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i think i've noticed a few folks from Brisbane on here and just looking for some advice . . . I'm about 8 weeks out from my landing there. I'm headed to UQ for a masters program so I'll be there for ~20 months total. (I was originally looking at UNSW but UQ is a much better fit)
What has we most nervous is the housing situation because there's so little I can do from here. I'll be headed over with the wife and little one. We're prepared to spend up to $400/week on housing. A 3 bedroom would be ideal but not necessary and we could easily settle for a 2 bedroom.
We'll be landing there without a car so proximity to shops is important. Proximity to the campus in St. Lucia would be a bonus as I'd much rather ride a bicycle to school than have to buy a ferry or bus pass every month. I've been told that West End is where we need to be. Will that tick all the boxes?
Are short-term leases at all common? I'm wary of trying to lease something site unseen for the long-term but I also don't want to pay hotel rates for a month while we try to find a place.
UNSW is a great institution, but the majority of the student body is Asian (like most of Sydney, which has a strong Asian influence). You will definitely get a more genuinely 'Australian' experience in Brisbane.
Maybe someone else can chip in with the other advice
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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$400 a week for a 3 bedroom is defo asking too much in that part, one of the more expensive parts of Brissie. I think you should find something, though. Somewhere near the uni and near the train line would be ideal. I think you'll like Brissie, has a nice sub-tropical feel, the U of Queensland Campus is great, by the river.
i think i've noticed a few folks from Brisbane on here and just looking for some advice . . . I'm about 8 weeks out from my landing there. I'm headed to UQ for a masters program so I'll be there for ~20 months total. (I was originally looking at UNSW but UQ is a much better fit)
What has we most nervous is the housing situation because there's so little I can do from here. I'll be headed over with the wife and little one. We're prepared to spend up to $400/week on housing. A 3 bedroom would be ideal but not necessary and we could easily settle for a 2 bedroom.
We'll be landing there without a car so proximity to shops is important. Proximity to the campus in St. Lucia would be a bonus as I'd much rather ride a bicycle to school than have to buy a ferry or bus pass every month. I've been told that West End is where we need to be. Will that tick all the boxes?
Are short-term leases at all common? I'm wary of trying to lease something site unseen for the long-term but I also don't want to pay hotel rates for a month while we try to find a place.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Sorry Mate I will have to be Quick (at Work)
Toowong or indooroopilly would be you ideal places, they are however pretty expensivse , I dont really know what you would get in West End end for $400 a week.
You could try other Suburbs south of the river, Yeronga, Greenslopes, Wooloongabba, Coorparooo, Holland Park, Fairfield etc. which are a bit cheaper, and have direct cycle paths to the UQ
I live in Holland Park which is the most distant of these suburbs from St Lucia, and can still ride to the UQ in about 20-30 minutes, im not a patriculary good rider or anything, most of the trip is along designated cycle pathways.
Tropical - the decision to go with UQ came down to a number of factors relating to the program I'm in and its accreditation back here in the States . . . although the job opportunities appear to be much better in VIC than in all of the US so hopefully I can make something of it one way or the other.
Trimac - I can see that $400 won't get me much but I have found a few promising places (mostly 2 bedrooms) online so I do hold out hope. We don't live in a trendy neighborhood now so it's not really a priority for us - just easy access to groceries & such and relatively close to the school.
Danielsa - I will start looking into those suburbs. We both used to ride 15/20 minutes to work each way although my new job is more like 5 minutes but I don't mind the exercise so if 30 minutes is as far as it gets I can certainly live with that. I'm looking forward to year-round cycling weather. I don't ride too much here in Jan/Feb. If it's not cold and windy it's raining.
So what does the "brain" think about Coorparoo. I'm looking at a place that's near the intersection of Cavendish/Old Cleveland. Seems like an easy/quick commute to UQ down the busway, no? Maybe a 25 minute bike ride?
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