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All of the people I've talked to preferred Melbourne over Sydney except only 1 or 2.
So what are those 'special' things that make Melbourne so much better than Sydney?
To me, melb seems to be happening only in certain areas. The suburbs look butt ugly(no offense to Melbourne fans! sry!)and run-down, untidy, no character, and depressing. In fact all the suburbs in Melbourne look pretty much the same to me. How do these compare to Sydney then? worse?
I've even been told Sydney is a lot like Melbourne. If that's the case, what's the difference? Is Sydney pretty much a bigger version of Melbourne without the trams???
e.g.'s:
Which city has :
cleaner CBD? cleaner suburbs? (as in, less graffiti, litter, slums, etc.)
lower crime?(heard syd is higher but unsure)
better architecture?
better weather? (I faced one person who said Sydney's weather isn't as good as one might expect - please elaborate?)
better views?
better entertainment/activities?
better amenities?
lower living costs?(heard melb is only slightly cheaper but no idea how much changed)
better natural setting?
better amenities? (shopping, etc.)
Which one's more exciting?(i.e. nightlife)
More American-type meals?
More hotties?
better urban planning?
.
.
.
The most recent time I was in Sydney was Dec 2000. It was one of the best moments in my whole life. But how much changes were there since then??
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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You really have to go to know. Melbourne doesn't have the 'wow factor' of Sydney, it's the sort of city that has multiple layers/dimensions to explore.
When people talk about 'Melbourne' they are generally referring to the CBD and inner suburbs like Fitzroy and St. Kilda. Most tourists don't venture out to places like Broadmeadows or Dandenong, which are like suburbs anywhere outside a large metro in Australia.
All of the people I've talked to preferred Melbourne over Sydney except only 1 or 2.
So what are those 'special' things that make Melbourne so much better than Sydney?
To me, melb seems to be happening only in certain areas. The suburbs look butt ugly(no offense to Melbourne fans! sry!)and run-down, untidy, no character, and depressing. In fact all the suburbs in Melbourne look pretty much the same to me. How do these compare to Sydney then? worse?
I've even been told Sydney is a lot like Melbourne. If that's the case, what's the difference? Is Sydney pretty much a bigger version of Melbourne without the trams???
e.g.'s:
Which city has :
cleaner CBD? cleaner suburbs? (as in, less graffiti, litter, slums, etc.)
lower crime?(heard syd is higher but unsure)
better architecture?
better weather? (I faced one person who said Sydney's weather isn't as good as one might expect - please elaborate?)
better views?
better entertainment/activities?
better amenities?
lower living costs?(heard melb is only slightly cheaper but no idea how much changed)
better natural setting?
better amenities? (shopping, etc.)
Which one's more exciting?(i.e. nightlife)
More American-type meals? More hotties?
better urban planning?
.
.
.
The most recent time I was in Sydney was Dec 2000. It was one of the best moments in my whole life. But how much changes were there since then??
BINGO!
Well, once you go outside of the inner suburbs of Sydney its pretty ugly. Even suburbs like Petersham could do with some greenery. I find Melbourne inner (Fitzroy, Carlton, Hawthorn etc) quite pretty.
Melbourne has great architecture, which was fueled by the gold rush back in the day. Some beautiful old buildings, and interesting designs in the newer ones
Sydney is more naturally pretty... an analogy often used:
Sydney is the 21 year old female - showing you everything at once. No real suprises
Melbourne, is a mature woman - you need to get to know her first, and when you do... you'll love it.
I don't know Sydney well enough to rank the two. Melbourne is a good city, but certainly not the be all and end all. There are some ugly suburbs in Melbourne, and I'm not talking about the "sprawl" outer ones. There are some nice areas too though like Middle Park and Camberwell.
Residential architecture is quite good in older suburbs up to about the 1960s. There's plenty of Italianate, Victorian, Edwardian, Spanish Mission, Art Deco Moderne style homes. However, I'm sure this would be the same for Sydney.
Melbourne's weather isn't that bad. Sydney's seems better on paper, though I know a few Sydneysiders that would love to leave Sydney, claiming it to be too humid in summer.
Well, once you go outside of the inner suburbs of Sydney its pretty ugly. Even suburbs like Petersham could do with some greenery. I find Melbourne inner (Fitzroy, Carlton, Hawthorn etc) quite pretty.
Melbourne has great architecture, which was fueled by the gold rush back in the day. Some beautiful old buildings, and interesting designs in the newer ones
Sydney is more naturally pretty... an analogy often used:
Sydney is the 21 year old female - showing you everything at once. No real suprises
Melbourne, is a mature woman - you need to get to know her first, and when you do... you'll love it.
Love that analogy. And it's spot on too. Sydney's Britney Spears, Melbourne's Sophia Loren.
