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Which city is better to live in, Sydney or Melbourne? Please take into consideration these questions:
1) My profession is a Diversional Therapist. Which city offers an abundance of career opportunities in my field? Which city has the largest Diversional Therapy Association? Which city's association and/or members give a lot of support in the Diversional Therapy industry?
2) Which city has better inexpensive house prices and land prices in the suburbs? Which city provides more new home developments? Which city provides more housing options such as single family homes, townhomes and condos?
3) Which city has more ethnic diversity?
4) Which city has more culture such as performing arts, shopping, art museums, concerts, sports, festivals, cultural events, ect? Which city supports the arts more such as film, television, visual artist, performing artist, writers, ect?
5) Which city has better transportation system such as a subway and/or monorail? Does it travel to the suburbs?
Which city is better to live in, Sydney or Melbourne? Please take into consideration these questions:
1) My profession is a Diversional Therapist. Which city offers an abundance of career opportunities in my field? Which city has the largest Diversional Therapy Association? Which city's association and/or members give a lot of support in the Diversional Therapy industry?
2) Which city has better inexpensive house prices and land prices in the suburbs? Which city provides more new home developments? Which city provides more housing options such as single family homes, townhomes and condos?
3) Which city has more ethnic diversity?
4) Which city has more culture such as performing arts, shopping, art museums, concerts, sports, festivals, cultural events, ect? Which city supports the arts more such as film, television, visual artist, performing artist, writers, ect?
5) Which city has better transportation system such as a subway and/or monorail? Does it travel to the suburbs?
Thanks!
Not sure about which city requires your profession but I have lived in both cities and for mine Melbourne wins hands down.
Inexpensive housing, Melbourne wins easily. Sydney is very expensive even by world standards. Both cities have ethnic diversity. Not sure which one wins there. They have quite different influences though. Melbourne I believe has better restaurants but Sydney is pretty good in that area too. Melbourne is more cultural. A lot of festivals, art galleries and museams. It is the arts, cultural capital of Australia. Melbourne has a much better public transportation system. They have a train and tram system that covers just about all areas.
Don't get me wrong. I love Sydney. It's probably a better place to visit than Melbourne but I found Melbourne a much nicer and easier place to live. I'm a Brisbane boy so I feel I can be objective.
Last edited by billsaintkilda; 07-22-2008 at 03:26 AM..
1) My profession is a Diversional Therapist. Which city offers an abundance of career opportunities in my field? Which city has the largest Diversional Therapy Association? Which city's association and/or members give a lot of support in the Diversional Therapy industry?
Not really sure about this line of work.
2) Which city has better inexpensive house prices and land prices in the suburbs? Which city provides more new home developments? Which city provides more housing options such as single family homes, townhomes and condos?
Neither. They are both expensive, Sydney moreso. Melbourne in general would probably have newer housing but Sydney has more land in better areas. It really depends on what kind of lifestyle you are after to ascertain which areas, and then from those areas gauge the prices.
3) Which city has more ethnic diversity?
Both.
4) Which city has more culture such as performing arts, shopping, art museums, concerts, sports, festivals, cultural events, ect? Which city supports the arts more such as film, television, visual artist, performing artist, writers, ect?
Probably Melbourne. It is slightly more artsy than Sydney.
5) Which city has better transportation system such as a subway and/or monorail? Does it travel to the suburbs?
Neither, they both suck Melbourne has trams, Sydney has the light rail. Both have trains and buses. Sydney has the advantage of having ferries which criss-cross across the harbor though (which makes for a very scenic trip).
It depends what do you classify as 'better'? On time? Not crowded? Clean? Cheap? etc. Yes they do travel to the suburbs.
But I say go to Sydney Melbourne has CRAP weather. It has barely rained at all (and been very sunny) in Sydney over the last month. I doubt you could say the same for Melbourne. It's expensive for a reason.
Not sure about which city requires your profession but I have lived in both cities and for mine Melbourne wins hands down.
Inexpensive housing, Melbourne wins easily. Sydney is very expensive even by world standards. Both cities have ethnic diversity. Not sure which one wins there. They have quite different influences though. Melbourne I believe has better restaurants but Sydney is pretty good in that area too. Melbourne is more cultural. A lot of festivals, art galleries and museams. It is the arts, cultural capital of Australia. Melbourne has a much better public transportation system. They have a train and tram system that covers just about all areas.
Don't get me wrong. I love Sydney. It's probably a better place to visit than Melbourne but I found Melbourne a much nicer and easier place to live. I'm a Brisbane boy so I feel I can be objective.
