Megalania

Let's turn this around :

What's Special about British Cities? (That is missing from Australian Cities.) In your opinion and as far as you know

And as Grayling points out, it is nice to have examples; Grayling included.

Fuzzyness

access to rivers and the right to roam in the UK has evolved through history and hte creation of paths, bridleways and the like that have been there for hundreds of years. not so the case in australia although i dare say some aboriginals may be a bit pissed off with losign some of their rights of way. but hey.

Grayling

I have not said that some Australian cities are not special.
Sydney is spectacular in parts.
So is Oxford where I grew up.And Canterbury,and York,and Harrogate,Bath,Warwick etc.etc.etc.

The original point I made was about rivers and the fact that they are no more 'concretised' than anywhere else in the world or are you going to tell me the Yarra river and the Brisbane river are completely natural waterways?

G

Megalania

And I have not said you have said ...

Certainly not like Los Angeles:

Yarra River

And of course cities change rivers - some more than others.

(Note: to add links to web pages and images see the 'http://' and 'IMG' buttons on the 'Post Reply' page. Good links can provide good examples)

OzTennis

No, I'm going to tell you that the Yarra river (can't speak recently for Brisbane river because I haven't been there for some time) is a MORE natural waterway (not completely). Go to Melbourne any day and you will see literally tens of thousands of people, jogging, walking, cycling, rowing etc along and in the Yarra. You can walk from the CBD along the river and within 1 mile you will find the Botanical Gardens, Olympic Park, MCG, Melbourne Park etc, etc. Not a guard dog or keep out sign in sight!

But that's an interesting twist on the thread Megs made. I really like all the above cities you have mentioned. It's the feeling of history that you don't get in Australian cities. I can wander around and think to myself, gee that was built, or people were walking along here, x hundred years before the Yorkshireman 'discovered' Australia.

However, it must be said that many of these cities have fantastic centres and not so fantastic surrounding areas. There is a slight contrast between Big Ben, House of Parliament, Tower Bridge etc and Brixton which isn't too far away.

I guess we are just talking city centres though. For me, some of the most spectacular city centres I've seen are Edinburgh, Salzburg, and Sydney.

It's an interesting debate though.

OzTennis

OzTennis

Looks more natural to me:

http://www.upfromaustralia.com/onyarrivmel.html

OzTennis

Grayling

Totally agree with you.Urban sprawl is common all over the world.

One of the most natural rivers flowing through a city that I know is the Derwent in Derby,where I work.I would not call Derby a beautiful city though.

I do not think you can compare a city like Oxford with New cities in New Zealand or Australia.They have different qualities.
I used to live in a house built before Australia was colonised.

Manchester has a wealth of history and culture but I would not call it special in any way.

It depends what interests you I suppose.

G

Grayling

I have been to that park near the bridge.Unfortunately it was pissing down.
Those banks have been built up though.

G

Go Banana's !!

Thought Rome was stunning - filthy but beautiful.
Love Bath, Newcastle, Liverpool and Cardiff.
Found Milton Keynes and Peterborough the two most soul- less places to live on this earth.

Just all my opinion.

'Special' is one of those words that depends on your perspective. So if you live somewhere with a pants view of a industrial area - like WBB says he does then anything up from that is better.

Jill

OzTennis

Geez, you still think it has been suggested that all rivers in Australian and NZ have completely natural waterways don't you?
:scared: Last comment on rivers, unless you can post a picture of the Thames, Ouse, Taff, Trent, Forth etc, etc in a UK city centre with more parkland and trees. And the obligatory comment about the weather in Melbourne too!

OzTennis

Megalania

Here we are getting to the guts. What special quality - for you. Perhaps it is evocative?

Oxford: City of Dreaming Spires

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Oxford Bridge of Sighs - Sydney University has one (dunno what its called)



Sydney University Quadrangle.

Sandy.l

Thank you for the excellent link, I've not come across this one before!

sandy

OzTennis

'No worries'.

OzTennis

The Koalas

I lived and worked for 3 years in Sydney City, I never found it very inviting at all. It is unwelcoming and cold hearted. If you are a tourist once you have done the Bridge and the Opera house and wandered through the old city that is it. It has no heart at all. It was originaly bulit purely as a commercial city with offices. It only over the last 10 years became a place to have a drink and socailise at night. Does not matter what time of the day it is the atmosphere is dull amongst those towering buildings. I loved Brisbane it has an open air feeling and has a welcoming atmosphere to it. Sydney is just a dead loss to me and after 2 days seeing the sights the best thing to do is escape.

Grayling

Hey lighten up.
Perhaps I should have added a smiley

It was meant to be a light hearted reply.
And it WAS raining

G