Inner suburbs of most cities, even Perth's, are always nicer than outer bland, sprawling burbs which are similar the world over. Not as clean and orderly but full of character and vibe.
I am going down to Melbourne Tomorrow,for the first time in 10 years! It will the first trip ever down their for my wife. Looking at doing most of the tourist things, (Victoria Markets, City, Crown Casino, Yarra Cruise, Phillip Island Day Tour etc).
Anyone got any good tips so we might be able to appreciate Melbournes inner beauty? Any recomendation for good restarunt strips in the city or the suburbs that surround the city (Carlton, St Kilda Fitzroy etc) Would appreciate a european place, (we eat asian food all the time) and neither of us are picky about what we eat. Also is it possible to do a night cruise on Port Phillip Bay on a boat that does not charge $100 plus for a meal? All we need is a beer/wine and a view, the meal can wait.
We are staying in St Kilda.
Hopefully i will be able to give my Sydney vs Melbourne view next week.
Last edited by danielsa1775; 02-22-2011 at 09:19 PM..
Love that analogy. And it's spot on too. Sydney's Britney Spears, Melbourne's Sophia Loren.
Inner suburbs of most cities, even Perth's, are always nicer than outer bland, sprawling burbs which are similar the world over. Not as clean and orderly but full of character and vibe.
hahaha what different images those two are
Quote:
Originally Posted by danielsa1775
I am going down to Melbourne Tomorrow,for the first time in 10 years! It will the first trip ever down their for my wife. Looking at doing most of the tourist things, (Victoria Markets, City, Crown Casino, Yarra Cruise, Phillip Island Day Tour etc).
Anyone got any good tips so we might be able to appreciate Melbournes inner beauty? Any recomendation for good restarunt strips in the city or the suburbs that surround the city (Carlton, St Kilda Fitzroy etc) Would appreciate a european place, (we eat asian food all the time) and neither of us are picky about what we eat. Also is it possible to do a night cruise on Port Phillip Bay on a boat that does not charge $100 plus for a meal? All we need is a beer/wine and a view, the meal can wait.
We are staying in St Kilda.
Hopefully i will be able to give my Sydney vs Melbourne view next week.
You will love St Kilda -- Check out Acland St, St Kilda for the European Cake stores, Fringe Bar etc -- Stokehouse upstairs
Carlton - Lygon/Gratton streets heaps of italian.. I like Brunetti's for the cakes/coffee
Melbourne: the laneways.. the main ones, flinders lane, Centre Place, Hosier lane if you want to see street art, Little Collins St... there is a bar behind transport at Federation Sq... go down the stairs to the water...called Riverland.. one of my favourite spots...
In the city, the European Wine bar on Spring St is a favourite, or check out Pelligrini's its about 50 years old, hasn't changed much - still a popular place.
Was just at De Los Santos in Fitzroy - Spanish. Sunday evening they had a quartet of guitars and a vocalist. Great food - tapas and paella. We had tapas. Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Cool street with shops like Princess Highway and Dangerfield, my daughter's favourites.
Lygon's always good for Italian - pick one, pick any really. Many recommend Tiamo and Il Gusto. Some do some dishes better than others, others do other dishes better but the whole street's got a real nice vibrancy. Brunetti's comes highly recommended for desserts although we loved the profiteroles at Pasta Rustico.
It's a great walking city. The beautiful arcades in the CBD are gorgeous. South Melbourne Markets are also good. There's a little coffee shop there, by the stairs ... fantastic cappuccino. Have fun.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,047,835 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by danielsa1775
I am going down to Melbourne Tomorrow,for the first time in 10 years! It will the first trip ever down their for my wife. Looking at doing most of the tourist things, (Victoria Markets, City, Crown Casino, Yarra Cruise, Phillip Island Day Tour etc).
Anyone got any good tips so we might be able to appreciate Melbournes inner beauty? Any recomendation for good restarunt strips in the city or the suburbs that surround the city (Carlton, St Kilda Fitzroy etc) Would appreciate a european place, (we eat asian food all the time) and neither of us are picky about what we eat. Also is it possible to do a night cruise on Port Phillip Bay on a boat that does not charge $100 plus for a meal? All we need is a beer/wine and a view, the meal can wait.
We are staying in St Kilda.
Hopefully i will be able to give my Sydney vs Melbourne view next week.
Not sure if they still run them, but when I stayed at the Greenhouse backpackers on Flinder's Lane a few years ago they ran free tours through the city showing you all the laneways and other cool spots they don't tell you about. The tours last the better part of a day and are better than many tours that cost $50+. Lunch etc costs you, of course, but it's well worth it.
Also the Visitor's centre/tourist bureau should have city guides you can 'hire' which I find give you a much better appreciation of a place than if exploring alone (which is of course still alot of fun!).
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Love that analogy. And it's spot on too. Sydney's Britney Spears, Melbourne's Sophia Loren.
