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Old 01-29-2013, 09:47 AM
 
24 posts, read 151,786 times
Reputation: 44

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Ok, so I had pretty much made up my mind that I was going to do Melbourne over Sydney... however, I had started a thread asking people about Melbourne and it tuns out to not be the ultimate city I assumed it might be.

So, really quick, Ive been wanting to move to Oz for about a year now. I originally wanted to move to Sydney, but heard TONS OF TONS of bad things about it and EVERYONE said to do Melbourne instead.

I have lived in LA for 3 years and hate it. People are stuck up, obsessed with themselves and becoming famous, there is no real culture... its all just super plastic, pollution is a serious problem, there is bad mass transit, and as outsider coming in, people are REALLY unwilling to get you involved in their group. I didnt find out until after moving to LA that is notorious for being one of the loneliest cities.

So, before anyone begins, YES I am aware that there is a huge rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney. From what Ive heard: Sydney=LA and Melbourne=NYC. Is this true? Because when I made the post asking about Melbourne a lot of people said its actually a myth that its a nicer and more cultural city than Sydney and that Sydney is the place to go.

What im looknig for is this:
> A safe city
> Good areas to move to
> how nice are the people?
> which is better without a car
> and any other random info you want to throw in!

Thanks for reading!
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:17 PM
 
14,767 posts, read 17,111,231 times
Reputation: 20658
Honestly, they're both good.
They're different in their own way.
People in Melbourne are not stuck up, there are nice people in Sydney. Don't take a few people's personal experiences on board too much- there really are nice people and rude people everywhere.

Both are safe
If you live inner city/suburbs Melbourne wins out on public transport (trains, trams,) cheaper PT

I've lived in both, I think both are pretty good - I admit my bias when I vote Melbourne though (food, shopping, cafe)

Sydney is obviously more well known, but Melbourne is also a vibrant, busy city

The Melb vs Syd thing is old, and has ebbed and flowed from way back - the best thing would be is ignore it.
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Old 01-29-2013, 08:12 PM
 
9,326 posts, read 22,016,628 times
Reputation: 4571
I'd do an advance search on CD
There have been many threads on both cities
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Old 01-30-2013, 07:05 PM
 
Location: Sydney, Australia
147 posts, read 284,856 times
Reputation: 255
Quote:
Originally Posted by keithplya9 View Post
Ok, so I had pretty much made up my mind that I was going to do Melbourne over Sydney... however, I had started a thread asking people about Melbourne and it tuns out to not be the ultimate city I assumed it might be.

So, really quick, Ive been wanting to move to Oz for about a year now. I originally wanted to move to Sydney, but heard TONS OF TONS of bad things about it and EVERYONE said to do Melbourne instead.

I have lived in LA for 3 years and hate it. People are stuck up, obsessed with themselves and becoming famous, there is no real culture... its all just super plastic, pollution is a serious problem, there is bad mass transit, and as outsider coming in, people are REALLY unwilling to get you involved in their group. I didnt find out until after moving to LA that is notorious for being one of the loneliest cities.

So, before anyone begins, YES I am aware that there is a huge rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney. From what Ive heard: Sydney=LA and Melbourne=NYC. Is this true? Because when I made the post asking about Melbourne a lot of people said its actually a myth that its a nicer and more cultural city than Sydney and that Sydney is the place to go.

What im looknig for is this:
> A safe city
> Good areas to move to
> how nice are the people?
> which is better without a car
> and any other random info you want to throw in!

Thanks for reading!

They both have their plusses and minuses.

I have lived in both, originally when I moved to Australia from Dublin, Ireland 8 years ago, I moved to Melbourne with my Aussie hubby (he was born in Melb. but grew up in Brisbane). Personally for various reasons ~ mainly relating to my work and the weather, I prefer my life in Sydney over my 4 years in Melbourne, but I know people who feel the opposite.

I wanted to love Melbourne but personally we found it a lot harder city to grow in and we have found just due to our own various experiences that we are happier here. I love the weather in Sydney (it doesn't really ever get that cold and every day I look at the harbour and pinch myself I live in this stunning, vibrant, beautiful city).

