Sydney vs Melbourne. Which is better?
Recently returned from a trip to my new favourite city, it strikes me that the Sydney/Melbourne rivalry is just a bit silly really. I say this because there is absolutely no way you can compare two such different cities like for like.
On my first trip to Melbs, I returned to Sydney enlightened. This cultural hotspot with bar, restaurant and shopping delights, was incredible! Why would anyone rather live in Sydney? Unless of course they like the beach, sunshine and the odd iconic landmark…
But then what about all those fabulous Melbournian bars? The ones hidden away down laneways with directions to find them such as ‘turn right at the big bin and find the door with the little red handle under the graffiti of a rat’? Love it! And the coffee! I thought Sydney coffee was doing well until my first trip to Victoria. And then there’s the restaurants (not that Sydders doesn’t have its fair share of great ones) with equally good food at much lower prices.
Then on last week’s trip, I discovered that it really does get rather cold in Melbourne. But I can forgive that because the shopping is so much better. And it has trams! How quaint!
But returning to Sydney, you can’t beat that view of the Opera House as you cross the magnificent Harbour Bridge (and from your balcony if you’re lucky, like me). It really does take your breath away. And while I’m not a sun worshipper or indeed a beach goer, I do enjoy living by water.
So is Sydney my favourite again? No! I’m torn! Daydreams quickly take me back to Melbourne with its European vibe, cafe culture and inimitable style, full of cool girls with great haircuts and deliciously scruffy boys.
They’re just both great, okay?
What do you think?
Melbourne is so much better. Its a great place and always new things to see. Not like Sydney with just its Opera House and Harbiour Bridge. Everything loooks great in Melbourne and its clean and smells good. so for me its MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MELBOURNE.
I’m visiting from the US…which city would be ideal to visit? I would like some nightlife, some shopping, but i would especially love to go where I can find the most single ladies!
Melbourne is boring. The only people who praise it are its own residents in denial. Its the ugliest city in Australia and its eyesore to look at really. You cant even see the sky on spencer st. Sydney is way more interesting to look at. Its got a simple skyline and we dont try to outdo the other cities. When looking at the skyline in Melbourne, you can only see 6 buildings on one side and 500m away, you can see another 6. Then theres this really tall ugly building (the eureka tower) that stands taller than all the other buildings. Not to mention the dirty river in between. The only reason Melbourne has the tallest buildings is to show how much superior they are. Sydney however has 4 times as many skyscrapers which are better looking. Our Opera house and bridge just make our city look more attractive.
Onto shopping: Sydney is a better place to shop as it has a great variety.
Transport: Trams share the lane with cars and everytime they get to a stop, all cars behind have to stop. Terrible. In Sydney there is more investment in buses. Also commuting times are longer. Eg it takes 14 minutes to get from footscray to flinders st which is a distance of 4km while it takes 13 minutes to get from Strathfield to Central which is a distance of 12km.
Melbourne outside the city is a dump. The suburbs (besides toorak and that area) are neglected. Sydney is great throughout.
Affordability is a huge topic. Sydney has its affordable regions. The eastern suburbs Is the only region where houses can be over 2mil. This just means that Sydney caters for a range of different wealths. Not everyone in Australia is poor okay?
Melbourne has copied Sydney alot but Sydney still does it better.
1. Chinatown: Melbourne’s is only 250m of a small street, sydneys is an entire region and is really popular with the youth (i wonder what the youth do in melbourne).
2. Docklands: Ugly and abandoned. Pretty much sums it up.
Life in general is better in Sydney. Its fun and even though ive lived here forever, its beauty still captures me. I actually do go to Melbourne to visit. Its not as good as Sydney though.
I almost completely agree with you and I am a Melbournian but you forgot 1 thing and there is one thing I disagree on.
The people in Sydney are so much more hospitable and nice and would literally take you under their wing to help you out, whereas Melbournians are all about themselves, truly.
The thing I disagree with you on is the suburbs outside Melbourne, most of Melbournes suburbs are quite nice and pleasant, the houses look nice, they all have some form of land and they are not in constant earshot of traffic. I just came back from Sydney (for the who knows how many times) and the housing and suburbs are still putting me off actually moving there purely because they are really old and ghetto looking, especially the west and northern suburbs. Melbourne only gets ugly in it’s inner west and inner north
Oh also, the pricing isn’t much different. I was talking to a friend of my mine who lives in Sydney and he lives 8 minutes from the city and his huge townhouse only cost him roughly 900,000, whereas it costs 1.2-1.4mil to live 40 minutes away from Melbournes CBD.
