Penrith, Australia

Capital City

With a population of just under 18,000, Penrith is no rural idyll - it's a sprawling suburb on the fringes of Sydney, beholden to the bureaucratic machinery of the City of Penrith local government. The climate is a mixed bag, with brutally hot summers tempered by cooler mountain breezes, though winters can bring the occasional frosty morning. And while the area has a rich history stretching back to the First Fleet, the relentless march of development has erased much of its colonial-era charm. Penrith is best suited for those willing to embrace the pragmatic realities of life in the urban-rural fringe, trading picturesque vistas for convenient access to greater Sydney.