Greenhaven Drive vs Lace Avenue, Umina Beach: Hillside Blocks or Level Estate?

Greenhaven Drive vs Lace Avenue, Umina Beach: Hillside Blocks or Level Estate?

Introduction Greenhaven Drive and Lace Avenue are two ways into the same Umina Beach lifestyle. Both sit in a southern Central Coast suburb with a patrolled beach, village shopping and a rail link back to Sydney, and both draw on the same schools and amenities. The difference comes down to block...

Introduction

Greenhaven Drive and Lace Avenue are two ways into the same Umina Beach lifestyle. Both sit in a southern Central Coast suburb with a patrolled beach, village shopping and a rail link back to Sydney, and both draw on the same schools and amenities. The difference comes down to block size, home style and price band. This guide walks through what each street offers so you can work out which one fits.

Street Character and First Impressions

Greenhaven Drive is the bigger street, with 117 properties on the elevated, leafy side of Umina Heights. It is about 90% owner-occupied, and it carries a green, leafy setting with glimpses toward the ocean. Homely ranks it the second best street in Umina Beach and describes it as peaceful, beautiful and central. The adjacent Greenhaven Drive Reserve adds a natural buffer and outlook.

Lace Avenue is almost the opposite in scale. It is a compact street of 29 properties inside the North Pearl Estate, a family-friendly pocket in South Umina. The streetscape is quiet and consistent, with well-presented homes on level blocks. Where Greenhaven is a larger hillside street, Lace is a tighter, estate-style pocket.

Block Sizes and Home Styles

Block size is the clearest point of difference. Greenhaven Drive lots run from about 627 m² up to 2,021 m², with many elevated lots on the hillside. That range supports everything from original brick-and-tile homes, like the neat three-bedroom at 58 Greenhaven Drive, through to contemporary new builds. Buyers who want space, elevation or room to build up will find it here.

Lace Avenue is much more uniform. Blocks sit in a tight band of roughly 550 m² to 607 m², mostly flat and regular. The homes are predominantly single-level brick family houses in a consistent streetscape. If you want a level, low-maintenance block that is ready to live in, Lace fits neatly.

Price Bands and What Your Budget Buys

Greenhaven Drive has a wide price spread, which reflects the variety of its blocks and builds. The street’s five-year house median is $1.07 million across 41 sales, and its ten-year median is $965,000 across 65 sales. Recorded sales run from about $940,000 to $1.71 million, while current asking bands stretch from the high $800,000s to about $2.3 million.

Lace Avenue trades in a tighter, more predictable band. Its ten-year house median is $1.10 million across seven sales, with a street sale recorded at $1,291,000 in March 2025 and estimated values around $1.26 million to $1.69 million. The current listing at 11 Lace Avenue is guided at $1.5 million to $1.6 million.

For context, the Umina Beach median house price is $1,215,000 across the past 24 months, with half of all sales landing between $1,025,000 and $1,400,000. Constant-quality dwelling growth sits at +119.0% over ten years and +47.0% over five years, which speaks to the suburb’s sustained appeal.

Lifestyle, Beach Access and Community

Both streets open onto the same beachside lifestyle in two different settings. Greenhaven Drive feels quiet and leafy, and one resident review describes the pocket as a green and blue haven, a hillside community that is super quiet, peaceful and neighbourly, with a leisurely, mostly flat walk to the sand. It is about a 15 minute walk to Umina Beach and its patrolled stretch.

Lace Avenue is set up for flat, family convenience. It sits in the North Pearl Estate and is described as a quiet street with an easy, flat walk to the beach, including a short, level stroll toward Kiddies’ Corner. Umina Beach itself is the biggest beach on the southern Central Coast, a long family-friendly stretch of Broken Bay, and the combined Umina and Ocean Beach shoreline runs about 2.6 km.

Both pockets also share the suburb’s settled character. Across Umina Beach, 63.7% of homes are owner-occupied, and residents regularly point to parks, neighbourly spirit and a safe, friendly feel as the area’s strengths.

