Ipswich-tell me all

[Lirael]

:wave: im after any info anyone has on living in/around ipswich.

rental prices, shops, schools, good suburbs, gyms, hospitals and GPs.

anything you want to share would be great

thanks:D

[Lirael]

anybody??? :confused::D

[Ponyboy]

My DH, DD (10mths) and I live in Goodna, a suburb of Ipswich.

http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/ may give you some info about the area.

Rent for a 3 bedroom home ranges from $180 - $300 depending on which suburb. Those closest to Ipswich central are usually dearest but also some of the new estates with the newer homes are also dearer.

There are a number of both state and private schools. As my DD isn't school age yet I can't recommend any off hand. There are also two universities (UQ Ipswich and USQ Springfield), plus Bremer TAFE.

http://www.dha.gov.au/contact-us/housing-management-centres/ipswich This gives a bit more info.

There are a number of shopping centres including the Ipswich Mall (can't comment on the shopping there as I don't frequent it), but there is also Booval Fair and Redbank Plaza in suburbs around Ipswich.

Some people say Ipswich is a bad place to live but I like it and it does have a community feel to it. I'd certainly rather live here than in the suburbs close to Brisbane City - although Goodna is good in that it is only 20km from the city and close to transport (train).

Hope this helps!!

[poshBecks]

cel... I love living in Ipswich. Not real sure on the prices of renting & stuff. But I'd imagine it's be on average about $200/week maybe? Check out a real estate website.

There's a fair bit of new stuff being built. Like a big whopping shopping centre down the road from me :smiliedance: and the new River Link Parklands which I think will be real nice.

Ipswich... a great place to live :p

[Lirael]

Ipswich... a great place to live :p



how much are they paying you:D

whereabouts would be good suburbs for kids? I pay 215 a week for a pretty crappy 2 bedroom house now in toowoomba

[poshBecks]

Brassall, Ipswich, Leichhardt, Yamanto.... they are all near transport & have parks nearby & schools. :) I'm sure there are more though.

Edited to add: Leichhardt used to be not that nice, but now it is.

[Lirael]

cool thanks. its been so long since I have been there. I dont want somewhere like brisbane I want a bit slower, more community minded place KWIM.

[poshBecks]

cool thanks. its been so long since I have been there. I dont want somewhere like brisbane I want a bit slower, more community minded place KWIM.

You will like it then I think :)

[cheezelkat]

Hi Cel

I live over at One Mile and I love it. We have great rent, we pay $200 a week for a 3 bdr home with air conditioning and are 10 minutes away from the centre of town. We couldn't afford to live as well as we do if we lived closer to Brisbane.

Community wise - it is good. Lots of free public events and playgroups.

The only suburb I would avoid is West Ipswich really.

[cheezelkat]

Oh and I'm also only a few minutes from the medical precint (very handy with a small child) and there are heaps of gyms in the area. In fact, there's one within walking distance from me but I can't be bothered walking that far too exercise :laughing:

Basically, most things you need are here. The only thing we travel further than Redbank for is craft supplies, computer supplies and more expensive electrical items.

[Rell]

I moved to Redbank Plains almost 3 years ago now and i love it :yelclap:
Rents is about 180 - 250 per week
There is heaps of busses to the train station
We have Wollies, Bi Lo and Redbank Plaza all very close and the new Orion Centre is opening at Springfield in March. There is also 2 gyms at Redbank plains.
The nearest hospital is Ipswich (15min from me) and larger hospitals like the Mater Childrens is still only 30-40min away.
I don't have any experiance with schools yet, put DD is going to Redbank Plains for prep next year.

Well we love it here, I hope you find a nice place to live

[Hector]

Growing up near Ipswich I have to play devil's advocate and say 'Keep your options open' and perhaps have a wee look at the Gold Coast, various suburbs of Brisbane, or even the smaller towns around Ipswich before deciding. I will admit Ipswich is definitely changing and it appears to be for the better but I think there are much nicer places to live.

[Lirael]

Growing up near Ipswich I have to play devil's advocate and say 'Keep your options open' and perhaps have a wee look at the Gold Coast, various suburbs of Brisbane, or even the smaller towns around Ipswich before deciding. I will admit Ipswich is definitely changing and it appears to be for the better but I think there are much nicer places to live.


I have lived all over brisbane and the coast- I hated it and still do. and no way on earth I could afford to anyway:thumbsdown:

[Pippi Longstocking]

About Ipswich....erm, looking to leave the area as quickly as we can! :p

I'm just not keen. I miss the ocean. Ipswich is dry, hot and....well, yucky. There's not much to do - unless you count counting the bogans in the mall as an activity? :p :laughing:

It's not such a bad old town really. But I can think of plenty of other places I'd rather live.

