get denser with both subdivision (mostly duplexes) & more apartments in a fairly short amount of time.

Many of its duplex/semi-detached homes are newer and have modern design takes on how to maximise usage of the blocks, increasingly building vertically-up rather than sprawling out on a single level.

There are also still plenty of vestiges of older, cheaper ‘legacy’ Palm Beach that remain along various streets including cheaper, original-condition low-rise unit blocks.

This makes for a pretty inconsistent streetscape in which one street will be a display of quite a lot of wealth, while the very next one over feels like stepping back in time several decades.

Apartment blocks have also continued to sprout up all over the suburb. Most of these are built as ‘luxury’ apartments however and are pretty premium buildings designed for wealthier buyers – especially those on the immediate waterfront.

As a result, they don’t come at that big of a discount in terms of the ratio of house price:apartment price as you might see elsewhere in other suburbs, nor do they do as much to help with property affordability on the whole. This has made the suburb more affluent overall, but also removed some of its versatility to service different demographics.

There are still some legacy low-rise and higher density buildings alongside the Gold Coast highway, including older motels however.

Regardless of if they’re on a ‘wealthy’ or ‘less wealthy’ street, almost all of the roads here are highly-tree-lined and pretty in one way or another. They don’t give suburbs their names for no reason, and as you’d expect there are plenty of lined-up palm trees around adding to the ‘tropical’ vibe along with the typical beachy-named streets such as Tahiti, Bali and other such avenues.

Price-wise, Palm Beach has soared even disproportionately moreso than some of the other suburbs on the Gold Coast in the wave of recent price rises. It’s now solidly in the ‘Top 10’ most expensive suburbs on the Gold Coast in terms of house prices, with a current median price of $1,750,000.00 for detached homes, and units sitting at $1,050,000.00.

That’s quite the jump from what Palm Beach was historically. While you might be able to argue it was somewhat undervalued for a long time given the appealing natural aspects, it’s still pretty eye-watering given that’s even a figure that would be firmly above the median house price in Sydney, for comparison.

This means the sheer price of property here now also prices out most of the demographic who are likely to want to take advantage of many of its cool, trendy dining spots – namely, younger adults – from affording it as a place to live, even in terms of apartments. As a result, if you’re in this younger demo you’re probably better off living somewhere else cheaper and simply visiting Palm Beach when meeting up with people instead.

The Verdict

The current price premium that Palm Beach demands for living here and whether or not it’s worth it will likely depend more on your current life situation more than it ever has before, along with how you choose to spend your free time.

In the past, it used to be a place where you could work an easy wage, rent an old seaside unit, stumble over to the beach and enjoy a few beers at your leisure without much stress. Those days no longer truly exist – anywhere on the Gold Coast really, but specifically here.

If you’re the outdoors-y type who maximises the best parts of living here and will be spending a large portion of your time at the beach… or have kids who will be playing around in parks & sporting fields on a regular basis… or simply like the prospect of having an increasing amount of decent dining options within walking distance & plan to dine there frequently… it’s much more easy to justify paying the price of entry.

It’s also a suburb that, while good for families, also at least has more life to it than a number of the more ‘boring’, planned residential estates elsewhere on the Gold Coast – while not veering too hard into the “wilder” end of the spectrum as in party-oriented spots like Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach. Likewise, it’s neither too far on the opposite “snoozy” end of the beachside-suburb scale as some of the other retirement-village-like seaside suburbs further to the north.

The main problems with Palm Beach for certain demographics will stem from the fact that it’s not greatly conducive to a convenient life for those with professional careers, or who like to visit other more distant parts of the Gold Coast on a regular basis.

The road situation isn’t great by any means, and it’s a bit far from certain working hubs as mentioned. Plus, with a range of additional unit blocks set to open in the suburb in the near future – adding even more cars to its roads – it remains to be seen that there’s sufficient infrastructure that will be able to cope.

However if you happen to be someone such as a cashed-up retiree, a person who can earn solid money while working from home, or your workplace is not too far away from the suburb itself – any of which combine to limit some of its negatives – it’s easy to see the appeal of living here.

Overall, Palm Beach is still currently in a ‘transition phase’; the end result of which will take a while to play out, and will need to be revisited at that point in time. In the meantime, enjoy some of the prettiest parts of nature the Gold Coast has to offer, try to block out the handful of annoyances – and get used to walking places, if you can.