If Sydney never had such an ordinary setup with it’s roads I swear there would never be traffic more than a moderate level, I personally believe even though Melbourne has the better roads that there is so much more traffic on our roads. Going off my own points of view after been able to physically compare them over the years.
Ron, you’re obviously very biased. As such there is little to no objectivity in your post.
“14min from Footscray to the city”. By what means… A donkey?
“Busses better than trams” not according to many. And why did Sydney recently build a tram line if busses are so superior?
Skyscrapers… Personally I prefer them not all bunched together and I expect the tenants do too as their view is less likely to be blocked by another building. As for skyscrapers in Sydney being better… I don’t see it myself but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Sydney has taller buildings than Adelaide. Does that mean Sydney is trying to be better than Adelaide?
Judging Docklands is subjective. If you compare ti to Darling Harbour then, Yes, it’s not so good but Southbank is a better match for Darling Harbour. Homebush is a better comparison for Docklands. Both large scale urban redevelopments that will take time to mature and evolve. And in this comparison I think Docklands comes out on top.
Sydney is so much more boring than Melbourne. Visited both cities and Sydney was not very interesting. I thought the skyline was quite nice in Melbourne too although it amazing to look at from the Harbour Bridge. Melbourne is more layed out, Sydney is all over the place and confusing. The trams still run perfectly even when they share lanes with cars. The transportation in Sydney was a nightmare, trains were always delayed and buses weren’t frequent enough. The docklands were actually nice in Melbourne, much more variety of shopping then there is in Sydney, also, i think the outer cities of Melbourne are nice…. flying in and the sky was clean and the houses were nice, big shopping centres and green grass. Flying into Sydney i just saw smoke and factories…. thats not very pretty :/
Alright, so your saying that Sydney doesn’t try and “out-do” Melbourne, but here you are saying all this stuff to make Melbourne look bad and only say positive things about Sydney. Melbourne has its beauty’s and so does Sydney. How is Melbourne a dump? It’s probably the cleanest city in Australia, as of Sydney.. hm.
As for the suburbs we have our good and bad ones, just as Sydney does. If you think Melbourne is boring you obviously haven’t gotten out to much.
I agree with that Melbourne is boring.. i have lived here all my life.
You have to walk from one section of the city, through strip of boring roads/buildings to another area. where Sydney is a glamourous alive city, more young people and tourists. I prefer sydney way more. everything in melbourne is segmented and spread out, flat and dull.
Sydney all the way
I’m in Australia now and have lived in both cities for a couple of months. They are very different and it depends what you like. For me it’s Sydney that takes the win, sorry. Melbourne is nice and has a cultural vibe that is lacking in Sydney but the weather really sucks at times. Cold, windy and grey days makes you dreaming of Sydney’s sunny beaches. The shopping don’t bother me, think Sydney is cool to shop in as well even if the prices can be very high! For a backpacker Sydney is the place. I had so much more fun nights out in Sydney than Melbourne and the hostels are so much nicer and friendlier. Melbourne is really lacking behind Sydney in taking care of travellers and belive it or not but they are more greedy in Melbourne! Sydney suburbs sucks for sure and if I would live in Australia Melbourne might be a better choice since I’m from Europe and used to cycle paths and good communications. But for a traveller the harbour and beaches of Sydney just takes your breath away, nothing like it in Melbourne!
Since when does melbourne not have beer gardens, great, cafes and national parks? Last I checked it did all of those better than sydney. Not sure why someone would try and make their point by comparing moonee ponds (an average working class suburb of melbourne) to sydneys trump card, the harbour. Kind of like saying sydney is redfern and melbourne is toorak. But anyway there is no best city, stupid argument really.
Im an American looking to goto Australia at the end of the yr. for there summer, im looking for the best night life and also fun activities to do during the day, such as sight seeing, wildlife, scuba, any suggestions on which has the best of both?