[Lirael]

About Ipswich....erm, looking to leave the area as quickly as we can! :p

I'm just not keen. I miss the ocean. Ipswich is dry, hot and....well, yucky. There's not much to do - unless you count counting the bogans in the mall as an activity? :p :laughing:

It's not such a bad old town really. But I can think of plenty of other places I'd rather live.


can u give me ur top ten:D I have no clue

[Pippi Longstocking]

1. Anywhere but Ipswich
2. Anywhere but Ipswich
3. Anywhere but Ipswich
4. Anywhere but Ipswich
5. Anywhere but Ipswich
6. Anywhere but Ipswich
7. Anywhere but Ipswich
8. Anywhere but Ipswich
9. Anywhere but Ipswich
10. Anywhere but Ipswich :p

Nah, I'm just being a knob really. It's not that bad. We are more than likely moving to the top of the sunshine coast, 'tis verily luffly there. I also loooove Ocean Shores (near Byron Bay) in NSW but the rent is more than we can afford (lucky to get anything under $300). Anywhere with a beach is good with me :D

[Lirael]

1. Anywhere but Ipswich
2. Anywhere but Ipswich
3. Anywhere but Ipswich
4. Anywhere but Ipswich
5. Anywhere but Ipswich
6. Anywhere but Ipswich
7. Anywhere but Ipswich
8. Anywhere but Ipswich
9. Anywhere but Ipswich
10. Anywhere but Ipswich :p

Nah, I'm just being a knob really. It's not that bad. We are more than likely moving to the top of the sunshine coast, 'tis verily luffly there. I also loooove Ocean Shores (near Byron Bay) in NSW but the rent is more than we can afford (lucky to get anything under $300). Anywhere with a beach is good with me :D

LMAO :laughing:


if i could afford the sunny coast I would be there already:yes:

[Ponyboy]

I was waiting for all the comments about how Ipswich is a hole etc. I understand that some of the comments posted previous to this were done with "tongue in cheek" - well I guess I'm hoping they were. :)

Now I grew up in Ipswich - born in Ipswich Hospital, lived in Dinmore in the housing commission community, attended Dinmore Preschool, Primary and went to Bundamba High.

I moved to Emerald in Central Qld once I finished my studies - now if you want heat - move to Central Qld cause the heat in Ipswich is no where near as bad.

I then lived in Clayfield in Brisbane for a while and had more police chases and break ins then I ever experienced in Ipswich. And frankly, no one really spoke to each other. If you had a problem in your house, say you couldn't reach a lightbulb that needed changing or there was a brown snake in your house - no one in Clayfield would help - but in Goodna - where I live now (which apparently is one of the "not so good" suburbs of Ipswich), I can say that I have neighbours that help out with any dilema I find myself in - yes I got help with the snake!!

On my morning walks I say hello to fellow walkers and wave to people on their patios, the local shop people know me by name, and I am active in my community through volunteering for the Butterfly Wings program, assisting with the running of our mothers group, etc etc. I have never felt more safe and community spirited in any of the other places I lived in. Admitedly it's been a while since I've been to Ipswich Mall - but I really think that whatever was wrong with Ipswich before (which I never really understood because I never ever had issues) is changing. And as for bogans - I've seen more in the Queen St Mall in Brisbane!! :laughing:

I often found that the people quick to comment on how bad a place is to live, have never actually lived there. So I say that if you are interested in living in Ipswich - rent a place and find out for yourself. There are always areas to avoid, but I bet in every town/city, incl. Toowoomba and Brisbane and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast there are places to avoid.

And I also believe that no matter where you live there is always somewhere else where you'd "like" to live, but the grass is not always greener (and frankly in Ipswich the only green grass you will find is on a golf course)!!! :laughing:

[mama kare]

Sharon! I'm in Goodna!! pm me! :)

ive lived in ..

goodna (ipswich) for 10 years,
gailes (ipswich) for 11 years,
woolloongabba (bris) for 6 months,
sherwood (bris) for 6 months,
runcorn (mt gravatt) for 6 months,
bundamba (ipswich) for 1 year

and now we're back in goodna!

as long as you get the better of the 'bad' areas you will be fine.. seriously though, all areas have a rough side!

we pay 200 p/w for a 2 bdroom house with an art studio, study and a woodburner oven :D

[Pippi Longstocking]

I thought I'd better clarify my previous anti-Ipswich posts :p

When I say I don't like living here, that doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad place to live. It just doesn't have the things I personally like to live close to - like a beach - and occasional rainfall! :p . I miss swimming - public pools are really the only option unless you want to swim with the sharks/sewage in trhe Brissie River.
I am not a city girl, I'm not into shopping, I like forests and trees and water and beaches. So while I am not particularly happy here, that doesn't mean it is an awful horrible place to live, it just means it doesn't offer the things that I like.
And anyway, I still think it's yucky! :p

[Crazyfamily]

I have lived in different parts of Ipswich most of my life. I now live in Bundamba and very happy here.

