Locals talk Manly Vale, July 2004

LOCALS TALK MANLY VALE – July 2004

Manly Vale is the type of Australian suburb that Hills Hoists and Victa lawn mowers were invented for. It’s also the suburb that time has quickly caught up with, especially with booming Manly just next door.
What used to be considered the poor man’s version of Manly is undergoing a renaissance as couples snap up the relatively affordable fibro and timber cottages and renovate or rebuild their dream homes.
Cunninghams Real Estate principal John Cunningham, who went to Manly Vale primary school and still lives in the area, says house prices in the area start in the $600,000s with the record price at just over $1 million for a property close to the beach and lagoon.
“This is the suburb where the baby boomers grew up,” Cunningham says. “It was your typical working class suburb and it used to be considered the bush, the back of beyond.”
The suburb has three distinct zones – the western zone which abuts Manly Dam, the eastern zone near the lagoon and close to the beach and the central zone where there is an abundance of units close to shops and transport.
There is a range of units close to the Coles supermarket on Kenneth Rd, which start in the high $200,000s and go all the way up to $900,000 for brand new units overlooking the golf course.
There is a green belt around Manly Vale, with the Dam, the golf course and playing fields near Manly District Park – but the biggest selling point is that most houses are between a 10 and 20 minute walk to Manly or Queenscliff beach.
“The beach is the real drawcard for this area – if you are on the Manly side of Pittwater Rd you could easily pay more than double what you would pay in Manly Vale,” Cunningham says.
The suburb has three golf courses within walking distance, with Warringah Golf Course the main public course. There is also a local bowling club, swimming centre and shops.

THE SCHWEICKLES

When Bill Schweickle’s dad offered him a 21st birthday party or 100 pounds to put a deposit on some land, the wise 21-year-old took the money and ran straight to the estate agents.
“Not that I didn’t drink, but I thought the money would be better used to buy land than buy beer,” the 71-year-old laughs.
The young apprentice cabinetmaker considered buying land for 200 pounds in Newport or Colloroy but he took some advice from his boss and paid the “outrageous” sum of 425 pounds for his block of land in Pitt St, Manly Vale.
“The wise man said to me that the money I would save in fares by only having to travel to Manly Vale would more than cover the extra cost of the land,” he said.
“Back then, the golf course was all dairy farms and there was bush all around but Manly Vale was still a lot closer than Newport.”
Schweickle was attracted to the area because he liked to swim and was a member of local surf clubs.
“I grew up in Milsons Point and as a teenager I used to catch the bus through here to go to the beach,” he says.
Schweickle was one of the many post-war pioneers of Manly Vale, building his two-bedroom house himself over several years.
“Back then you would get the Hudson Ready-cuts and choose a design and buy the kit to put together yourself,” he says.
“There were five of us building our houses in this street and we used to all help each other.”
The Schweickles did not finish the house until their first son was six months old – and they have been there every since.
“Back then it was all working families like us. There were only 10 houses in our street but at one stage there were 27 kids living here,” he says.
Their two sons would play in the dead-end street and catch eels in Burnt Bridge Creek.
“I can see the circle coming again. We’ll go to the person in the sky and new families will come in,” he says.
“Last night I was outside and I could hear the mum screaming for the kids to come in for their bath.”

MELISSA ALLDIS AND JEREMY WILKINSON

When thirty-something couple Melissa Alldis and Jeremy Wilkinson first started apartment-hunting, they were hoping to buy in Harbord.
“I really wanted to be close to the beach but the prices were so high and you could only get something very small,” Alldis says.
“In Manly Vale we could get a two bedroom apartment with a north-facing balcony overlooking the golf course - in Harbord we could have got a tiny two-bedder or a one-bedroom.”
The couple were attracted to the area because they have a lot of friends who live locally and like the “social atmosphere” of the northern beaches.
They paid $445,000 for their unit in Manly Vale’s central zone around the corner from Coles supermarket.
“We are in an area with lots of units but it’s not like Dee Why where everything is units, it’s more medium density and it’s quite green,” Alldis says.
The couple had rented in Manly Vale before buying and liked the close proximity to Manly.
“It’s a ten minute walk to Queenscliff from our place – although we are more likely to drive the car than walk,” Alldis says.
The couple go out in Manly and confess they usually drive in and leave their car for the night.
“We catch a cab home if we’ve had a few drinks and it’s only a $7 cab fare,” she says.
Alldis works in Frenchs Forest and Wilkinson drives to work in the city – which takes around 20 minutes if traffic isn’t too bad.
“Manly Vale is really accessible, it’s close to the city, close to the beach and you get good value,” she says.

