r/canberra • u/GladObject2962 • Aug 31 '26
Recommendations Charnwood 2026
Whats charnwood like in 2026? Is it still considered a rough area similar to Emu Ridge? Would you happily live there today?
Interested in all opinions
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u/imawestie Aug 31 '26
I moved here from Mount Druitt over a decade ago.
Canberra does not know what rough is.
It is a decade since I have seen more than one set of patches ride down Lhotsky st on the same day. Rebels and Nomads on the same day used to not be uncommon.
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u/yummytoys Aug 31 '26
Canberran's tend to exaggerate this for whatever reason akin to a war zone or something (two guys talking at the shops in Belconnen = "dodgy"). There are no dangerous places, some a bit rougher in the south side maybe, but c'mon lol....
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u/imawestie Sep 01 '26
Agree. I moved from Mt Druitt when school kids were shooting home made rockets at Westbus buses, and the drivers started refusing to go on certain routes without a police escort (which they got).
When did that ever happen anywhere in the ACT?
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u/ApteronotusAlbifrons Sep 01 '26
Rebels and Nomads on the same day used to not be uncommon.
Heading for the Charnie Tavern (now cleaned up and rebranded as the Labor Club)
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Aug 31 '26
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u/blacksunabove Sep 02 '26
Ah yes, long grass - must be the worst kind of ruffian living there 🙄
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Sep 02 '26
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u/blacksunabove Sep 03 '26
Oh yeah, I get it for sure. Never taking bins in is definitely one.
Just looking at my unmowed lawn which has sat fallow all winter.... 😂
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u/ApteronotusAlbifrons Aug 31 '26
I'm in the area and don't ever feel unsafe - but I'm a big guy
I was looking at the crime stats for a similar question a little while back, and randomly chose Scullin as a similar sized comparator. I expected it to be close, but I was somewhat surprised at how close, and which way the needle fell.
Charnwood - population of 3055 in the 2021 census - 57 offences Jan~March 2026
Scullin - population of 3069 in the 2021 census - 63 offences Jan~March 2026
https://police.act.gov.au/crime-statistics
I've previously said that Charnwood's reputation has been very outdated and inaccurate for some time
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u/GladObject2962 Aug 31 '26
Thanks for this! I find it quite surprising and interesting that, statistically speaking, Scullin is less safe, yet I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone refer to it as a dodgy suburb. Although, many people have said that about Charnwood.
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u/fouronenine Aug 31 '26
There was a post here or in r/australia recently about socio-economic dynamics from the 2021 census - Scullin, Page and Florey were some of the more disadvantaged suburbs in Canberra.
It's all very input dependent, because I have seen metrics which have O'Connor, Reid, Richardson, Charny, Spence, Holt and Lyons all in the lowest category.
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u/ApteronotusAlbifrons Aug 31 '26
I didn't look too closely - but they really are very similar numbers
Scullin had 2 burglary and Charnwood had none
Charnwood had one shop burglary Scullin had none
Assault/Sexual Offence numbers, exactly the sameBoth had a robbery - Charnwood also had one armed robbery
Scullin had more speeding and traffic offences (Kingsford Smith and Southern Cross probably account for that)
Charnwood had more, uncategorised, "other offences"
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u/dizkopatio Aug 31 '26
Some one said this week there's no crime in charnwood because it's full of criminals. I thought it was beautiful ( they were referring to McGregor in the late 90s but the shoe fits)
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u/Agreeable_Tale6311 Sep 02 '26
Used to be a family called the kings they are all in. Prison now they used to run a tight ship in Charnie
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u/FamilyFriendly101 Aug 31 '26
What/where is Emu Ridge?
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u/GladObject2962 Aug 31 '26
Very central belconnen, the houses in the land between Cisac,Canberra high and the belconnen police station
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u/Grrrrtttt Aug 31 '26
Since when was it dodgy though? When I lived there a decade or so ago it was mostly uni students and young professionals living in the townhouses around there.
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u/GladObject2962 Aug 31 '26
Its been dodgy for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Emu Ridge spending a good 15 years there and there is definitely a "bad" side and a "not as bad" side.
Most of the unsafe part was the apartments closer toward college Street. But I lived near the uni gardens and we had to get restraining orders on neighbours and had our carport set on fire just to list a couple examples
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u/Direct_Routine2654 Aug 31 '26
Idk how it's travelling nowadays but Emu Ridge was notorious in the 90s-00s. So many break-ins and other general gronk activities. Had some amazing parties there though!
