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Just curious...... Why go to Australia if you're going to look for a town exactly like where you're from?
Seems kinda pointless to go to the other side of the world only to look for a place like where you're from. If u want Santa Barbara just go back to Santa Barbara? Am I off base here?
I don't know where that "European" tag came from. Perhaps from the influx of European migrants in the 1950s to 70s....just like every other city in Australia
It's the same punters who now stick the arts/culture tag on Melbourne. It's just a marketing thing. Sydney seems to be full of hipsters these days. Ship them off to Melbourne -- sorry, I meant "Melbs" -- I doubt anyone would care.
I feel qualified to answer your post as I'm from Perth and as I type I'm sitting in Santa Barbara.
I left because it was boring (to me in my 20's, having grown up there) and no job opportunities back in the 90s. These days it's booming and its changed a lot.. Perth is a large city, population is roughly 2 million, Santa Barbara roughly 100,000? So in terms of size it's more comparable to San Diego.
If you are seeking reliably sunny weather and a city that retains a laid back vibe, beachy outdoors lifestyle, it's worth a close look. Not exactly the cultural epicenter of the world, but they do try; the music scene has been on the improve for a number of years now. There is plenty of nightlife and a diverse population. Perth is FLAT. There are some hills to the east of the city but nothing like the S.B. mountains. The city sits on a river which is surrounded by a large amount of parkland for recreation. Good restaurant & nightlife scene, outdoor activities and people are into food & wine. It has a mediterranean climate (dry hot summer, cool winter with rain), as does coastal California, though Perth is definitely hotter in summer than Santa Barbara. There are multiple universities there.
Thank you for your reply, Sarah! I appreciate it. I absolutely love Perth and I think you're very right in your observations. I visited Perth last year and truly loved it, and it seemed to be quite active even though it's very isolated in a geographic sense. After living in Melbourne for 18 months, I have to say that I miss the sunshine. To answer a couple of the other questions, I miss the "vibe" of Santa Barbara, and the sunshine/beachy lifestyle. I feel the economy, quality of life, sense of community, and ability to enjoy life without the constant struggle for competition are far greater here, which is why I choose to stay here. So, if I were able to have that sunshine and vibe that I miss while having the wonderful social benefits of Australia, that would be ideal :-)
I don't think Sydney and LA are really that similar at all. It's mainly just the beach culture, and multiculturalism, but that can be said about any city in Australia. Sydney is like SF in it's setting, the strong Chinese presence,
Actually Trimac, the Asian poplulation of Sydney (17%) is more like LA (14%), San Francisco has a lot more Asian (35%). SF does not have a beach culture that Sydney has. for me Syd is more LA, but not a perfect match
Hey, have you thought about mornington peninsula? abit over an hour away from melbourne, lovely beaches and just a chill vibe
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