JO RUNCIMAN AND STEVE ARNOLD

Just over three years ago Jo Runciman and Steve Arnold wanted to trade their Coogee apartment for a place with a garden and off-street parking – but they didn’t want to be far from the beach.
“I live in Sydney to be near the beach, not stuck out in the middle of nowhere,” says Jo Runciman. “Manly Vale was the only place we found that we could actually afford but was still in walking distance to the beach.”
The couple had searched high and low for a house with a garden, and finally found a renovated two-bedroom 1950s house in Laurie Road in 2001 for $480,000.
“We wanted a garden that was private and didn’t have apartment blocks looking into it – we also wanted to have dogs,” Runciman says.
The thirty-something couple now have a baby son, Tom, as well as two kelpies and two chickens. They have just added a second storey to their house to create a master bedroom.
“This is the perfect family location – there are bike paths down to the beach, a swimming centre down the road, plenty of parks and it’s the kind of suburb where people care,” Runciman says.
“It’s not like the eastern suburbs beaches where it is more transient. Once people come to Manly Vale, they never leave so it’s a real community.”
The couple drive to parks at Curl Curl and Harbord, where they can exercise their dogs in leash-free areas. Manly Dam is a short walk across Condamine Street, and local residents can use the park for swimming, water ski-ing and canoeing as well as hire undercover areas for picnics.
“It’s also a bonus because Warringah Council give you a sticker which means you don’t have to pay for parking at the beach if you are a local resident,” Runciman says.
“This is one of those areas that has such great lifestyle but you’re still only half an hour from the city.”