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u/yummytoys Aug 31 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
A little bit rough at times, but Canberran's always exaggerate , probably because nothing ever exciting happens. They are acting like there are crazy homeless people setting up tents everywhere and fentanyl fiends on every corner like in many cities in the US
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u/AnyClownFish Aug 31 '26
Charnwood is no worse than the surrounding suburbs like Macgregor, Dunlop or Holt. West Belconnen isn’t the inner south, but it’s perfectly fine as outer suburbia goes.
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u/SubstantialBanana132 Aug 31 '26
I live here. It’s fine. Charnwood shops has a lot of different shop, a lot of the same shops too. There’s a few sirens, being close to the fire station. I live off tillyard drive and you don’t notice the hoons much after the first couple months. Even then, they’re not that bad. I have a tool trailer and a tool canopy In my driveway and it feels quite safe, no attempts at break ins
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u/cewumu Aug 31 '26
Charnie is a lot better than that inner Belco area.
I lived in the other great slum (opposite the kebab shop that blew up) and it was shit. Not ‘fear for my life’ shit but definitely ‘fear for my stuff’ shit.
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u/TwoWheelGypsyQueens Aug 31 '26
Totterdell??
My wife and I lived down there for about 5 years, and it was good.
We did have one lady who used to walk up and down the street howling like a banshee, other than that and party animal neighbours we never had any trouble in there.
We were up the other end from the kebab shop though, I get the impression that the shady types were further up that end.
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u/cewumu Sep 01 '26
I used to work nights so I’d be coming home between 2: and 4:00 am and there’d always be dodgy looking sorts riding around on bikes or roaming around the carparks without purpose. One time I beeped the horn at some guy who seemed to be trying to break into a garage. Plus we had two separate sets of neighbours who were always screaming at each other. Or that weird dead fish that got dropped at a sign and never cleaned up.
I’ve lived in plenty of other areas here and in Sydney and just had less obvious dodginess.
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u/commentspanda Aug 31 '26
Charnwood is just like all the suburbs around it. Charnwood shops is a little more problematic, just like kippax is. Once you have low income housing clustered near shopping centres that tends to happen. It’s the Canberra way.
Edit: lived in macgregor for years. I miss it.
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u/Outside-Hippo-2040 Aug 31 '26
I feel safer at Charnie shops than I do at Kippax.
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u/commentspanda Aug 31 '26
Fair. Kippax was never good. We usually went to Belconnen. I’m very happy with the rise in online delivery quality post Covid.
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u/yummytoys Aug 31 '26
I've walked through the alleyway off Tillyward hundreds of times (where the scout hall is), no issues what-so-ever, even in the evening nothing. The residents that live there are all quiet and respectable, never heard a peep. I always take an evening walk in Flynn/Charnwood, it's dangerously peacful. You couldn't do that in some places in West sydney
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u/SnowQuiet9828 Aug 31 '26
Technically im an out of stater, been in ACT 10 years. Bought in Charnwood 2024. Personally not growing up here, i'd never heard of charnwood or it's past. Genuinely never. Right after we bought so many people were like, ugh charnbwood?
But honestly, i live in a lovely quiet little street. plenty of walking paths, playgrounds etc. we have a huge backyard, bigger then any across the road in dunlop.
Either way, lovely neighbourhood. But every neighbourhood has pockts of not-nice in them. even Lyneham or O'connor. So d0on;t let the BA stop you from buying a lovely little house.
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u/yummytoys Aug 31 '26
you don't agree that Charnwood is far more dangerous and sketchy then Mount Druitt? Don't believe Canberrans when it comes to places to live.
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u/Used-History-6454 Aug 31 '26
I live in a neighbouring suburb quite close to Charnie shops and I love the area. Never had an issue, my family has been there for over 30 years. Charnwood shops has some bloody good food too, the banh mi at the bakery is really up there.
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u/createdtothrowaway87 Aug 31 '26
The banh mi is really top notch. I had a most disappointing Miss Ba Co banh mi two weeks ago, very skimpy ingredients (who skimps on grated CARROT FFS). That weekend I had one at the Charnie bakery and it was excellent, very generous filling and didnt even skimp on the pate.
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u/Jumpingjehosephat99 Aug 31 '26
Second the banh mi. So annoying when they run out. So glorious when I get the last one.
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u/imawestie Aug 31 '26
Shame both the chippo and the kebab shop changed hands at almost the same time to people who don't know what they're doing. They're both probably fine if you can't compare them to the same shop from 2024.
