Ranking Inner West Suburbs by How Much Time People Spend Outside

Some suburbs are lived in. Others are lived around.

You can tell how much time people spend outside by what the streets feel like at 9am, 3pm, and just before sunset. Are people lingering, sitting, walking, talking — or just passing through between doors?

This ranking looks at how much daily life actually happens outdoors. Not exercise alone. Not nightlife. Just how often people are visibly outside, without a reason.

1. Glebe

Glebe lives outdoors. Parks, water, paths, cafés, and wide streets keep people outside all day. It’s one of the few suburbs where being outside feels like the default setting.

2. Newtown

Newtown is constantly occupied. Footpaths are full, people sit, stand, drift, loiter. Even people who live indoors-heavy lives end up outside here without planning to.

3. Marrickville

Marrickville’s outdoor life is functional and social. People walk, sit, eat, wait, talk. It’s not curated — it’s just how the suburb works.

4. Enmore

Enmore compresses outdoor life into a small area. People spill onto the street, linger before and after venues, and treat footpaths like shared space.

5. Alexandria

Alexandria’s outdoor time is intentional. Cafés, gyms, dogs, and destination venues pull people outside in concentrated bursts throughout the day.

6. Stanmore

Stanmore surprises people. Proximity to louder neighbours means residents are often outside, walking through rather than around the suburb.

7. Petersham

Petersham’s outdoor life is routine-based. People walk to eat, walk home, walk again. It’s not performative, but it’s consistent.

8. Dulwich Hill

Dulwich Hill spends time outside slowly. Dog walks, prams, casual errands. It’s relaxed, but constant.

9. Summer Hill

Summer Hill’s village core does a lot of work. Inside that pocket, people are always outside. Beyond it, the suburb retreats indoors.

10. Hurlstone Park

Hurlstone Park is quietly outdoorsy. Parks, walking loops, and family routines keep people visible without crowding.

11. Annandale

Annandale’s outdoor life is orderly. Streets, cafés, and parks see steady use, though people retreat earlier than in busier suburbs.

12. Leichhardt

Leichhardt’s outdoor time revolves around eating. People walk, sit, linger, then head home. It’s social, but time-bound.

13. Camperdown

Camperdown’s outdoor life is driven by institutions. People are outside constantly, but often passing through rather than staying put.

14. Forest Lodge

Forest Lodge benefits from proximity. People are outside because nearby suburbs pull them there, not because the suburb itself demands it.

15. Canterbury

Canterbury’s outdoor life is practical. Walking, waiting, moving. Less lingering, more motion.

16. Campsie

Campsie spends a lot of time outside, but for necessity rather than leisure. Streets are busy, but rarely relaxed.

17. Ashfield

Ashfield’s outdoor time is functional. People walk to do things, then go back inside. It’s efficient, not leisurely.

18. Croydon

Croydon spends time outside locally. Short walks, errands, and quiet street life keep people visible in pockets.

19. Drummoyne

Drummoyne’s outdoor life is scenic. Walks happen along the water, less so through the suburb itself.

20. Lewisham

Lewisham is transitional. People walk through it more than they occupy it. Outdoor time exists, but briefly.

21. Earlwood

Earlwood’s outdoor life is family-based. Parks and routines matter, but most time is spent at home rather than on the street.

22. Ashbury

Ashbury is calm and inward-facing. Outdoor time happens quietly and close to home.

23. Haberfield

Haberfield’s outdoor life is selective. Streets are beautiful, but daily life is more indoor-focused than it looks.

24. Lilyfield

Lilyfield is peaceful and contained. People go outside intentionally, then return home. Little lingering.

25. Russell Lea

Russell Lea’s outdoor time is optional. People walk when they want to, not because the suburb pulls them out.

26. Tempe

Tempe spends the least time outside casually. Infrastructure, noise, and layout push daily life indoors unless there’s a specific reason to be out.

How much time people spend outside tells you more than price, branding, or reputation ever will.

It shows how comfortable a suburb is with itself.

And whether life happens on the street — or behind closed doors.

From the Desk of Ramon Raneal