Want to live in Brisbane? Finding the right suburb means finding what’s important to you. Factors might include nearby schools, parks or sports places, cafés and restaurants, being near the coast, commuting time, and, of course, the cost of buying or renting in Brisbane. Whether you’re looking for a busy city feel or a quieter residential area, here’s a rundown of 10 of the best suburbs in Brisbane. We’ve divided them into inner-city suburbs, and those on the north or south side of the Brisbane River.
# Brisbane suburbs close to the city centre
Paddington
Paddington is a pretty tree-lined inner suburb in Brisbane that scores very highly in the categories of living, working and playing, offering a well-rounded community environment. If your workplace is in the city, you can even walk to work (or cycle along the fabulous bike path beside the river). This is a significant convenience.
Beyond the daily commute, Paddington has a rich selection of retail outlets and some of Brisbane’s best cafés – start your trawl for a world-class coffee along Latrobe Terrace. Property prices are unsurprisingly high – especially the grand old houses with elevation and city views. However, with this bigger spend on buying or renting in Brisbane, you get the practicality of daily necessities with the best perks of suburban living.
Kelvin Grove
Not far from Paddington, but more affordable, Kelvin Grove is another suburb in Brisbane located close to the CBD. It’s also home to the Queensland University of Technology’s Kelvin Grove campus, which makes it ideal for anyone studying or working there. There are schools nearby too.
Kelvin Grove has plenty of restaurants, bars, farmers markets, entertainment options and green spaces, and it’s also likely to boom in coming years on the back of major infrastructure being put in place for Brisbane hosting the Olympic Games in 2032. The balance here is ideal for those who appreciate proximity to the bustling centre of the city along with a more peaceful suburban pace.
Newstead
For a trendy riverside location, it’s hard to beat Newstead, which is centred around a cluster of old wool warehouses (as well as Brisbane’s oldest surviving residence at Newstead Park, dating back to 1845). This gives it a heritage vibe that combines perfectly with the industrial chic feel of the many modern apartment blocks in the suburb.
There’s also an excellent nightlife scene here, with craft breweries, live music venues and stylish restaurants, for example at the iconic Gasworks Plaza. Proximity to the Brisbane River means plenty of fitness and transport options, too.
Highgate Hill
Brisbane’s very first apartment tower went up in Highgate Hill back in 1962, and it has been an appealing residential area since that time. One big bonus of living in this neighbourhood is that you have quick access not only to the CBD – which is why young professionals particularly like this suburb – but also to the dining and entertainment precincts of South Bank and West End. You’re also in easy reach of the University of Queensland.
Despite all this, Highgate Hill is a surprisingly relaxed place, great for walking, and with a strong sense of community.
Other centrally located suburbs in Brisbane:
East Brisbane, Herston, Kangaroo Point, New Farm, Petrie Terrace, Red Hill, South Brisbane, Spring Hill, Teneriffe, West End, Woolloongabba
# Brisbane suburbs north of the river
Saint Lucia
St Lucia is set in a leafy cul-de-sac, with the Brisbane River curling around it on both the north and south side. Because it’s home to the beautiful main campus of the University of Queensland, which features old sandstone buildings, this suburb obviously appeals to students. However, it also offers high-end riverside apartment living, with a welcome north-facing aspect. There’s easy access to the CBD by bus or by Brisbane’s iconic CityCat ferry.
St Lucia offers all kinds of sport and wellness options, including golf courses, a tennis centre and some of the city’s most popular cycling routes. And it’s close to big retail centres at Toowong and Indooroopilly.
Ascot
Ascot is well-heeled suburb with a horse-racing heritage (the name derives from England’s Ascot Racecourse), some highly-regarded private schools and a lively café scene. Large leafy trees line many of the streets, where you’ll find some of Brisbane’s grandest “Queenslanders” (19th-century timber houses). Many of these are family estates that rarely change hands, but the suburb also has modern-build houses and an increasing number of high-end units and townhouses.
There’s a tight-knit family feel in Ascot, with Racecourse Road serving as the commercial centre. It has shops, casual eats and fine-dining restaurants. Getting to the airport is a breeze from here too, which is useful for frequent travellers.
Sandgate
Further afield from the Brisbane CBD than the other suburbs in our list (around 30 minutes by car or train), Sandgate is one spot you might be drawn to if you like the idea of living by the coast. There isn’t a surf beach here – for waves, you have to head an additional hour north to the Sunshine Coast, or down to the Gold Coast. But Moreton Bay is still a pretty stretch of water, great for walking, fishing and exploring with the tide.
Sandgate also has a welcome village atmosphere, from its historic town centre (the first hotel for Brisbane day-trippers was built here in the 1850s) to its markets, picnic spots, fresh seafood places along the foreshore, live music and more. There are plenty of schools in these northeastern bayside suburbs, too. And for buying and renting in Brisbane, you also get much better bang for your buck out here.
Other Brisbane suburbs north of the river:
Ashgrove, Alderley, Bardon, Bracken Ridge, Brookfield, Chapel Hill, Chermside, Clayfield, Eagle Farm, Everton Park, Ferny Grove, Indooroopilly, Kenmore, Mitchelton, Nudgee, Stafford, Taringa, The Gap, Toowong, Wilston, Windsor, Zillmere
# Brisbane suburbs south of the river
Bulimba
Along with neighbouring suburb Hawthorne, Bulimba offers a great mix of riverside location, suburban lifestyle and urban appeal. While there’s currently no bridge connection directly to the CBD, you can get there easily enough by cross-river ferry, making this a popular spot among city workers. Property options range from Queenslander-style homes to apartments and townhouses; whichever you choose, be aware that you’re unlikely to find a bargain!
Only relatively recently, Bulimba was a farming area. It’s now a trendy growth suburb, full of fabulous cafes and restaurants (make a beeline for Oxford Street for the best eats and drinks), boutiques, bookstores, cinemas and more. It’s also an excellent place for walking (try the Bulimba Heritage Trail for starters) and kayaking on the river.
Tarragindi
Seven kilometres south of the CBD, Tarragindi is a family-friendly suburb with lots of education options, including primary and secondary schools, and a campus of Griffith University close by at Mount Gravatt. Because of its location beside the main highway into Brisbane, getting around is quick from Tarragindi, and you can be in the city centre in under 15 minutes.
The area is full of green spaces such as playgrounds and parks, as well as denser bushland areas such as Toohey Forest Park for hiking, mountain biking and bouldering.
Manly
Like its namesake suburb in Sydney, Manly is located beside the sea – the tagline is “where the city meets the bay”. As such, it has a pretty foreshore, plenty of boats moored in marinas, and seafood restaurants cooking up the catch of the day.
Manly is around a 25-minute drive from the city and also well located for Brisbane Airport. There’s a mix of properties available, with more expensive houses and apartments on the higher-set locations with ocean views. While it was once a suburb that many buyers and renters in Brisbane overlooked, demand in Manly has spiked in the past few years, and prices have surged as a result. It’s the price you pay for a laidback lifestyle by the water!
Other areas for renting in Brisbane south of the river:
Acacia Ridge, Annerley, Carindale, Chandler, Chelmer, Coorparoo, Coopers Plains, Dutton Park, Forest Lake, Greenslopes, Hawthorne, Jindalee, Yeronga, Eight Mile Plains, Fairfield, Holland Park, Morningside, Mount Gravatt, Norman Park, Rochedale, Rocklea, Runcorn, Salisbury, Stones Corner, Wynnum
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