To Navin and Joel,
More girls in Sydney, better and warmer scuba in sydney (lots of good spots like magic point; swim down to see the only place in Australia where grey nurse sharks stay year round), pubs are Australian… why go to melbourne when you could just go to europe really…
Melbourne is what you could see as mini Europe. Why come to Australia for that experience. Sydeny is a more beautiful city. Shopping? why even bother. Bad and uninteresting fashion and bloody expensive because we’re so far (taxes). Food – Both cities have great restaurants though Melbourne has more affordable food because the cost of living(rent) is cheaper, Sydney is more expensive because there are a million more people here and so of course the rent is going to be more expensive and so is everything else. Art is debatable -Melbourne is more underground where as Sydney is more commercial with big names. Climate – Summer in Sydney is the best. 45 degrees and no beach really depresses me. In Melbourne i guess you could laze around a lane-way bar which is cool but why not bring a bottle wine or beer to the beach and have a bbq by the beach. Of course i live in Sydney and love it here, Melbourne is great for certain things and so is Sydney, but there are a million more people living in Sydney for a reason, and its not just because of the most of the international flights stop in Sydney first.
Brian, your population “facts” are inaccurate. Sydney is less than 12% larger than Melbourne and the gap is narrowing. Besides, population is not really a good gauge as to how good a city is… otherwise Lagos would be one of the worlds greatest cities and Venice & Florence would barely rate a mention. Population is complicated, it’s not like half a million Sydney Siders can just up and move to Melbourne in a week because they feel like it, there are houses, jobs and family to consider.
But did you know that Melbourne attracts more domestic tourists than Sydney? Australians would rather spend their holidays in Melbourne! This is a more telling fact because they are free to spend their holidays anywhere they like and being Australian they are much better informed than international tourists.
Please, don’t get me wrong. I think Sydney has an amazing setting, surely one of the best n the world. It’s just that the city its self is perhaps a little overrated. People should be mindful of the illusion that amazing landscape = amazing city.
Brian, there is not a million more people in Sydney in comparison to Melbourne.
Melbourne: 4 million
Sydney: 4.5 million
Not that much of a difference, Melbourne is also going to be growing bigger than Sydney in not too long either.
But the biggest thing I dislike about Sydney is the architecture, the general architecture is absolutely hideous, in Melbourne it’s either that old lovely grand Victorian architecture and super-modern, wheras Sydney has so much ugly 70′s cheap architecture that it just looks poor. It also lacks the modern architecture that Melbourne has.
also, the trains and trams and general infrastructure is really 90′s and yucky. Whereas in Melbourne it’s far more modern and far more developed. The train I took in Sydney today was just gross, there were mcdonalds wrappers and it was filthy.
Melbourne is far nicer, and there is a reason that it ranks above Sydney as one of th most livable cities in the world.
If you’re an international tourist and you want to be surrounded by poor, ugly architecture than go to Sydney.
also, Sydney has a short insignificant skyline,
Melbourne has 7/10 of the tallest buildings in Australia, and Sydney? Only 1 out of ten,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Australia
Well actually Daniel, the Mercer Quality of Life Survey released in 2010 states that Melbourne is ranked 18th in the world and Sydney is 10th. Please don’t take offence because i’m not saying that Melbourne is crap or ‘UGLY’ or ‘POOR’… which i don’t think is true of Sydney, as sydney is Australia’s financial and economic hub and also the 20th richest city in the world.
All i’m trying to get at is that people prefer different ways of living and some people love Melbourne and some love Sydney.
Melbourne is like Europe is what i said, beautifully built… but Sydney has more natural beauty, which is totally different. Anyway i don’t think Sydney architecture is all that bad, (Opera House, Parliament House, National Museum of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW) but Sydney is about the beaches, the national parks, the weather.
AND The only reason why Melbourne has taller building is because Sydney banned taller buildings as it took note from cities like New York where the city is constantly in the shadows. Andjust for your information Sydney is actually split into two. Half of Sydney’s skyline are in North Sydney, on the other side of the bridge…and by 2015, Brisbane will have most of the tallest buildings as Melbourne has reached its peak and no longer has space to build up (as Sydney was about 10 years ago).
AND Melbourne’s peak population average growth rate is at 90,000 p.a and Sydney is at the moment 85,000. Statistically (if your not looking at tabloid news), Melbourne might overtake Sydney’s population but not in our or our grand children’s generation…
AND transport well if you think a bag of McDonald’s on a train is just disgusting, maybe you should have picked it up and put it in the bin.
