We got stuck exactly there. The problem was that we were looking for a suburb that had every advantage and no trade-offs. Sydney does not work that way for most families. Once we chose the inconvenience we could tolerate, the decision became easier. We accepted a slightly less exciting suburb because the school run, groceries, and commute worked. At first I felt like we had compromised too much. Six months later, ordinary days were smoother, and that mattered more than the fantasy version. Answer Former Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Current Location: Ryde, Sydney