Schools, Amenities and Getting Around

Schools are not really a point of difference. Both streets fall in the same catchment: Umina Beach Public School for primary and Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus for secondary. Greenhaven Drive is walkable to both, about a 12 minute walk to the primary and roughly the same to the secondary, with St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School about a 16 minute walk away. Lace Avenue is a 14 minute walk to the primary but a roughly 7 minute drive to the secondary, and St John the Baptist is about an 8 minute drive.

Amenities are shared too. The West Street shopping strip offers cafes, boutiques, supermarkets and everyday services, with Coles, Woolworths and Aldi nearby and Deepwater Plaza a short drive toward Woy Woy. The town also adds a local cinema, medical practices and the Peninsula Leisure Centre for everyday convenience.

For transport, Woy Woy Station links to Sydney, Busways runs the local bus network, and the Palm Beach Ferry leaves from nearby Ettalong. Drivers reach Sydney via the M1 freeway, taking the Gosford and Woy Woy exit onto the Central Coast Highway. Greenhaven Drive is about 4.38 km to Woy Woy Station, while Lace Avenue has a bus service about a five minute walk away.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Greenhaven Drive Umina Beach like to live on?

It is an elevated, leafy pocket on the Umina Heights hillside with ocean glimpses and a quiet, neighbourly feel. Homely ranks it the second best street in Umina Beach and describes it as peaceful, beautiful and central, with Greenhaven Drive Reserve sitting alongside.

How much do houses on Greenhaven Drive Umina Beach cost?

The street’s five-year house median is $1.07 million across 41 sales, with a ten-year median of $965,000. Recorded sales span roughly $940,000 to $1.71 million, and asking bands run from the high $800,000s to about $2.3 million.

What size blocks are on Greenhaven Drive Umina Beach?

Blocks are generous and varied, from about 627 m² up to 2,021 m², and many are elevated. That range supports original brick-and-tile homes through to contemporary new builds and architect-designed houses.

Is Greenhaven Drive Umina Beach close to the beach and shops?

Yes. It is roughly a 15 minute walk to Umina Beach and the surf life saving club, with the West Street shops, cafes and restaurants a similar walk. The walk to the sand is largely flat and leisurely.

What schools are near Greenhaven Drive Umina Beach?

Umina Beach Public School is about a 12 minute walk, and Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus is roughly the same. St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School is about a 16 minute walk away.

Is Greenhaven Drive Umina Beach good for families?

It suits families well. The street is roughly 90% owner-occupied, blocks are large, both catchment schools are walkable, and residents describe the area as quiet, safe and neighbourly.

What is Lace Avenue Umina Beach like to live on?

It is a compact, consistent street of about 29 properties in the North Pearl Estate. The streetscape is quiet and well presented, with predominantly single-level brick family homes on level blocks.

How much do houses on Lace Avenue Umina Beach cost?

The street’s ten-year house median is $1.10 million across seven sales, with a street sale at $1,291,000 in March 2025. Estimated values sit around $1.26 million to $1.69 million, and a current listing is guided at $1.5 million to $1.6 million.

What size blocks are on Lace Avenue Umina Beach?

Blocks are neat and regular, mostly flat, in a tight band of about 550 m² to 607 m². They suit low-maintenance, single-level family living without a large yard to manage.

Is Lace Avenue Umina Beach close to the beach and shops?

Yes. It is an easy, flat walk to Umina Beach, including a short, level stroll toward Kiddies’ Corner, and local shops and amenities are convenient. A bus service is about a five minute walk away.

What schools are near Lace Avenue Umina Beach?

Umina Beach Public School is about a 14 minute walk, while Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus is roughly a 7 minute drive. St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School is about an 8 minute drive.

Is Lace Avenue Umina Beach good for families?

It is a practical family pocket. The North Pearl Estate is family-friendly, homes are single-level brick, the primary school is a short walk and the beach is a level stroll away.

Conclusion

Greenhaven Drive and Lace Avenue share the same Umina Beach fundamentals: patrolled beach, village shopping, one school catchment and the Sydney rail link. What separates them is scale and style. Greenhaven offers larger, often elevated blocks and a wide price spread; Lace offers a consistent, family-friendly estate with level blocks and a tighter price band. Your choice comes down to space, outlook and budget, and either street is a sound way into the Umina Beach lifestyle.