I’m just saying this because the statistic that you are throwing up are pretty much all incorrect….
Melbourne no longer has space to build up? What does that mean, our sky is limited?
Not that I mind too much whether more and bigger buildings are built in Melbourne. I’d rather quality over quantity.
Melbourne’s population is very close to Sydney, this year Melbourne is the 2nd most livable city in the world, Sydney came 7th.
Fools. It’s not about statistics. It is about which you prefer. They are both good. FYI mercer quality of living is the only thing to rank Sydney above Melbourne. Most others agree that the standard of living in Melbourne is higher. Congratulations, in proving your point by selecting contentious evidence that agrees with you (you can find anything to support your claim on the internet) you have managed to prove how joyless and pathetic you really are.
Brian — the reason Sydney house prices are so expensive is that the demand for housing is higher than the supply… that’s basic economics. It has nothing to do with how many people live there.
I’m just presenting facts from the most internationally recognised and regarded source.
At the end of the day… i like melbourne… i dont think its crap, ugly or poor… i just prefer Sydney and thats what i’ve been stating… no need to be rude and nasty, its only a blog. geez.
just take a chill pill
Since when do we use lists of tallest buildings to determine a city’s worth?
This rules out all the great cities of Europe & would conclude that Dubai is the world’s best city. Try again,. einstein!
To me Melbourne has a more local/intimate feeling. You can walk around the CBD and any of the other satellite suburbs and have an excellent experience: shopping, cafe, food, art, bookshops etc. Then you drive further out for good suburban living with plenty of space – but commuting won’t take up half your day (disregarding trains).
Sydney is all looks and no experience…
Melbourne is colonial city straight out of england. Sydney has a more orignal feel.
Every time i hear this debate, all that springs to mind is patriotic Americans; who’ve never left The States, proclaiming that they live in the best country in the world.
The whole rivalery is silly. Every city of Australia has its own feel.
Sydney feels fun, relaxed, carefree, and casual; Melbourne feels artsy-fartsy but also glamarous; Brisbane feels beachy and fun, Adelaide feels calm and friendly – Perth, I don’t know, it has no feeling. It’s isolated, hot, humid, boring, etc.
At least, that’s my opinion.
Sydney and Melbourne both have their pros and cons. But Sydney wins for sure. You Melbournians dont understand life in Sydney. Ive lived in Melbourne for a few years and Im so glad I left it. Everyday just seemed dull and boring. Sydney is way more fun. Its got a beautiful skyline and harbour. To this day, im still amazed of its beauty. Im so sick of Melbournes trams. They just block up the streets and make Melbourne too complex. Yes Melbourne may have the tallest buildings in Australia but that has no significance at all. Shopping in Sydney is awesome. Bourke St and Chadstone are the only worthy shopping malls in Melbourne. Sydney has The Galleries, QVB, Pitt St, Westfield Sydney and many huge malls like Westfield Bondi, Parramatta etc.. Beaches in Sydney beat Melbourne for sure. Housing is affordable outside the Inner West. Transport is excellent- Most lines have express services which lack in Melbourne. Most trains are modern and have higher capacity. After a busy week at work, it is possible to relax with friends and family – whether going to the beach or shopping at Sydneys malls or even enjoying a day at Darling Harbour or the zoo, Sydney has endless fun. Melbourne is heading down the path of superficialism – the highest viewing platform? Biggest casino? Sydney wins! The only place that can be compared to Sydney is Brisbane/Gold Coast. Melbourne loses by far!
Sorry John, but by what you’ve said you don’t know Melbourne shopping. Apart from the fact that Myer and David Jones are on Bourke St, I don’t see why you would highlight it. Is it because it’s called Bourke St “mall”? I for one don’t consider shopping malls as a great shopping experience, it looks to me like you do.
What is good about the shopping in Melbourne is that it is not all in shopping “malls”. The best shopping in my opinion and many others, is found along streets. Melbourne still has a lot of this type of shopping.
Why I think it’s better is because the street shops are more independent, they don’t have to comply with the wishes of a shopping centre management. This leads to a more genuine, original, diverse and unique retail experience. To me shopping centres feel much the same where ever they are, whether it be Melb’ Syd’ or anywhere else.