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u/FantasticRound2018 Aug 31 '26
The standard has dropped a bit over the years (Bernies was the last holdout for hand cut chips before everyone went frozen). But I'd argue that between the new Italian, Bernies, Charcoal Chicken, Turkish, Chinese, cafe and bakery it's still got a consistently high standard across all of them compared to most other medium shopping centres in Canberra.
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u/imawestie Sep 01 '26
The kebab shop has gone from a place I recommend people drive to, to a place I drive past.
Under the previous management I bought from Bernies, the kebab shop, and the charcoal chicken routinely. Now I buy from Charnies Noodles and the charcoal chicken shop.
(The charcoal chicken shop is very very good)
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u/Telstratower Sep 01 '26
Got the Turkish recently and was really disappointed. It used to be better or at least on par with Kippax. Nowadays Kippax is much better.
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u/Unlucky_Horror_3384 Aug 31 '26
Have a relative living in townhouses near the shops. Actually super quiet and neighbourly. Nothing reported in relation to crime nearby either and the shops are very handy. I don’t think it lives up to its ‘dodgy’ reputation tbh.
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u/pinklittlebirdie Aug 31 '26
It's fine. We moved here in 2021. It has a surprising amount of thriving businesses in different areas (not just trades and accountants).. The teaching at the school is fantastic and I have no complaints Even if the ACT government refuses still to give them the much needed playground despite promising it at the last election.
There is no sign at the entry to my street saying this area is under police surveillance unlike our last street. The community pages are great and really lovely (they do include other suburbs but all are lovely)
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Aug 31 '26
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u/Greenfrog2023 Aug 31 '26
Theres bhan mih??? Where....
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Aug 31 '26
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u/Greenfrog2023 Aug 31 '26
Thanks, I'll check it out next time I am over there.
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u/BigSkimmo Aug 31 '26
It's the bakery (at least, I'm pretty sure thats the one they're talking about). The bakery also does banh mi, and it's really good.
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u/Telstratower Aug 31 '26
It's pretty decent but not open on weekends which is a bummer. Also funny that none of you can spell bánh mì.
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u/Adventurous_Push_615 Aug 31 '26
I had one there yesterday so maybe they've increased their hours
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u/Telstratower Aug 31 '26
Oh awesome, I'm stoked if they have. The bakery has always been open on weekends, but the banh mi section would be closed.
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u/blacksunabove Sep 02 '26
West Belco is fast becoming gentrified. All the hipsters who used to rent in the inner north bought places out here in the last few years. It's pretty standard suburbia really.
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u/DoctorEmu1 Tuggeranong Aug 31 '26
Very little is worse than Emu Ridge
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u/Outside-Hippo-2040 Aug 31 '26
I worked at the local primary school for many years and loved the sense of community. The shops are a thrive of activity. Lots of great cafes and takeaways. There is definitely some streets I wouldn’t feel comfortable in at night but that’s similar to most suburbs.
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u/RedRibbon-17 Sep 01 '26
Real rough! You gotta be at least thiiiiiiiiiiis tough to move here.
🤚————————————-✋
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u/Pitmidget Sep 01 '26
Charnwood used to be rough but has been a pretty good subirb for almost a decade now. I do remember working at the Maccas there when I was 14 and 2 junkies stabbed each ither in the outside dining area though, good times (It was not a good time)
Id say Kippax is a bit more rough nowadays but mainly because of the derro kids roaming around
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u/Coffeetom10 Aug 31 '26
As someone who bought into Emu Ridge a few years ago, I don't see any issues with either area. Both have a higher concentration of public housing than average, but we've never felt unsafe at night in either area.
On a side note - everyone throwing shade on Emu Ridge should swing past again. Sure it's no Red Hill, but it's improved. And will more once the Howie Court flats finally get removed...
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u/Square_Scientist5255 Sep 01 '26
I lived in Charnwood from 2002 until 2005, it was my first residence in the ACT. Other than kids putting fireworks in the dumpsters at the back of the shops from time to time, it was peaceful and felt safe.
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u/MaggEm Aug 31 '26
I bought here earlier this year and I really love it.
I was living in central Belconnen and the dodgy demographic was way worse there in my opinion. Shops is vibrant with a decent Cafe and any take away you might want. Always has people of all types sitting around socialising and eating food on weekends. So far walking around the streets with my daughter has felt safe and there are plenty of regular people walking who say hello.