In the third article of this series we visit a few of the popular suburbs on the east side of Brisbane, in particular Bulimba, Hawthorne and surrounds as well as the Mt Gravatt and Mansfield areas. Habitat Relocations has settled quite a number of American expats as well as returning Australians into the Bulimba area over the years. We have also done numerous successful home searches for interstate arrivals, South Africans and New Zealanders in the Mt Gravatt and Mansfield areas.
Bulimba / Hawthorne
Bulimba and Hawthorne’s riverside location and charming village along Oxford Street makes it a perennially popular Brisbane suburb.
The area is set away off the major thoroughfare of Wynnum Road so is relatively quiet and has a strong community feel. Young families enjoy Hawthorne Park and Oxford Street playground, riverside parks and walkways and flat streets to walk young children and strollers. There is even a small golf course tucked into the suburb near the river for those in the know. Young and old enjoy the cinema and Hawthorne Garage on Hawthorne Rd and many boutiques, small local traders and some chain restaurants can be found along Oxford St and Riding Rd. A smaller Woolworths is located on Oxford St and a larger Coles and Woolworths can be found a short drive away in Morningside. Homewares and larger chain shopping is not far away at Canon Hill Homemaker Centre and Westfield Carindale.
Wooden Queenslanders and modern build houses dominate Hawthorne with some townhouses
and apartments along the Riding Road and Hawthorne Road thoroughfares. Bulimba offers quite a variety of accommodation from old and new apartment buildings immediately surrounding Oxford Street, modern family homes and apartments around the riverfront opposite Newstead and a mix of Queenslanders and modern builds elsewhere. The area has seen an increase in new townhouse development and subdivisions with small block house builds over recent years. In addition, there has been several large modern apartment and townhouse complexes that have been built on the northern edge of Bulimba, close to the river opposite Hamilton. Apartments and houses with west facing views towards Tenriffe and the CBD can be found on the Balmoral hill, the rise on the norther side of Oxford Street and along the waterfront.
If your budget does not quite stretch to the Bulimba area, Morningside is an alternative for those looking at townhouse or more modest homes and wanting access to the train. Camp Hill is an alternative option for families looking for good schools and a quiet suburban neighbourhood. If considering moving into these areas do check airport flight paths as the area is impacted to varying degrees by airplane noise.
Mt Gravatt / Mansfield
Mansfield and Mt Gravatt are approximately 10km out from the Brisbane CBD making it a more affordable option than inner city locations but good public transport (bus) and convenient access to the Pacific and Gateway Motorways makes it easy to travel to the city, Brisbane Airport, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Houses in the area are generally over 30 years old and tend to consist of double storey brick homes or post-war wooden Queenslanders but modern townhouse and unit developments are also on the rise. The area is a popular choice for families wishing to access highly ranked public schools (lMansfield), students looking for easy access to Griffith University Nathan Campus and TAFE and those with more modest housing budgets. There are several private schooling options in or close to the area.
These suburbs are well catered to for shopping with the large Westfield Garden City and Westfield Carindale plus there are smaller suburban shopping strips throughout the area. The suburb is multicultural and close to the Asian hub of Sunnybank for food shopping and dining. Mt Gravatt Showgrounds hosts a farmers markets every Sunday. For those looking to enjoy some green space, Mt Gravatt Lookout affords spectacular views of the city, Toohey Forest is bushwalking oasis and extensive paths and picnic areas wind their way along Bulimba Creek through the eastern border of Mansfield and on to the more affluent suburb of Carindale.
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