Sydney is a big place. It's population is about 4 million,depending on where you stop counting. It spreads in every direction from the CBD (Central Business District) until the sea or mountains stop it. Sydney has about 950 suburbs and 40 local government areas ("Councils"), 15 of which are cities in their own right. Sydney also has the highest population density in Australia. Most dwellings within a 10 km radius of the city centre are apartments, terrace houses, or townhouses, with a smattering of semis (semi-detached houses) and detached houses (on blocks of land that would be considered tiny in other Australian cities) depending upon the suburb. However, Sydney is generally clean and green, with lots of trees and parks to compensate.
Outer suburbs and newer suburbs usually consist exclusively of detached housing, but it is now State Government policy to enforce higher density housing to contain the urban sprawl, which now sees Sydney's outer suburbs a 60 kilometre drive from the city centre.
Sydney has by far the most expensive housing in Australia. Luxury homes with city and/or harbour views easily command multi-million dollar price tags to purchase, or cost thousands of dollars a *week* to rent. Sydneysiders are obsessed with views and will pay to get them.
Sydney's suburbs are generally classified by "area", going clockwise from the city centre, in the following way:
- Inner City (CBD, Kings Cross, Pyrmont, Ultimo, Surry Hills)
- Eastern (Paddington to Vaucluse and Waverley)
- South Eastern (Kensington to Malabar)
- Southern (Rockdale to Sutherland and Cronulla)
- South Western (Canterbury, Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown)
- Inner West (Glebe and Marrickville to Ashfield)
- West (Croydon to Parramatta)
- Far West (Blacktown to Penrith)
- Blue Mountains (Emu Plains to Katoomba)
- North West (Blacktown to Windsor)
- The Hills (Pennant Hills, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill)
- Far North (Asquith to Brooklyn)
- Upper North Shore (Lindfield to Hornsby)
- Mid North Shore (St Leonards to Chatswood)
- Lower North Shore (Longueville to Mosman)
- Northern Beaches (Manly to Narrabeen)
- Peninsula (Mona Vale to Palm Beach)