The people are nice in both cities and there are also as*hole in both - same in any city really.

Both are safe, but I do feel safer in Sydney in recent years.

I don't drive and get around fine, but note I live 10 mins from the CBD in the immediate inner west. A ferry or bus or taxi takes me 10 mins door to door to get into the CBD.

Sydney is very expensive - crazy so, but you get paid more than in Melbourne so it's relative.

A lot will depend on what you do for a living and what you want out the move.

Lot of people say people in Syd are not as friendly, I haven't noticed this at all.

If you want fast paced, global city feel Sydney will deliver. Actually to note on your comment: I often feel like I am in NYC when I'm in a cab in the middle of Sydney's CBD, I never did in Melb. so I don't and never have bought into the 'Sydney is LA, Melbourne is NYC' theory at all. It gets this partly due to Melbourne having more cooler, funky little inner city bars and a slightly edgier "downtown village NYC" feel in certain parts of Melbourne, but these little bars are popping up a lot now too in Sydney due to new liquor laws. Also Sydney's Surry Hills area and Fitzroy/Prahran/Windsor areas in Melbourne are very similar too.

If you want to live closer to the city, have good earning potential and are into beaches, sunnier weather and such, Sydney is worth looking into.

If you prefer a slightly less 'bright-lights' 'go, go go', attitude and are happy with cooler weather other than in the summer months and want a more subdued overall feel (note though Melbourne has a lot to offer on the food, wine, shopping and cultural/arts front. it's not 'dead' by any means) Melbourne might be more your thing.

Again your profession might determine your move. For myself and my husband, both of us have to work here really in order to succeed as much as we can in our chosen careers.
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Old 01-31-2013, 06:54 AM
 
4,432 posts, read 6,982,756 times
Reputation: 2261
Well I have lived in both cities and they are great to live in. I have no preference to Sydney or Melbourne. I dont find the people of Melbourne any more friendly than Sydney.

Anyway it is possible to live in Sydney and Melbourne without relying on a car, yet it easier for people to live in the inner city and city areas were transport is very frequent.

Yet Sydney is more expensive to live in and now is ranked more expensive to live than New York City or LA. Melbourne is expensive but a little cheaper than Sydney.

Well I don't think Sydney is any more safe than Melbourne and it depends on the area. I believe that Sydney is safer now than 20 years ago.
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Old 08-07-2013, 09:02 AM
 
Location: Melbourne Australia
688 posts, read 841,579 times
Reputation: 393
A lot of people seem to compare Melbourne to Chicago.

Both Melbourne and Sydney have train networks and bus networks, but if you want to drive, Melbourne is the superior option. Streets are laid out in a mostly grid pattern and thus are relatively easy to navigate, and the roads are generally wider than in Sydney. The freeways in Melbourne are also much bigger and there's a lot more freeway miles in Melbourne than Sydney. If you want to commute in the inner city, you have the option of using trams (although can be slow... but are frequent and convenient).

Melbourne is cheaper than Sydney, and no, you don't actually get paid more in Sydney for the same job. And away from the immediate surrounds of the harbour, Sydney has the same urban sprawl and suburban scenery as any other Australian city.

The weather in Melbourne however sucks balls.
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Old 08-07-2013, 11:41 PM
 
Location: Melbourne, Australia
9,556 posts, read 20,795,965 times
Reputation: 2833
Spend time in both, and see which one you prefer. They both have pretty different vibes...I prefer Melbourne, because it suits my personality more, but there are also a lot of things about Sydney which I prefer too.

Basically when it comes down to it, the main differences that will be relevant to you:

Sydney has better weather, more outdoors culture, nice beaches (Melbs has beaches too but it can be chilly). I find summers are more humid but more stable too (less 40C+ days).

Melbourne is known for it's cafe/bar scene, but it's not like Sydney is lacking in that department. I prefer nightlife in Melbourne, it's more eclectic, Sydney is flashy and expensive.

Both are very multicultural.

Public transport is good in Melbourne but expensive, traffic isn't as bad as Sydney.