Chapel St in Melbourne is considered the best shopping strip in Australia and you didn’t even mention it, but there are many other shopping strips in Melbourne.
Streets are also more highly regarded overseas, Orchard Rd (Singapore), Rodeo Drive (Los Angeles), Oxford St (London), 5th Ave (New York), Ave Montaigne (Paris).
Just for the record, Melbourne also has shopping malls every bit the measure of the ones in Sydney. But John… You Can Have Them.
I have lived in Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart, Brisbane and Darwin. By far i think Melbourne is the best which is why im so happy im back. Sydney isn’t a bad city, it does have its positives and negatives like every other city in this world. Melbourne is a much more relaxed city than Sydney, i had so much stress in Sydney it was a nightmare. The buildings in Melbourne just seem more unique and better looking than Sydney too and the people here in Melbourne are much more friendlier. Also economy wise, it is so much easier living in Melbourne
i have lived in melbourne my entire life (but do frequent sydney and other cities for family things) and i obviously think that melbourne is the best city by far. when i get home i can see why people like sydney. it is beautiful in its own way and much warmer then we are.
but every-time i am in sydney all i think about is how confusing it is to get around, how small the streets are and how pompous everyone is.
You cannot be serious. People are pompous in Sydney?! Sydney has to be the most casual and most un-pompous city I know! Every time I’m going down to Melbourne, I make sure to remember that putting up with all the snobs who think they’re better than you is worth it for the culture.
Small streets? Ok, yes, they are too small. But Melbourne’s are smaller.
Confusing? Ok, you have that one. It’s something you’ve got to get used to in Sydney, but a lot of people like it, as most Australian cities are planned on a boring grid. Besides, ever been up to London? Take one turn wrong, and you’re on the other side of the city.
Jacob, Melbourne streets are smaller? I think you’re the first person to ever say that… Congratulations!
I rather a un-confusing city than a confusing one. The streets are not smaller in Melbourne than they are in Sydney. The transportation in Sydney is terrible compared to Melbourne. I think the people in Sydney are much more up themselves then in Melbourne and try to look the best they can when they look bad….
Someone named “Jiorgia” is accusing people in Sydney of being pompus? Hahaha. Maybe I should change my name to Kriss.
I’m over the whole Sydney Vs. Melbourne argument. They both have good points and both have bad points. If you live in Melbourne then you like Melbourne more. Same goes for Sydney.
Sydney people may be more focused on material worth, busier, possibly less friendly, but on the other hand Melbournites are so desperate for attention that it’s laughable. Constantly bleating on about the shopping, cool bars, restaurants, sports etc. Honestly, nobody outside Australia gives a rat’s about either city.
@John.
Melbourne has no worthy shopping centres other than Bourke St and Chadstone?
Collins St, not Bourke, is the CBD’s shopping nexus! A brand new Westfield Doncaster was opened in 2008 and it’s way better than Chadstone. What about Chapel St? And Greville? Melbourne Central? Melbourne GPO? Southbank? And tons of others like Chirnside, etc You obviously didn’t get around much when in Melbourne!
Well I have lived in Melbourne for 10 years and I consider it to be a shithole of a city. Really, it’s an awful dreary brown place.
@ John: “Transport is excellent [in Sydney].”
According to the Property Council of Australia’s My Reprot (2011): Public transport was labelled unsatisfactory or very poor by almost half the city’s population (45 per cent).
As an American in Australia (and American who has now lived on 3 different continents, Europe being the other, in 4 different countries, and who has traveled in Paris, Athens, Berlin, London, Barcelona and NYC, and many other cities) I have to say that I agree with American Fantasist Harlan Ellison, when he said, “Melbourne is one of the top three cities in the world.” It has culture (art galleries, theater, named by UNESCO as a City of Literature, etc.), terrific restaurants (Stokehouse, Ficelle, etc), and Trams (!) which, along with all sorts of interesting architecthure (the beautiful Victorian Flinders Station sitting next to Federation Square which sits nex to a Gothic Cathedral) gives the city character and funkiness (Sydney, by contrast, is more like cookie-cutter version of an American City — a sad imitation that only gets the too-hurried lifestyle and I want2B-like-the-Americans attitude (that affects so many young Australians) right. Only the Opera House makes Sydney more unique than most other cities — which have beautiful beaches — around the world).
