Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Having been to Sydney, it is nothing like any American city I can think of. It is far more like a British or European city than it is like an American one.
Strangest observation I've ever heard. Sydney is more like a North American city rather than a British city. That's why they used it as a generic American city in The Matrix, because it could blend in so easily.
I thought car dependency in Sydney was pretty low. It should be that way anyway, a big city that relies on cars doesn't really work imo.
Depends on which part of Sydney. The downtown is not dependant on cars at all, the traffic and expensive parking make a car the worst way possible to commute to the downtown, starting from the harbour bridge. Generally people park at the train station in a car dependant suburb and take the train, in fact cars account for only around 10% of commutes to the downtown. However much of the metro area is very car dependant for day to day activities such as shopping and going to school.
Why, here's the driving conditions at rush hour in the downtown:
Also take a look at this video of a bicycle trip through the downtown starting at the Harbour Bridge at around lunch time. Note at at round 3:00 as he heads down King Street towards the core of the city. And 5:00, Castlereagh Street.
You're pretty crazy to bicycle in the city, it's not bike friendly. In spite of the efforts to pacify it with bike lanes.
Despite that, Downtown Sydney is not the center of all things like nightlife, entertainment and culture unfortunately. It's scattered throughout the little neighborhoods. It's crowded because of sheer density of many neighborhoods so close by. Where I stayed on the edge of downtown, I see wall to wall people walking out of downtown daily to all those district close as if they were trampling the downtown core on the way out. Downtown is now also home to a lot new residences. There is a financial district just to the northeast of downtown where people flock also. Still, downtown is dense and crowded which is better than most American cities.
Despite that, Downtown Sydney is not the center of all things like nightlife, entertainment and culture unfortunately. It's scattered throughout the little neighborhoods. It's crowded because of sheer density of many neighborhoods so close by. Where I stayed on the edge of downtown, I see wall to wall people walking out of downtown daily to all those district close as if they were trampling the downtown core on the way out. Downtown is now also home to a lot new residences. There is a financial district just to the northeast of downtown where people flock also. Still, downtown is dense and crowded which is better than most American cities.
Actually most cities are like that here in the US...
It's like Chicago in Southern California with a European twist to it.
Sydney is vibrant but I think comparing it to Chicago might be a reach.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