I feel Melbourne is safer in general, but there are good and bad areas in both.

A 'nice area' will depend on your budget, but I think the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne like North Melbourne, Parkville, Kensington, and further west like Footscray where I'm staying now offer great value for money.
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Old 08-14-2013, 04:25 PM
 
Location: Australasia
387 posts, read 871,053 times
Reputation: 551
Sydney is gorgeous - however I would only live there if could afford one of the nicer, central suburbs and had a well paying job.
Then life would be very good indeed.
I live in Auckland and Sydney is a bigger, grander, more glitzy version of Auckland.
If I had to live in an outer suburb and commute - then would not live in Sydney.

Melbourne tries to be 'european' and seems more arty. It's very nice but a poor substitute for the real thing (Europe) and yes - still not such a good quality of life commuting from outer suburbs where the more reasonably priced homes are - 'affordable' means AUD $400,000 +
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Old 08-14-2013, 06:58 PM
 
4,220 posts, read 4,888,380 times
Reputation: 3935
Quote:
Originally Posted by keithplya9 View Post
Ok, so I had pretty much made up my mind that I was going to do Melbourne over Sydney... however, I had started a thread asking people about Melbourne and it tuns out to not be the ultimate city I assumed it might be.

So, really quick, Ive been wanting to move to Oz for about a year now. I originally wanted to move to Sydney, but heard TONS OF TONS of bad things about it and EVERYONE said to do Melbourne instead.

I have lived in LA for 3 years and hate it. People are stuck up, obsessed with themselves and becoming famous, there is no real culture... its all just super plastic, pollution is a serious problem, there is bad mass transit, and as outsider coming in, people are REALLY unwilling to get you involved in their group. I didnt find out until after moving to LA that is notorious for being one of the loneliest cities.

So, before anyone begins, YES I am aware that there is a huge rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney. From what Ive heard: Sydney=LA and Melbourne=NYC. Is this true? Because when I made the post asking about Melbourne a lot of people said its actually a myth that its a nicer and more cultural city than Sydney and that Sydney is the place to go.

What im looknig for is this:
> A safe city
> Good areas to move to
> how nice are the people?
> which is better without a car
> and any other random info you want to throw in!

Thanks for reading!
How much $$$ are you going to be making? If you're going to be earning $50k then it's much of a muchness as you'll be camped out in the boondocks in either suburb and you may as well try somewhere in Queensland or a smaller town in the Southern states.
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Old 08-16-2013, 09:20 AM
 
Location: Chicago(Northside)
3,678 posts, read 7,214,312 times
Reputation: 1697
Quote:
Originally Posted by keithplya9 View Post
Ok, so I had pretty much made up my mind that I was going to do Melbourne over Sydney... however, I had started a thread asking people about Melbourne and it tuns out to not be the ultimate city I assumed it might be.

So, really quick, Ive been wanting to move to Oz for about a year now. I originally wanted to move to Sydney, but heard TONS OF TONS of bad things about it and EVERYONE said to do Melbourne instead.

I have lived in LA for 3 years and hate it. People are stuck up, obsessed with themselves and becoming famous, there is no real culture... its all just super plastic, pollution is a serious problem, there is bad mass transit, and as outsider coming in, people are REALLY unwilling to get you involved in their group. I didnt find out until after moving to LA that is notorious for being one of the loneliest cities.

So, before anyone begins, YES I am aware that there is a huge rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney. From what Ive heard: Sydney=LA and Melbourne=NYC. Is this true? Because when I made the post asking about Melbourne a lot of people said its actually a myth that its a nicer and more cultural city than Sydney and that Sydney is the place to go.

What im looknig for is this:
> A safe city
> Good areas to move to
> how nice are the people?
> which is better without a car
> and any other random info you want to throw in!

Thanks for reading!
I don't think its them, I think its you, people in LA will just go up to you give you there number to have lunch or something, its so easy to make friends out there. I have NEVER seen a easier place to make friends than LA, now the Midwest and east coast is much harder. Did you know LA is currently building one of the largest transits in America.
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