which is better Melbourne or Sydney
#47
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 30
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
I've lived in Syd for two years and love it.........
I travel to Melbourne every few months with work and have extended weekend stays.
I find central Melbourne extremely boring to look at.
The whole central grid American style block system I find makes architecture and exploring quite tedious. The only things of interest are the odd lively tight lanes and the street art. But the main thoroughfares are same/same.
Melbourne does appear to have quite a trendy scene but its quite inaccessible to visitors and takes a number of trips and lots of reasearch to enter the fray. Shopping in Melbourne is definitely better with more quirky stuff and top end shopping.
I don't know enough about Melbourne inner suburbs, have only really started exploring. But I hear great reviews from friends and locals so I'm keen to learn and integrate.
Sydney I think is an easier place to integrate. You are instantly settled with all the iconic features of Harbour, skyline sights and sounds. The CBD is more fun. There is some open space. The suburbs are perhaps more defined.
I am an inner city dweller. I do not wish for more than a 40 minute walk to work. Therefore Sydney would appear to suit me much better.
I would however suggest that if you are planning on living further out Melbourne may be better.
I travel to Melbourne every few months with work and have extended weekend stays.
I find central Melbourne extremely boring to look at.
The whole central grid American style block system I find makes architecture and exploring quite tedious. The only things of interest are the odd lively tight lanes and the street art. But the main thoroughfares are same/same.
Melbourne does appear to have quite a trendy scene but its quite inaccessible to visitors and takes a number of trips and lots of reasearch to enter the fray. Shopping in Melbourne is definitely better with more quirky stuff and top end shopping.
I don't know enough about Melbourne inner suburbs, have only really started exploring. But I hear great reviews from friends and locals so I'm keen to learn and integrate.
Sydney I think is an easier place to integrate. You are instantly settled with all the iconic features of Harbour, skyline sights and sounds. The CBD is more fun. There is some open space. The suburbs are perhaps more defined.
I am an inner city dweller. I do not wish for more than a 40 minute walk to work. Therefore Sydney would appear to suit me much better.
I would however suggest that if you are planning on living further out Melbourne may be better.
#48
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
When I lived in Brisbane and used to come down to Melbourne for weekends it was very easy to find the places outside of the inner CBD...they're very well known - St Kilda, Chapel St, Lygon St, Brunswick St, Collingwood etc etc.
With Sydney we used to make the mistake of always staying in the CBD and only visiting the usual tourist haunts - Bondi, Manly, Watsons Bay etc. That's fine for a couple of visits but I got so bored with the place! I find Sydney's CBD more uninspiring than Melbourne's (which I agree isn't the greatest either) once you step away from the Harbour and Botanic Gardens.
Eventually we did discover there is more to Sydney, not Sydney's fault, but I think for visitors places like Newtown would be completely unknown to them.
#49
Banned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,157
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
I'm aussie from Perth. I just moved to Sydney after 9 months in Melb.
Melbourne is cool an certainly does have an interesting edge to it. some of the outher city ring suburbs such as St kilda, Prahran, fitzroy, Carlton, Richmond, Collingwood are all fantastic.
Melbourne has better Cafe culture, better pubs and bars but Sydney certainly isn't short of these.
Melbournites are very sport orienatated and alot of their life relvoves around their AFL team. If you can't get into AFL then you can't get into Melbourne.
Cheers
Melbourne is cool an certainly does have an interesting edge to it. some of the outher city ring suburbs such as St kilda, Prahran, fitzroy, Carlton, Richmond, Collingwood are all fantastic.
Melbourne has better Cafe culture, better pubs and bars but Sydney certainly isn't short of these.
Melbournites are very sport orienatated and alot of their life relvoves around their AFL team. If you can't get into AFL then you can't get into Melbourne.
Cheers
#50
Victorian Evangelist
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
Posts: 7,704
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
Not true. I have no interest in AFL, yet in the 2.5 years I have lived in Melbourne I have never found this to be a problem and have a large number of friends, mostly Australian, many of whom also have no interest in AFL.
Buzzy
#52
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Epsom
Posts: 1,705
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
Yes, many of the more educated classes aren't into AFL at all. It is excessively reported in the media, but there are other sports too such as NRL and the A-League. And if you are not into sport then who cares.
#53
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
I've lived in Syd for two years and love it.........