I agree. I do not live in either city, so I can look at this objectively too. (But I spend a number of weeks in both cities each year.)
Sydney is the city on all the postcards, but for lifestyle, food, culture and people Melbourne win hands down.
A common criticism of Sydney is that is too 'try hard' and 'fake'. It tries to be all glitz and glamour, but there's not much beneath the surface. Also, bear in mind that very few Syndeysiders live anywhere near the harbour - once you step away form the water Sydney is a sprawling, concrete, polluted city that could be anywhere in the world. Also, Sydney has more rain than London, and those tourist brochure images aren't really representative of a typical day in the city.
Melbourne is the undisputed cultural heart of Australia. It has lots of interesting areas to live in, and it is a much easier city to get around.
I would NEVER, EVER want to live in Sydney, but I have considered a move to Melbourne.
I had to Google "diversional therapy," but if it's recreation you're working in, Brisbane/Gold Coast is where the industry is at.
I've lived in both Sydney and Melbourne, and they're quite similar in some ways. Sydney has the Gay Pride Parade; Melbourne has the Australian Open tennis and Grand Prix. Other than that, the only major difference is that Sydney's slightly more crowded, which brings with it slightly higher pollution, crime, etc. So go for Melbourne.
I'd say Melobourne. It has a more relaxed enviroment and wonderful people. There are also a decent public transport system and lots of nice clubs, cafes to go to. The city does not have a violent crime problem but more a petty theft problem. You can always feel safe in the city at night. There is also a lot of diversity here making it an ideal place for new comers to Aus. However in terms of your job try SEEK - Australia's no. 1 jobs, employment, career and recruitment site hopefully you can find something there. Having said all that I must also mention the increse in living costs here. They are not as high as Sydney but the rental market is very high in demand at the moment and depending on where you stay here it will make a huge difference. Try www.domain.com.au to check out both sydney and melbournes different rentals. If you need anymore help let me know.
I'd also put my hands up for Melbourne. The weather can be erratic, but I don't think it's as humid as Sydney. I find it easier to traverse via public transport than Sydney, and is much more cultured in a deeper sense. By that, I mean you'll see a lot of 'street art' as opposed to just galleries, though the Melbourne Gaol is a must to visit IMHO. I think the shopping is more interesting and diverse than Sydney, it's all round quirkier...Sydney is a bit bland. I don't know what the employment situation is like, but as a professional, you should be okay. (I'm just guessing here tho!)
My feeling is that Sydney tends to rely on the iconic status, harbor, opera house, etc. Melbourne doesn't really have that, so seems more developed as a livable city..you can find lots going on in the city center on weekends, whereas you just don't go to the center of Sydney on weekends, it's really only a business are. Sort of like the City in that grim city way up north on that little island to the left of Europe.
I too find Sydney quite shallow, money and real-estate obsessed. The suburbs are the same anywhere I think, but country NSW has some stunning natural areas. Gorgeous coastline, rainforest north, rolling hills down south, and lots of desert areas too.
I moved to Sydney b/c I had contacts here and needed to get back on my feet quickly, but if I could do it again, it'd be Melbourne for sure!
Good luck!
Yes, well we're trying..I hear ya about the 2 lane roads..downright embarrassing.
But politicians for the most part here are pretty backward, and most people seem to like it that way. Different strokes, different folks etc.
I'm trying to get out, but it aint that easy..have to take my partner into consideration.
Count me, As one of the "Like It That Way" crowd! I don't feel at all embarrased by having mainly 2 lane roads and frankly don't understand why people think we have to copy other countries, In regards to this?
I prefer that many Australian cities have layouts, Reminiscent of the Old World! As It's nice to live in a country, Whose cities Try to Put an emphasis on their Heritage or their picturesque qualities. Rather than just being concerned about how many lanes their roads have?
If anything really? Australian cities need to improve their Public transport systems and move away somewhat. From "The car is king" thinking In city centres.
Last edited by Kangaroofarmer; 09-21-2008 at 01:26 AM..
Before my time living in Australia I thought Sydney would be my favourite city. But surprisingly, while I like Sydney, I would chose Melbourne as a city to live in in a heart beat. I have happy memories of taking the trams around the city and to St Kilda for lunch with a view of the water and the city, of hours spent looking at aboriginal art at the National Gallery of Victoria, of finding a place for South American hot chocolate and spending a lazy afternoon watching the river. Finishing the evening listening to live jazz on Little Collins Street... Yup I love MEL.
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Melbourne has trams, Sydney has the light rail. Both have trains and buses. Sydney has the advantage of having ferries which criss-cross across the harbor though (which makes for a very scenic trip).