Melbourne has it all over Sydney, by far.
Now…if ONLY you Aussies would _demand_ that your politicians and businesses start lowering costs (of food, clothing, housing, books, etc.) because this duopoly system that has been going on for so long has made living even in Melbourne more expensive than living in London…Paris…New York City…Los Angeles. When the cost of living gets THAT high, you’d think the natives would start ask questions about the cost of a steak…or a book… or a pair of jeans (you folks are being robbed by robber barons!)
Are you serious about Melbourne being even more expensive than London AND NYC? How can that be?! (Do you have any sources?)
Dumbass, Sydney is notorious for it’s prices, Melbourne is no-where near as expensive as other cities such as NY and London!
Believe it or not, Sydney is the 3rd most expensive city in the world, behind London and Tokyo.
I am from Melbourne and have lived in Los Angeles, Melbourne is not as expensive as London or Paris, it is a bit more expensive than LA and a few other cities in America i have traveled too but its not very expensive. The only reason why everything in America is cheaper is because your economy is shit and is going bust.
Oh my God I totally agree with you, spot on with your words..
. That’s so true it’s too expensive something should be done about it but I doubt it.
@Daniel Sydney doesnt have the tallest buildings but its got more and its skyline is the most consistent rather than Melbournes. In most shots of the melbourne skyline, you can see only about 5 skyscrapers with another few so far away. Also in Sydney, most of the buildings are of the same height, unlike melbourne where one building can be twice as tall as the others. Heres a pic that describes the two points i made http://rentoid.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/melbourne-skyline.jpg
You decide which has a bigger and better skyline
Sydney: http://www.travelsinparadise.com/australia/sydney/pictures/sydney-skyline-02.jpg
Or Melbourne: http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1676885-Melbourne_Skyline_from_the_Westgate_Bridge-Melbourne.jpg
Ron, what the hell are you talking about “Sydney is great throughout”. Sure, the North/North-West, South, East and Central suburbs are beatiful in Sydney. But honestly, have you ever been to the Western and South-Western suburbs, particuarly Mt. Druitt and Blacktown? It’s murderville! I honestly wouldn’t set foot in those places in a billion years, as most Sydneysiders wouldn’t. A woman was walking thourgh Bankstown, and was killed by a lebenese mob, all because she was wearing a mini-skirt (I seriously don’t know who would be dumb enough to walk though such a lebenese area wearing that).
For visitors in Sydney, please feel free to explore our beautiful city, but stay out of the far west and south-west areas. You can’t walk 5 metres without getting robbed there.
Anyway, ’bout the rivalry, in my honest opinion, Sydney and Melbourne are 2 completely different cities with 2 completely different lifestyles. You cannot compare them except for a few small points. It’s a matter of preference, and I prefer Sydney but love Melbourne also. And Brisbane. And Adelaide. But not Perth, ew. But other than that, all capital cities are great!
Check out my response to Ron above, it’s essentially the same point I made, the west is terrible and I’ve been and stayed and had to go to a business meeting once all in the west and outer west and I could practically feel threatened by the area alone. I just got home from sydney today and I honestly feel more at home there than here. Other than the food and cultural hubs, Melbourne is meh to me.
Lol, you don’t like Perth? I reckon Adelaide is eww, like Detroit eww. At least Perth has some kind of skyline and the food is even better there
Oh btw, there is another John in the commenting, it’s not me
Just read this article again and saw your comment. Perth is too isolated 4 me, and way to spread out. Less density = less stuff 2 do. I was bored out of my mind as soon as I got there, and everything was, well… average.
And, even the proudest of Sydneysiders will admit the western suburbs are sh*t.
I was born and raised in Melbourne and have never lived in Sydney but unfortauntely have had to go there quite a few times for family stuff (Christmas and birthdays). I can’t see how people can actually like that place. I mean, fair enough the harbour is nice but is that all you Sydney-siders can pride yourselves on? I wouldn’t say Sydney is a world class city, it just has a world class harbour with a dull city hanging behind it. Too much focus on trying to bring international attention and tourists to the harbour when the city is left for dead. It is ugly, cold (as in, lifeless), roads are disastrous, people are self centred and think they’re ‘all that’ as they look down on you, and the drivers are the worst in the country. The public transport is a joke as the trains run late and they are scummy, and it is expensive!! The suburbs are hideous. I have family in Penrith and Ingleburn and the towns are ugly and dangerous! It is also so expensive to live in Sydney (if the cost of food is so darn high, then I would want to imagine how much it is to buy a home).
