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Just back from a week in Perth, and was there 10 yrs ago. I think it's a great city. Very laid-back and casual with a great future. Friendly people. Beautiful parks, nice neighborhoods. Never too crowded, not overwhelmed with traffic. New rail lines down the coast to Mandurah, a beach suburb.
The city is booming, cranes everywhere, lots of new developments and planned developments. Perth will probably change dramatically over the next twenty years and become something else, less laid back maybe.
It superficially does compare to San Diego, but it is hotter in the summer, wetter in the winter (but still a similar dry Mediterranean climate) and flatter. But the Indian Ocean is more beautiful there than the Pacific in San Diego, and the beaches stretch for dozens of miles in all directions from Perth and are not crowded. For an American with our overdeveloped beaches, this is just perfect.
One drawback for some people, maybe most people, would be its remoteness, but if you like uncrowded places and close access to empty landscapes and beaches, then it's most attractive in that regard.
I love Perth!! Does it still has most of its stores close by 5pm though? That was the case when we lived there in late '90s. Some of our fondest memories were from the time we lived there. Clean & safe & beautiful beaches, very very laid back people, fresh seafood.
I love Perth!! Does it still has most of its stores close by 5pm though? That was the case when we lived there in late '90s. Some of our fondest memories were from the time we lived there. Clean & safe & beautiful beaches, very very laid back people, fresh seafood.
Yes It does!, Though it's 6pm, 9pm on Thurdays, 5pm Saturdays and Closed all day Sunday.
Theres alot of duscussion and support for extending the trading hours, As some people feel that it makes us appear to be abit backwards.
When I was there in '85, we were stranded there on a Sunday, being unaware the last train back to "Freo" left Perth at 6pm!
I really, really hope that's not still the case! (we hitchhiked back home, but I would not recommend anyone do that, anytime - I was young and stupid)
I've lived in Perth for 3 years.I like it!
Having lived elsewhere in the world (I am British) I can do comparisons which I think if you've only ever lived in one place you have nothing to compare it with.It is remote!
OK so lets go.!
Aussies are a friendly lot and if you meet them half way you'll be fine. They are straight talking and don't suffer fools gladly. However, they are a little over sensitive when it comes to the smallest criticism, especially of Australia. They are very nationalistic and talk themselves up as a nation no end. In the last week on television I have heard commentators say "Aussies are known throughout the world for their generosity and charity giving" and "Aussies are known for their inventions". Well, sorry, no they are not. In fact they are not great charity givers compared to Americans and Europeans and they have the lowest organ donation numbers of all developed nations.
However, I transgress, I would rather live amongst Aussies that practically any other people.
Compared to many places in the world Perth is safe and clean with a good Mediterranian climate.Water is a problem and will be increasingly so as time goes by.
There are good restaurants and no shortage of entertaiment for those that want clubs,theatres etc.
They also have great beaches,but watch the sharks!!!!
The one thing I noticed when I came here is that they do everything an hour or two earlier than they do in the rest of Australia and in Europe. They go to bed earlier, get up earlier, go to work earlier, eat earlier. I could go on.This means than lots of people get up at 5 am and go to bed at 9.30pm Therefore the centre of Perth is often like a ghost town at 10.pm. The rest of Australia call Perth Dullsville, a little unfair but no entirely without merit. People here don't like change and can seem very parochial.
The state politicians are diabolical, they don't listen to the people and again seem very small town.There doesn't seem to be much foresight and inovation with them. Plodding is what I would describe them as.
Perth is booming because of the huge mineral stocks in the north of the state.The economy is holding up the rest of the country at present. Many people in Perth have got very rich in the past 5-10 years. The city is awash with money and houses are now very expensive It would be hard to find a propery of any sort for less that US$400 and that would be in poorer areas 10miles/15 kms from the centre. To pay US$600 is quite normal for a family house but to get something really nice and modern you would need to spend in excess of US$1,000,000!!!!. The sky is the limit in some areas!
Rent is going through the roof and occupancy rates are almost 100%. It is near impossible to find a rental propery.20 people sometimes try for the sams dwelling.
When I compare prices with Britain I can only count petrol (gas) as being cheaper.(and Britain is a lot more expensive than the Sates) I pay 20% more for all foodstuffs and can buy an airline ticket to Singapore or Hong Kong in the UK for less than I pay here even though the distance is only half as much!
Like everywhere sadly, there is a growing drug problem with mainly young people and a culture of wild driving. Speeding and not wearing seatbelts is endemic. The police are not keeping up with the problems, seem to have different idea of priorities from what the public want from them, and the courts undermine them when it comes to punishment!
Perth is not paradise, nowhere is, it has the same problems as much of the Western world.
If you want the facilities of New York, London or even Sydney, don't come. If you like a smaller town, but not too small, great climate, are law-abiding, willing to work then you will get a fair go in Perth. The natives are welcoming and friendly and the future looks bright! It's great for a holiday too!
Perth is very pretty, sorta an isolated city in Western Australia, great weather, a lot of recent immigrants from Europe. I would say they like Americans though they might not agree on a lot of ideas with you but it is quite a conservative British feel to it, and maybe a New England feel though better weather than New England ... the people there were great too but I must say they weren't too fond of Natives and Black people.
The beaches there are fantastic too - much cleaner than Sydney, well, they were in 1985! And Perth to Fremantle is an easy train trip..er, well, it was in 1985.
melbourne has the dirtiest beaches followed closely by sydney
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...Though that was one heck of a walk! 
(I caught the Greyhound back tho').