[poshBecks]

Growing up near Ipswich I have to play devil's advocate and say 'Keep your options open' and perhaps have a wee look at the Gold Coast, various suburbs of Brisbane, or even the smaller towns around Ipswich before deciding. I will admit Ipswich is definitely changing and it appears to be for the better but I think there are much nicer places to live.

Ipswich is DEFINATELY changing!!! Its not like it used to be at all!! :mad:

[mumoftwoboys2005]

Hi,

I lived in Ipswich from 1975 to 1995 in various suburbs. The Ipswich Mall isn't the most popular place because it used to be the major hangout for the bogans.

If you want to do shopping etc, You have Booval Fair (Woolworths & Big W) Yamanto (Woolworths and Specialty Stores - The Warehouse etc.) The Riverlink Shopping Centre opens in March next year I think. Apparently it has a few of the department stores like Target etc opening. We have an Art Gallery at the top of the Mall that is very child friendly.

Ipswich Hospital isn't too bad. I have never personally had to use the facilities there in the last 20 years but haven't heard any major complaints. The only problem you may have is that most Doctors in Ipswich don't seem to be taking new patients. It's just a matter of ringing around.

Pm me if you would like any more information. Happy to Help.

[Hector]

Lived in Beaudesert, Brisbane, Gold Coast and work in Ipswich, sister works in Ipswich, have grown up near Ipswich and travelled there a million times over the years...and am so glad for Them posting: you have taken the words out of my mouth!

Bogan central and just plain yucky. I feel sick using the toilets or the mother's rooms in the mall. :barf: There's always crowds of tracksuit clad ferals chain smoking and eating pies and taking up all the tables/chairs, it smells wierd, half the shops are vacant, even the Maccas is dirty and the only decent looking cafe at the top of the mall gave us food poisoning, it's the only place in the world where any of my family have been robbed and I never felt as unsafe in any of the towns and cities I visited or lived in overseas as I have in Ipswich...:thumbsdown:

But that's just me. One man's paradise is another's rubbish tip...you won't be able to make a decision til you've tried it I suppose! Good luck!

[mama kare]

i just want to add.. living in goodna, we do most of our food shopping at redbank plaze (5 minutes down the highway)

though being half way between ipswich and brisbane (nearly).. we are able to drive to brisbane shopping centres very easily to do shopping too.. like mt. ommany, indooroopilly and even in brisbane city.

ipswich region is huge though, and despite goodna being known as a bad suburb, we are living in the better part of it, near bellbird park.

still, the only way you can really learn is to move to a place and try it out :yes:

[Ponyboy]

Hey Mama Kare! I've PM'd you if you want to catch up sometime. If you are in the area near Bellbird Park, seems we are only a few streets away from each other!!:smiliedance:

[haydens#1mum]

hi there, we live in bundamba on the high school side, the other side being the tafe side. were we live is quiet, except for the neighbours haha, the kids ride on the road, we have 3 schools near us, bus up the road, the train line about 20 min walk, booval fair 5 min drive, redbank plaza not even 20 min drive. rent is from about $180 - $250, for a 3/4 bedroom house. the house across the road is 12 months old 4 bedrooms, fenced 2 car garage, and id say rented at about 250 a week. but there are definetly cheaper houses around. there are also plenty of child care facilities in this area, at least three that i know of in bundamba alone. all you have to do is a bit of research, have a look around, youll find some where that suits you
sherry

[Pobblebonk]

I moved to Redbank Plains from Kelvin Grove when DS was nearly 2 months old because I wanted to be closer to my Dad/friends.

I pay $170 pw for a 2 bedroom duplex with garage, air conditioning, etc.

I love living here. There's Redbank Plaza down the road. I can walk to the Bi-Lo or Woolies. There's a super chemist near me also that has a GREAT loyalty program, etc.

Within every 'council area' there's going to be areas to avoid, and even areas within areas to avoid.

Ipswich is a major growth area. I'd recommend somewhere around Redbank Plains/Goodna/Bellbird Park/Collingwood Park/Camira.

Good luck with your decision.

[qldmummy]

I'd recommend somewhere around Redbank Plains/Goodna/Bellbird Park/Collingwood Park/Camira.

I have lived in these areas for 20 years and have never had a problem.

Public schools in the area are pretty good and there is always the option of the private schools in the area as well.

Shopping wise, there are plenty of grocery stores and with the new Orion centre they are building down the road, aparently there will be no need to travel down to Indooroopilly or Garden City as it will rival them.

Ultimately its your decision to where you live but most areas of Ipswich are within a 20 minute drive of each other so you could probably take advantage of most of what Ipswich has to offer anyway.