Sydney is too much of a Melbourne wannabe. They know why Melbourne is more liveable and successful in terms of culture and liveability than they are, and they tried to copy what is uniquely Melbourne like the trams and laneway culture. Not to mention trying to steal Melbourne’s events (You will never get the AFL grand final). Are you THAT desperate for attention, Sydney? Is it unbearable that you have to share the spotlight with Melbourne and not hog it all to yourself? The shopping is lame, there is no soul or culture to Sydney. It’s like Paris Hilton – all about the glitz and glamour and completly fake and materialistic, with nothing behind the looks.
Melbourne on the other hand is a beautiful cosmopolitan city. Easy to navigate your way around and impossible to get lost. Public transport is great and you can use the same ticket all day on trains, trams and buses. It’s fun to take the free city circle tram all around the city.
There’s so much to see and do. We don’t have a distinct landmark like an opera house that everybody likes to go “Ooooh *snap* ” at and then think “well, now what?”.. Melbourne is more about the city itself and the amazing vibe and culture, something Sydney just doesn’t have. Nightlife in Melbourne is unbeatable! Some of the best clubs/restaurants/cafes can be found hidden away in undiscovered laneways. The people are so much more friendlier in Melbourne! We aren’t so up ourselves. The climate here is perfect.. not too hot, not too cold, and far less rainy than Sydney.
Melbourne’s suburbs are much more beautiful and safer than Sydney’s. Love heading out to the eastern suburbs, as they are so green and well built. And love the westen suburbs, as they are so multicultural with a country feel to them.
Melbourne has the best sports culture in the country!! It’s even the sporting capital of the world 3 years in a row.
The shopping in Melbourne is also the best in the country. Chadstone – the largest shopping complex in the southern hemisphere. Then there’s Melbourne Central, Collins Street, Bourke Street Mall, DFO, Chapel Street, Harbour Town, QV, Highpoint, Fountaingate, the Westfield shopping centres and so many more. It is unbeatable! We are the shopping and fashion capital. I could go on…
In conclusion, Sydney is lame, boring and dead. Melbourne is buzzing, alive and vibrant! I could NEVER live in Sydney as I even dread having to go each year for only a couple of days. People are realizing the benefits of living in Melbourne over Sydney as our population is growing faster, and our popularity overseas is becoming more recognised.
Kenneth your commentary is hilarious
1. Shopping in Melbourne may have been perceived as better than Sydney for a long time but billions have been invested in Sydney’s retail stock and will continue to be invested in the city’s retail stock, so much so that by 2020 I predict Sydney will be recognised as the better shopping city.
Westfield Sydney is almost fully open and it is introducing a range of international brands to Australia (Audio Technica, Bottega Veneta, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, DKNY Jeans, Frey Wille, Le Coq Sportif, Mulberry, Tumi and Zara). There are also stores new to Sydney (Coast London – no store in Melbourne, Decjuba, Gap, Honey Birdette – no store in Melbourne, Linneys Pearls – no store in Melbourne, Lloyd, Miu Miu, Ruth Tarvydas – no store in Melbourne, Ted Baker, Thurley, Tilkah, Versace and Via La Moda – no store in Melbourne). There are other stores at Westfield Sydney that are not in Melbourne – 100 Squared, Capsule, Carat, Cerrone, DJ Hair’s Artistry, Escada, Georgini, Ginger & Smart, Graniph, Ksubi, Little Minx, Mazal, MJ Bale, My Botique, One Teaspoon, Peeptoe Shoes, Sheike, Sneakerology, Streetology, Varoujan Jewellery, Via Alley, Via Uno, Wanted Shoes and Waxing Divas.
In addition, the largest Esprit, Guess and Nespresso stores in the Southern Hemisphere are at Westfield Sydney. Ermenegildo Zegna, Gucci, Miu Miu and Prada are all opening their Australian flagship stores at Westfield Sydney too. 1 shopping centre has changed the game – Australia’s premier shopping and dining destination.