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LOCALS TALK MANLY VALE – July 2004 Manly Vale is the type of Australian suburb that Hills Hoists and Victa lawn mowers were invented for. It’s also the suburb that time has quickly caught up with, especially with booming Manly just next door. What used to be considered the poor man’s version of Manly is undergoing a renaissance as couples snap up the relatively affordable fibro and timber cottages and renovate or rebuild their dream homes. Cunninghams Real Estate principal John Cunningham, who went to Manly Vale primary school and still lives in the area, says house prices in the area start in the $600,000s with the record price at just over $1 million for a property close to the beach and lagoon. “This is the suburb where the baby boomers grew up,” Cunningham says. “It was your typical working class suburb and it used to be considered the bush, the back of beyond.” The suburb has three distinct zones – the western zone which abuts Manly Dam, the eastern zone near the lagoon and close to the beach and the central zone where there is an abundance of units close to shops and transport. There is a range of units close to the Coles supermarket on Kenneth Rd, which start in the high $200,000s and go all the way up to $900,000 for brand new units overlooking the golf course. There is a green belt around Manly Vale, with the Dam, the golf course and playing fields near Manly District Park – but the biggest selling point is that most houses are between a 10 and 20 minute walk to Manly or Queenscliff beach. “The beach is the real drawcard for this area – if you are on the Manly side of Pittwater Rd you could easily pay more than double what you would pay in Manly Vale,” Cunningham says. The suburb has three golf courses within walking distance, with Warringah Golf Course the main public course. There is also a local bowling club, swimming centre and shops. THE SCHWEICKLES When Bill Schweickle’s dad offered him a 21st birthday party or 100 pounds to put a deposit on some land, the wise 21-year-old took the money and ran straight to the estate agents. “Not that I didn’t drink, but I thought the money would be better used to buy land than buy beer,” the 71-year-old laughs. The young apprentice cabinetmaker considered buying land for 200 pounds in Newport or Colloroy but he took some advice from his boss and paid the “outrageous” sum of 425 pounds for his block of land in Pitt St, Manly Vale. “The wise man said to me that the money I would save in fares by only having to travel to Manly Vale would more than cover the extra cost of the land,” he said. “Back then, the golf course was all dairy farms and there was bush all around but Manly Vale was still a lot closer than Newport.” Schweickle was attracted to the area because he liked to swim and was a member of local surf clubs. “I grew up in Milsons Point and as a teenager I used to catch the bus through here to go to the beach,” he says. Schweickle was one of the many post-war pioneers of Manly Vale, building his two-bedroom house himself over several years. “Back then you would get the Hudson Ready-cuts and choose a design and buy the kit to put together yourself,” he says. “There were five of us building our houses in this street and we used to all help each other.” The Schweickles did not finish the house until their first son was six months old – and they have been there every since. “Back then it was all working families like us. There were only 10 houses in our street but at one stage there were 27 kids living here,” he says. Their two sons would play in the dead-end street and catch eels in Burnt Bridge Creek. “I can see the circle coming again. We’ll go to the person in the sky and new families will come in,” he says. “Last night I was outside and I could hear the mum screaming for the kids to come in for their bath.” MELISSA ALLDIS AND JEREMY WILKINSON When thirty-something couple Melissa Alldis and Jeremy Wilkinson first started apartment-hunting, they were hoping to buy in Harbord. “I really wanted to be close to the beach but the prices were so high and you could only get something very small,” Alldis says. “In Manly Vale we could get a two bedroom apartment with a north-facing balcony overlooking the golf course - in Harbord we could have got a tiny two-bedder or a one-bedroom.” The couple were attracted to the area because they have a lot of friends who live locally and like the “social atmosphere” of the northern beaches. They paid $445,000 for their unit in Manly Vale’s central zone around the corner from Coles supermarket. “We are in an area with lots of units but it’s not like Dee Why where everything is units, it’s more medium density and it’s quite green,” Alldis says. The couple had rented in Manly Vale before buying and liked the close proximity to Manly. “It’s a ten minute walk to Queenscliff from our place – although we are more likely to drive the car than walk,” Alldis says. The couple go out in Manly and confess they usually drive in and leave their car for the night. “We catch a cab home if we’ve had a few drinks and it’s only a $7 cab fare,” she says. Alldis works in Frenchs Forest and Wilkinson drives to work in the city – which takes around 20 minutes if traffic isn’t too bad. “Manly Vale is really accessible, it’s close to the city, close to the beach and you get good value,” she says. JO RUNCIMAN AND STEVE ARNOLD Just over three years ago Jo Runciman and Steve Arnold wanted to trade their Coogee apartment for a place with a garden and off-street parking – but they didn’t want to be far from the beach. “I live in Sydney to be near the beach, not stuck out in the middle of nowhere,” says Jo Runciman. “Manly Vale was the only place we found that we could actually afford but was still in walking distance to the beach.” The couple had searched high and low for a house with a garden, and finally found a renovated two-bedroom 1950s house in Laurie Road in 2001 for $480,000. “We wanted a garden that was private and didn’t have apartment blocks looking into it – we also wanted to have dogs,” Runciman says. The thirty-something couple now have a baby son, Tom, as well as two kelpies and two chickens. They have just added a second storey to their house to create a master bedroom. “This is the perfect family location – there are bike paths down to the beach, a swimming centre down the road, plenty of parks and it’s the kind of suburb where people care,” Runciman says. “It’s not like the eastern suburbs beaches where it is more transient. Once people come to Manly Vale, they never leave so it’s a real community.” The couple drive to parks at Curl Curl and Harbord, where they can exercise their dogs in leash-free areas. Manly Dam is a short walk across Condamine Street, and local residents can use the park for swimming, water ski-ing and canoeing as well as hire undercover areas for picnics. “It’s also a bonus because Warringah Council give you a sticker which means you don’t have to pay for parking at the beach if you are a local resident,” Runciman says. “This is one of those areas that has such great lifestyle but you’re still only half an hour from the city.”