Why everyone wants to move to Thornleigh

Why everyone wants to move to Thornleigh

The tightly held suburb of Thornleigh was once called Pleasantville and the name still rings true today. With its excellent schools, generous blocks and community-minded locals, it’s a wonderful place to raise a family, and ideal for retirees and downsizers, too.

Like many of Sydney’s established and sought-after suburbs, Thornleigh is seeing a generational shift of late, as new families and first-time buyers move into the area, drawn to the many excellent schools, along with its bushlands, gum trees and village atmosphere. The suburb is surrounded by natural parkland, making it a wonderful weekend base for families.

Thornleigh is also attractive to those homebuyers who want to commute to the CBD – it’s around 45 minutes each way – yet also value easy proximity to bushland, lots of greenery, and an unpretentious community atmosphere.

“Bushland, gum trees and a village atmosphere”

With the completion of the NorthConnex tunnel, Pennant Hills Road is now easy to navigate with less trucks which has given a lift to the area.

Blocks tend to be generous and the homes, when they come up, are usually well maintained and have been renovated by their owners, who’ve often raised their own families here.

While the biggest fans of the area tend to be families with school-age kids, there are also young couples buying here after selling a city apartment, and retirees who wish to stay in the area. Since COVID, the suburb has also seen a huge migration from inner city families now looking for “lifestyle” homes.

The easy commute to the CBD or out of town, along with the proximity to so many local attractions, make this a suburb that appeals to a wide cross-section of buyers.

Thornleigh for families

“Spoilt for choice with top-quality schools”

Thornleigh is arguably one of the best suburbs in NSW for its choice of easily accessible schools, making it a great suburb to raise kids and a steady investment. We’re spoilt for choice with schools here, from state secondary and primaries, state selective schools and co-ed to single sex private schools. Here are some of the top schools in the area.

• Normanhurst West Public School (public primary school)
• Thornleigh West Primary School (public primary school
• Turrumurra High School (public high school)
• Pennant Hills High School (public high school)
• Loreto Normanhurst Catholic School (private Catholic girls’ school)
• Barker College (private school; soon to be co-ed)
• Abottsleigh (private Anglican girls’ school from preschool to year 12)
• St Leo’s Catholic College Wahroonga (private co-educational Catholic college)
• Normanhurst Boys High School (selective boys’ public school)
• Hornsby Girls High School (selective girls’ public school)

For young couples who are thinking of relocating to the area and starting a family, it is also reassuring to know that you have excellent preschools, daycare centres and home-based centres within walking and driving distance. Each listed below caters to many families with young children in the area. These include:

• Amazing Childhood Family Daycare
• St Stephen’s Preschool
• Thornleigh Preschool
• Norman West Community Pre-school
• Larool Preschool Incorporated
• Chilverleigh Early Learning

Finding the dream family home in Thornleigh

Now that the schools are covered, what about the house?

If you’re after the serene suburban lifestyle and prefer lush greenery and wildlife over the bustling city, Thornleigh ticks every box.

The suburb has a diverse array of housing ‒ from modern homes to older-style homes, two and three-storey townhouses, single, two or three bedroom units and community living like Wild Ash Grove ‒ such variety is attractive to potential buyers. Combine that with stunning greenery and fauna including rainbow lorikeets, kookaburras, cockatoos and wallabies, and you have the quintessential Australian home.

The classic townhouse offers all the benefits of living in Thornleigh without the upkeep so will suit downsizers and young professionals looking to grow their career.

Developers have since responded to the need for smaller homes and for single or two-person households- for retirees, downsizers and working couples resulting in 23 new and Off-Plan apartments/unit builds for sale in Thornleigh and neighboring suburbs. As a result, these are attractive options for those who are planning to downsize and stay in Thornleigh, but with less work and the ability to ‘lock and leave’.

Living the Thornleigh lifestyle

With easy access to the Central Coast, a train station to and from the city and close proximity to beautiful native bushland including Berowra Valley National Park, Thornleigh is a suburb that allows you to balance busy weeks of school with relaxing weekends in the Australian shrubbery.

The Hawkesbury River is just 30 minutes away by car, and many families in the area love to take a boat out on weekends or head there for a picnic or bushwalk.

For more local recreation, there’s the Brickpit Playground perfect for young families, a mini putt putt golf course if you wish to try your luck for a few hole in ones, a basketball centre, as well as a skateboarding park and accessible gyms.

In neighbouring Westleigh suburb, you can shop at ALDI and IGA for daily groceries, while Thornleigh Marketplace offers healthcare, plus a great selection of independent shops, cafés and supermarkets including Woolworths, and some great local eateries including Thai and Malaysian restaurants.

Thinking of big shopping trips but don’t want the hassle of travelling all the way to Sydney’s CBD, Westfield Hornsby is a ten minute drive away. Abbotsleigh Aquatic centre is also a mere ten minute drive away from the suburb, whilst Pennant Hills is also great for healthcare services, shopping and eating out.

The future is bright

As of 31 October 2020, the nine kilometre NorthConnex twin tunnel motorway is now open for business!

NorthConnex directly links the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at West Pennant Hills.

NorthConnex provides safer, faster and more efficient journeys for all road users, returning local roads to local communities, reducing congestion, creating safer roads for families, and improving air quality and noise along Pennant Hills Road. Other benefits include;

• By avoiding 21 sets of traffic lights, the tunnel offers a straighter, flatter route for improved fuel efficiency.
• Motorists save up to 15 minutes improving the efficient movement of freight.
• Bypass 40 sets of traffic lights on the Pacific Highway to the Sydney CBD.
• Provides two 3.5 metre wide lanes with a breakdown lane in each direction to minimise delays from incidents.
• Removes up to 5000 trucks daily from Pennant Hills Road, improving safety, local air quality and reduces traffic noise.
• Boosts productivity for the freight network, supporting businesses to be more competitive and contributing to a stronger economy.

Looking for your dream home in Thornleigh? Talk to me.

Thornleigh is a tightly held community where people really do look after each other. It’s always been known as a place where people are kind and offers a wonderful lifestyle and easy access to the city and the central coast.

When looking for a home it’s important to feel that your agent can empathise with your situation. I have lived in Thornleigh since 2000 and have raised my own children here, so I can understand why people are looking for their dream family home here, or have lived in the area and wish to downsize or look for a smaller, more manageable property.

Please contact me if you are thinking of selling or buying a home in Thornleigh. I know the area and the buyers, and I love to help people find their perfect home in Thornleigh.

Karen Page
Sales Agent

M: 0418 643 264 T: (02) 9481 8600
1 Hillcrest Road, Pennant Hills NSW 2120
https://karenpage.com.au/