Is it safe to say Campsie isn't gentrifying any time soon?

(Campsie Sydney to be precise)

We've just been through a massive boom and in my recent trip to Campsie it feels just as scummy as ever.

Is the M4 train line upgrade likely to help bring investment into the area?

 

I do not see Campsie gentrifying before Ashfield tbh. Ashfield is really starting to gentrify and transition from a heavily Chinese dominated area to an increasing younger local born crowd. Swear last time I went to dine along the Shanghai restaurant strip, most of the clientele were western. Also across the road, Urban artisans and more hip style cafes are popping up. The crazy gentrification seems to slow down once you cross the cooks river at the Canterbury-Bankstown and inner west border.The changes should be much more significant post metro and with more population growth ...

 

You can still get 2 bedroom units in Campsie for around $470k. Ashfield is a fair bit pricier but for good reason as it's a far nicer suburb. Not sure about gentrification in Campsie though, as you say it's still a somewhat unkempt area but long-term it's much more likely to gentrify than bordering suburbs like Belmore and Lakemba for demographic reasons.

 

Considering its already pretty much units, what do you want it to gentrify into?

 

Its already gentrified?

Just might not be your definition of gentrification (or whats typically though of in America - very different country to Aus)

 

My definition of gentrified is that it's become somewhere I'd like to live.
No. No way!
Who lives in America?

 

Well thats the mistake - where 'you' want to live
Campsie has definitely evolved in the past and become a place where more people want to live - just not towards your expectations
Seems like you want the American version where hipsters from surbubia taking over previous ghettoish but well located neighbourhoods.

Campsie (and probably a lot of Sydney) is probably more of the previous generation (migrant) has also evolved and their next generation bringing in economic gentrification which will make the suburb better over time but not to your expectations.

 

Well, the water quality in the Cook's River is improving albeit slowly, the Greenway is finally being built but it won't be until there are foxes in the bushes & a Range Rover in every 2nd driveway that the place is truly gentrified. Tally-Ho old chap.

 

I'm talking about the main strip, not so much the surrounding homes.

The main shopping centre is as ghettoish as I remembered it 15 years ago. The main strip is the same dirty run down looking place. I honestly don't think it's changed a hair in 15 years.

 

You were the person who brought up America, I'm asking why that is relevant to an Australian forum?

 

The main strip has awesome restaurants. Malaysian, Japanese and the best Chinese BBQ pork, roast pork and duck.

 

Ok well I think I need to take some of that back. A few days ago I only drove up the street. This time I got out and walked around and it definitely has improved. It still has that scum factor but it's more like Ashfield now and less like Cabramatta (which was what it was like 15 years back). The shopping centre is still a trash heap though, reminds me of Ashfield Mall. I don't understand why it's always high end (Westfield) or a dump (almost everything else). It's almost like there's no middle ground when it comes to shopping centres.

 

Quality of management - the tenants pay for it (security, cleaners, good design, more expensive fitout, coordinated services, precincts, functional leasing plan, dedicated leasing execs, big behind the scenes machine, budget driven).

Nothing to it so an outsourced manager is left behind and can't compete with the highly cashed-up organisations.

 

Is it because the shops are owned individually? One owner malls can decide to renovate everything and attract higher rents, but owner occupiers just want to run their businesses cheaply.

 

I get the appeal of squeezing profits, but I would have expected a few centres here and there that at least try to dress things up a little. It sucks that we're always faced with either ends of the extreme.

 

Cheap looks cheap & can't be disguised.

 

Campsie has gentrified over the past 20 years. It has improved dramatically and housing prices have risen quiet a bit. If you cannot see that then there is something wrong with you (if thats the reply you were after)

 

Fair enough. I think maybe Centro used to be that middle ground and their exit from the market is probably what killed the B grade shopping experience.

 

But if you wandered around Bankstown Square etc you wouldn't take your hand away from your wallet pocket.

 

What's Campsie like crime wise?