What's wrong with Curtin?

[highlyeccentric]

Yo, Canberra peoples. My paperwork from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office came through today. Being a top-secret Office they didn't see fit to put their *address* on said paperwork, but the wisdom of googlemaps tells me they are to be found in Woden.

Investigation suggests that the suburb of Curtin, and neighbouring Lyons, are notably more affordable than anything else around Woden or in the inner city. This sounds delightful but makes me suspicious. Before I go investigating housing options around there, I wish to know if there is something wrong with the place. I lived in Mt Druitt for a while, I have gathered a healthy suspicion of cheaper suburbs.

Comments

[fahye.livejournal.com]

I lived in an apartment in Curtin for all of second year! It's a perfectly fine place to live, it's got good bus routes and it's nice and central and the Curtin shops have a large Coles and a cheap bakery and pretty much everything you could want in a suburb's shopping centre.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

So it's reasonably convenient to ANU? I'm wondering about my chances in the way of uni-going housemates. Looks like it'd be an hour or so to get out to U of Canberra, which I think is where my cousin was planning to go...

[fahye.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's good for ANU, there's a very direct bus route from the Curtin shops straight there. UC...I think you'd have to bus to Woden Interchange (which is like. 5 minutes.) and then catch a bus to UC from there. But it wouldn't take an HOUR. Nothing in Canberra takes an hour unless you get stuck with a seriously unfortunate timetable.

DRIVING to UC from Curtin would only take about half an hour, I think.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

Ah, I was looking at a bus from Curtin through to the City interchange and change for Belconnen there. That would be the Seriously Unfortunate Timetable of which you spoke.

I don't think my cousin has a car, and I don't want one. But if she doesn't get in the place might be attractive to someone who does drive. :)

Aaaand I should probably talk to the cousin and see what she thinks her chances are of getting and if she would want to live with me anyway.

[areyoustrange.livejournal.com]

I concur, Curtin is lovely. My aunt/uncle/cousins recently moved from Curtin to another house in Curtin, and they have enough money to be choosey about where they plonk themselves. Plus I've visited both houses and yes. One of the better suburbs in Canberra. Don't move to Erinsdale. Or go to Erinsdale. Just pretend Erinsdale doesn't exist.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, Curtin is fine. I don't know about "central" - being a sometimes sydney-sider, it seems like nothing in canberra is central, not even Civic (the "city" part). But it is fairly inner. The other side of the lake from ANU, but ANU is basically on the lake, so that's not really a problem. My fella lived in Curtin, his mum now lives in Yarralumla, and it's all fine. As long as you don't hop on one of the buses that decides it's nice to go on the scenic route and drive around parliament house for a while. Woden, I believe, has a shop that sells harmonicas. Also a decent opshop. And a pie-cart. Although, I could be getting my suburbs out that way confused.
In Civic? Laugh at the goon-sack sculpture. Laugh more at the disturbing sheep. Do not go to Mooseheads. Ever. OK, once - you've got to make your own mistakes. There are many better places.
Also, Muddle does decent cocktails if you're feeling rich.
Also, bicycles are your friend. Also, jumpers.
XX

[xxlucyferxx.livejournal.com]

I've never heard anything particularly terrifying about Curtin, although I'm a northside girl (even though I go to school on southside) and so I'm not that familiar with the area. To be honest with you, I wouldn't be too stressed even if it WAS one of our 'bad' suburbs - I mean, put it this way. A few months ago, a man got stabbed to death over some sort of drug-related issue. Three-odd years ago, someone else got stabbed over some drug-related issue. And whenever the topic of drugs and/or violence comes up in conversation, everyone brings up these two incidents because they are the ONLY ones we can remember ever happening in our city.

In other words, it's pretty safe here.

The only place I wouldn't recommend you spend much time after dark in is Fyshwick. I wouldn't call it a red light district exactly, but it's about the closest thing you're going to find to a red light district in a city like this. Unless you're into brothel-crawling, that is...then it'd be the only place WORTH visiting. But you don't really strike me as the sort of girl who skulks around seedy brothels looking for a cheap lay.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

But you don't really strike me as the sort of girl who skulks around seedy brothels looking for a cheap lay.

Ahaha, my dissembling skills, they are so skilful.