Life in Unley Park: why this top Adelaide suburb is still so alluring

As an Adelaide resident who is more familiar than most with the upper echelons of the local property market, it’s telling that agent Stephanie Williams has chosen to put down roots in Unley Park.

“Unley Park is set within a really nice precinct,” says the Harcourts Williams director and leading agent. “Beautiful big block sizes are upheld there, and with conservation zoning the overall street appeal is strong, because you can’t easily sub-divide these big blocks.”

Wonderful streetscapes

Grand villas with architecture reflecting European and American fashions of the late 1800s and early 1900s are surrounded by well-landscaped grounds and the wide roads are planted with majestic trees that complement the character homes.

Williams has lived in Unley Park with her family for the past six years and says she loves being able to leave the car at home and walk to parks, cafes and public transport. It’s only three kilometres south of the CBD and a five-minute walk to the restaurants and cafes of King William Road, a cosmopolitan shopping strip undergoing a major upgrade.

Finance business owner Karen Bruce and her husband Craig, a radio consultant, have raised four daughters in the area and recently bought an Unley Park property. They are in the process of getting approval for a new build with room for the extended family – the kind of property keenly sought by prospective buyers.

Bruce says the suburb provides a great location close to top schools, the city and even the beach, which is a 15-minute drive away. “It really offers that middle ground,” she says. “There are some other good suburbs in Adelaide but Unley Park is so highly sought-after with its wide leafy streets and beautiful heritage villas. It’s got flat streets and well-maintained infrastructure and it’s a great spot for all ages.”

Bruce says she spent many hours at Heywood Park, the local reserve, when her children were young and is looking forward to taking grandchildren there in the years ahead.

Premium prices

“It’s a place where property will hold its value,” she says. “People pay a premium to get into the neighbourhood.”

Williams says Victoria Avenue remains among the suburb’s and the city’s most coveted streets, with homes along its picturesque boulevard claiming Adelaide’s highest prices.

“It’s an area that families target, and once they’re in there they stay for quite some time,” she says. “It’s on the radar of a lot of our international clients.”

Top home in the area

On park-like grounds by designer Penny Ruddock, Norfolk House is a picture-perfect sandstone villa built circa 1900.

Enoki Design has added a contemporary touch to the interiors.

Harcourts Williams are selling the property with a $4.15 million price guide.