It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – sorry, that’s already been used. My apologies to Mr Dickens.
We’re currently living on one of the best streets in Sydney, in one of the worst houses in Sydney.
How did this come about?
We have a gap in our house-sitting bookings and so needed to find somewhere to stay. While a couple of friends had offered us to share with them we felt we needed some down time and so opted for a short term rental.
Finding a place which we could afford, was in an area which worked for us and would allow a dog (Sancho is an important member of our family after all) was quite a challenge.
Our initial attempt was a place in Padstow, which was advertised as a whole house. We decided, very wisely, that we should have a look at it before moving in.
Instead of being a whole house (as advertised) it turned out to be a large room downstairs (with the owner’s office at one end) and the bedroom/bathroom upstairs opposite the owner’s bedroom.
This bore no resemblance to a “whole house” and so we cancelled the booking.
What we did find was the upstairs flat in a two-story house at Birchgrove.
It’s on a peninsula and is right on the water.
One side of the house overlooks the junction of the Parramatta River and the Lane Cove River and out the other side we can see Sydney Harbour – a spectacular location.
The above photo shows the view FROM the bathroom window.
Sadly, the house is somewhat worse for wear and I’d say hasn’t had any maintenance done since the 1950’s.
While the above photo is FROM the bathroom window, this photo is OF the bathroom.
I haven’t seen one of these water heaters for many years and haven’t lived in a house which has one for a VERY LONG time.
The wood of the window frames is all rotted and so opening and closing them is a herculean task.
There’s no power point in the bathroom and so things have been a bit ‘interesting’.
However, as you can see the bathroom has a spectacular view and it’s a real delight to stand in the shower or sit on the toilet and just watch the scenery. (If you’re finding it’s taking me a long time to respond to your phone calls or emails, this could be the reason.)
One thing we’ve noticed while living here is that it’s not a place we’d want to stay long term.
While you have to be unbelievably financially well-off to live here, all the houses bear a strong resemblance to fortresses from the outside – large walls, blank facades and lots of security systems.
But watching the people around here, while we watch the street or go for walks, has been intriguing.
I don’t think I’ve seen anyone smile and no-one says hello – weird!!
The lady who owns the house we’re in, is clearly eccentric. As I mentioned it hasn’t had any significant maintenance for many years.
There is lots of STUFF around the house – it’s a bit like living at Mrs Steptoe’s.
And yet, she is the brightest, most cheerful person I’ve met for some time.
I’m not sure if you have to be grumpy to move into the area or you get that way after being here a while (the very narrow streets and traffic issues could be a significant contributor) but I’ve yet to see a smile other than on our landlady.
That must surely tell you something about having lots of money. Stay tuned – perhaps we’ll discover some more useful insights.