The Northern Suburbs (also known as Central North, Inner Northwest, Macquarie District, Ryde District and Northern District) is the metropolitan area on the northern bank of the Parramatta River in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia east of West Pennant Hills and west of the Lane Cove National Park, south of Hornsby. This area includes suburbs in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire, City of Ryde and the City of Parramatta. Because this is not a clearly defined region (although having a clearly differently defined lifestyle and social groups over the north shore region), 'Northern Suburbs' may also include the suburbs in the Upper North Shore, Lower North Shore and even the Northern Beaches. The term "northern suburbs" does not exclusively apply to Sydney, and is in common use throughout other Australian cities to denote localities to the north of a city centre.
The Northern Suburbs of Sydney are characterised by pristine waterways with immense greenery, a well-planned public transport system, large plots of manicured land, and substantial bungalow style homes. The upper middle class region is home to many parks and reserves, the region's largest being Pennant Hills Park. Major waterways in the region include the Parramatta River, Lane Cove River and the many creek systems that branch out from these.
The suburbs and localities of the region generally known as Northern Suburbs are:
The Northern Suburbs is a culturally diverse region. Surrounding the Eastwood–Carlingford area, a large number of wealthy Asian immigrants have settled, largely due to the high academic achievements of the local schools at the time.