JenniGee

For those of us considering moving to Mellie, I found this discussion today that raises quite a few interesting points....

enjoy

http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64796

Weebie

Just spent a week in Melbourne. really reaffirmed what I already knew that city is an absolute dump and I stayed in Brighton. The Boganism and just general scum in the city are a major turnoff and the city is a hotbed for random crime. Also Melbourne is too big and at it's peak infrastructure wise.

Unless you live Bayside I personally wouldn't bother with that city. It's cool but gets boring if your young, awful if your older and don't own a million dollar home. Also has a Perthlike clickyness as well.

ukecadet

Sounds like you had an awful time ,that's terrible!!!
Yes Melbourne is a dump and as for Brighton...enough said.
If you visit again (though I doubt it and I don't blame you) come over to the West and stay in a little place called Sunshine, it's name sums it up.
You'll have a much more positive experience.
Hope your happy wherever you hang your hat in the future.

asprilla

Weebie - out of interest, where are your favourite places in the world ? where do you live / where would you like to live?

Melbourne isn't perfect, but you can only compare it to the other cities here on planet earth. And it is far better than most of them.

MartinLuther

I love the smell of freshly cut poppies in the morning

Weebie

Life in Australian cities is good if your willing to spend huge money on a house. Although I know many people come here being unable to spend 600-700k plus on something to live but I can see why many Brits leave Australia after two years.

In terms of living here every city is good for certain areas and certain demgraphics. Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and even Melbourne. Cairns is also a cool place that impressed me when I visited it. Simply some people in this forum ask about certain areas and I tell them honestly what it's like. The reason I like to go at Melbourne is simply that the city hasn't changed in 10 years and for a city it's size it really doesn't have the benefits of a large city. Personally I think Perth at 2 million people is almost catching up.

If I could go overseas and live South West England, East Coast of America maybe soem asian cities are where I would live. AS a young person I would have a much higher quality of life in those areas compared to Australia. You don't see too many young skilled brits staying here when i na year or two things will eventually ge home as it presents a higher quality of life and better opportunities.

I find the notion that many people have on this forum that Britain has gone to the dogs quite ridiculous especielly when people come here and blame too many immigrants in England and Australia is one of the most diverse countries in the world.

AlliF

Well Weebie if you are so materialisitc that you will judge your level of happiness simply by the value of your house maybe that is a fast track to being as miserable as you seem.

We have spent nothing like the fiigure you quote and are really very, very happy with our spot in Melbourne. And there is no reason why anyone has to buy - plenty people are happy renting their whole lives.

We have been here 4 years, no plans to return to the UK any time soon.

Just because you 'think' it is a dump doesn't mean everyone will and doesn't make you a the definitive world expert on what Melbourne is like. I doubt you have lived in every suburb of Melbourne - i'm sure a few of them are dumps i imagine most cities will have them, but the two we stayed in prior to buying (north East suburbs) and the one we are in now have all been nice - in our opinion. Doesn't make us experts or mean they would be to everyones taste though.

So to prospective visitors or people moving to Melbourne - dont take any notice of the misery guts. Come visit and form an opinion of your own!

littda01

What a weird post, its tough to know where to start here. I've lived in a couple of places, including South of England and East coast of US. I now live in Melbourne. I fully accept career-wise I've given something up, though it allows me to move in other directions. But the idea of anyone being able to pursue a career AND quality of life in the UK is frankly nuts, unless you're very fortunate in what you can do and can choose exactly where you want to live. And don't mind a horrific climate and general feeling of over-crowdedness.

East coast of US is very nice in terms of quality of life and career opps, but the US is not for everyone. There are a LOT of aspects of life in Mel which are a lot better, in my own experience anyway.

And as for the "benefits of a large city", well one of the things I love about Mel is the fact that it feels like a collection of small towns. So thats a positive for me, and I'm sure others, unless I missed your point??

ozzieeagle

Whenever I visit another City now, I always come away disappointed that it doesnt compare favourably to what I see as Melbournes high standard. Especially in things to do, ambience and venues etc. Trains and King St are a particular issue at with yobs etc at present, but it was ok in the past, and I'm sure it will be again in the future.

To me the question that the OP should be asking is Outer v Inner. With inner doing it for me. The Outer Northern and Western Subs seem bleak and brown in the summer... I dont think the Eastern outer burbs suffer as much from the extreme blast and drying effect that the summer Northerly winds bring.

Melbourne for me has changed more in the last 10 years, than it did in the previous 30. The Casino precinct, Docklands and the influx of Asians and their influence has made Melbourne a far more cosmopolitan and 24 hour type city. Brunswick, Northcote and Preston have changed beyond belief.

BadgeIsBack

Surely SW England is hardly happening?!

mpgrewal

mp's Law of Melbourne Suburbs

All inner suburbs are safe except western ones. All outer suburbs are unsafe except eastern ones.

This law works in conjunction with the common sense law i.e. Try not be in wrong place at wrong time.

ProudVIC

Essendon, Moonee Ponds and Ascot Vale plus surrounding suburbs in the inner to middle NW suburbs of Melbourne are all nice areas. You have the Maribyrnong river winding through there that cuts a deep valley so you have hills there and outstanding views to the city in some parts. It is quiet, much leafier than the suburbs farther west and southwest and generally a middle to upper middle class area with excellent schools. House prices are fairly high though as a result.

The general rule is to stay east of the Maribyrnong river inside the metro area, suburbs to the west of there are the really dodgy ones.

Also a special mention has to go out to the outer SE suburbs around Dandenong and down to Frankston which are possibly even worse or at least equal to the worst western suburbs.

Having said that though, I would be surprised if the dodgy suburbs of Melbourne are really all that bad on a world cities scale. They are getting worse I must admit, all the refugees from Sudan and Somalia seem to end up there along with the Serbs and a lot of Vietnamese, Indians and muslims. Few of them are able to integrate into the western culture, many of them form gangs and become laws unto themselves. There is a big increase in knife violence amongst these ethnic groups.

I know this may sound a bit intolerant or racist but consider what a ghetto is defined as and ask yourself if you want to live in areas that are probably officially approaching ghetto status in some parts.

Everywhere else is fine.

ProudVIC

I forgot to mention some more exceptions.

Williamstown is an exceptionally nice area and Yarraville and Newport have become gentrified in recent years and are also becoming nice, although places like Yarraville still see the occasional problems typical of nearby suburbs like Footscray.

These suburbs are worth looking at, but yet again, high house prices are becoming an issue.

MartinLuther

Just to pick your brains. What's the score with St Albans and rock throwing? Someone made a joke about it and I wasn't sure what the background was.

ukecadet

Saltash rocks!!!