Gay Burbs

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote glowingly about gay and lesbian property buyers -“ and those savvy marketers who advertise in the Star -“ in Saturday’s Domain. Gay men and lesbians, the story suggested, were becoming increasingly comfortable outside the traditional gay neighbourhoods of the inner east and inner west.

This will not come as news to those of us living in what could be called the new ghettos. North Bondi and Waterloo are already very well populated by gay couples and singles, as are suburbs like Tempe, Dulwich Hill, Bellevue Hill and Ashfield.

Further out, the Blue Mountains have held appeal to sea-changing gay couples for years, with attractive prices and bigger lot sizes.

It’s true that -“ if they had the choice -“ many of these buyers would happily purchase a terrace in Surry Hills or Newtown. But the price of inner city properties -“ particularly those with a bit of space -“ has taken that option away. And as gay buyers look elsewhere, they’re seeing what the suburbs have to offer.

Things like backyards, parks, friendly neighbours and a sense of community seem to be becoming more attractive to gay buyers. Those who turned their nose up at Marrickville, for example, as too far out or too dirty eight or nine years ago might find themselves regretting not picking up a house there when they could afford it.

Gay suburbanites are also finding that any reservations they might have had about what the new neighbours might think of their relationships are largely unfounded. Sydney is, largely, a pretty tolerant place, and thanks to the Mardi Gras parade, it’s unlikely you’ll move anywhere that the neighbours are unaware of the city’s gay community. Those that have children might appreciate living close to other families, who can be a bit more understanding of the noise of kids.

And those who appreciate the finer things in their electronic life might find themselves facing less noise complaints once they get their sub-woofers out of an apartment building.

Of course, there have been gay suburbanites for as long as there have been suburbs, and it’s really nothing new. But those tearing their hair out to save for a deposit to buy in the ever-costly inner city should take a deep breath, and spread their wings. They might find something perfect just a couple of kilometres down the road.