I travel to Melbourne every few months with work and have extended weekend stays.
I find central Melbourne extremely boring to look at.
The whole central grid American style block system I find makes architecture and exploring quite tedious. The only things of interest are the odd lively tight lanes and the street art. But the main thoroughfares are same/same.
I travel to Melbourne every few months with work and have extended weekend stays.
I find central Melbourne extremely boring to look at.
The whole central grid American style block system I find makes architecture and exploring quite tedious. The only things of interest are the odd lively tight lanes and the street art. But the main thoroughfares are same/same.
Hmm may stick my hand up here and say after London, Melbourne's Grid system is a tad boring. I was quite enthralled with the twisty turns of Sydney's inner streets.
However dont agree with the rest of your post, but from my point of view you definitely on the right track with the grid. Not many will agree with that point of view though.
Carlton, East Melbourne, West Melbourne, Fitzroy and South Melbourne are all very close to the CBD and afford fantastic walks into the city.
Try Fitzroy or South Melbourne next time your in town Willan.... You'll love the pubs there.
Totally agree on the Street art, Supposedly it is world class in Melbourne.
Saturdays after my years of following football were a little bit of a let down, as I couldnt no matter how I tried get into AFL. The A league has been a god send to me. Going to be a fantastic month for the A league in Melbourne in October. I think it may hit the headlines, hopefully for not the wrong reasons. Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane are all coming this month. Could be 1500 travelling Sydney fans.
Last edited by ozzieeagle; Sep 30th 2009 at 4:45 am.
#55
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 22
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
Gail
#56
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
I would swap Melbourne's winter for Sydney's but leave all the other seasons with Melbourne. But as I can't, I wouldn't worry too much(!)..
I think it's worth pointing out that Sydney's winters are warmer in the sense they get a lot more consistent winter sun and until the drought hit Melbourne, less winter rain.
Those extra degrees you see reported in Sydney are the daytime maxes and only get there for a short period of time but that sun is pleasant.
I found Sydney generally no colder at night and if anything, the cloud cover makes for milder nights in Melbourne. One of the coldest nights I recall was up near Coffs on a starry night...and there are parts of sub-tropical suburban Brisbane that are a fair bit colder than parts of Melbourne at night so there is variation.
Personally for me, I prefer Melbourne as a city - take away the iconic harbour and you're not left with much really.
I think it's worth pointing out that Sydney's winters are warmer in the sense they get a lot more consistent winter sun and until the drought hit Melbourne, less winter rain.
Those extra degrees you see reported in Sydney are the daytime maxes and only get there for a short period of time but that sun is pleasant.
I found Sydney generally no colder at night and if anything, the cloud cover makes for milder nights in Melbourne. One of the coldest nights I recall was up near Coffs on a starry night...and there are parts of sub-tropical suburban Brisbane that are a fair bit colder than parts of Melbourne at night so there is variation.
Personally for me, I prefer Melbourne as a city - take away the iconic harbour and you're not left with much really.
#57
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
Part of the charm of AFL is that it is like a party you choose to go to or not - there is an AFL crowd of sorts that treat it like an excuse to do something but even they know it's not compulsory...
It's true that there is an educated elite who will tell you they don't like football but conversely there are some who enjoy it for what it is.
I also disagree Sydney is more accessible - I think it's very set up for trivial tourism but little else.
And in my opinion, Melbourne does the inner city thing better than many other cities I know - for me, it practically defines the term. Many people I know do live in the inner burbs and get to work very nicely indeed.
#58
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: HR Country
Posts: 247
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
which suburb called Melbourne Inner City, I'm from other country and not familiar with Melbourne, please tell me for General Knowledge.
#59
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
Melbourne is better laid out because its a new city in comparison to Sydney. Sydney is more congested and somewhat similar to London in that regard with narrow streets and all because it is Australia's oldest city (Melbourne is a ghost town in comparison).
#60
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 22
Re: which is better Melbourne or Sydney
After living in cluttered cities, I love Melbourne's grid system - easy to get around.
I also disagree Sydney is more accessible - I think it's very set up for trivial tourism but little else.
And in my opinion, Melbourne does the inner city thing better than many other cities I know - for me, it practically defines the term. Many people I know do live in the inner burbs and get to work very nicely indeed.