Other retail developments across the city have included the opening and continual evolution of Westfield Bondi Junction (Sydney’s answer to Chadstone), the $500 million upgrade of the retail offer at Sydney Airport, the opening of the Mid City Centre and refurbishment of the Pitt Street Mall and the opening of (at the time) the second largest Apple store in the world on George Street.
Redevelopments that are all proposed or under construction include
1. Barangaroo – will be home to flagship national and international luxury labels and high street stores
2. Central Park – said to be bringing the best of NYC and Tokyo street fashion to Sydney in a 5 level shopping centre. Additional stages will see pedestrian streets with more shops
3. Louis Vuitton 3 x storey maison on the corner of George & King St. One of the largest LV stores in the world (opens November) and obviously LV’s Australian flagship
4. Burberry on George St opposite Martin Place. One of the largest Burberry stores in the world and obviously Burberry’s Australian flagship (opens this month)
5. 383 George St will host a major high st fashion chain such as Banana Republic, Uniqlo or H&M
6. Gowings Building (cnr George St & Market St) refurb could see new flagship store such as those mentioned above open
7. Star City will have 5000 sq m of retail space for high end brands such as LV, Prada to mid level brands like FCUK, Guess. Harrods is also rumoured
8. Wynyard Shopping Centre across 5 floors will be a major development in the north of the CBD.
9. Multi million dollar upgrade of Westfield Parramatta will make it equal second largest in Southern Hemisphere
10. Multi million dollar upgrade of Castle Towers will tie it with Westfield Parramatta.
2. I don’t know if you are blind or not but Sydney’s streets are packed with people. Take a walk down George Street on any day. Also if you head to the southern end of the CBD into Chinatown in the evening all the way through to midnight, the entire place hums with people having a good time. That hardly makes a place lame, boring and dead.
3. Melburnians love to rubbish Sydney because they say it relies too heavily on the harbour/bridge/Opera House effect. Are they stupid or what? Dig a little deeper and you will Sydney has substance, Sydney has class, Sydney has grit, Sydney has character. Take the Eastern Suburbs for instance – Paddington, Surry Hills, Woollahra, Double Bay, Darlinghurst, Kings Cross. Here you can dine in award winning restaurants, shop in world famous boutiques, peruse art galleries, chill out in expansive parks, take in the character of terraced houses, drink with friends at a stylish bar, dance the night away in a nightclub, check out Fox Studios, head to the SCG or the SFS to watch cricket, AFL, rugby league, rugby union etc. That’s a pretty wide variety to choose from!
Further east you have the magnificent beaches that Melbourne can’t light a candle to. Bondi, Bronte, Coogee, Maroubra, Tamarama etc. The clifftop walk from Bondi to Bronte is amazing. The beaches are clean, safe and the people friendly. At these beaches too, you can shop, drink, dine and chillax in style.
Then there’s the inner west suburbs – Pyrmont (home to the largest fish market in the world outside of Japan), Newtown, Glebe, Leichardt, Erkskinville, Enmore, Balmain. These places all have their own individual character from Bohemian, multicultural Newtown to student oriented Glebe, from old world charm in Balmain to Italian renaissance in Leichardt. It’s all there!!
Up on the north shore, Chatswood is a major shopping destination – the biggest non CBD shopping precinct in Australia with almost 300 stores at Westfield Chatswood + 200 stores at Chatswood Chase. There are smaller centres on the pedestrianised mall here as well as a new 60 store centre being built. The North Shore is also home to quaint and attractive suburbs such as Mosman and Cremorne. Taronga Park Zoo and Luna Park are on the North Shore.
In the northern beaches, places like Manly, Dee Why and Curl Curl are a different experience to the eastern beaches, more local, more laid back. Then in the western suburbs you have the fantastic Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush and Parramatta, which is emerging as Sydney’s second CBD, not to mention ethnic enclaves such as Cabramatta.
Rubbishing Sydney because you like Melbourne more is a foolish and immature way of presenting your opinion. You should be able to accept both places for what they are and draw on the positives. Sydney is a fantastic place to live (rated seventh in the world in a recent survey) and a global city (rated an alpha plus city, up with Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo etc) by the GaWC.
I’m sorry, george st was dead last time I was in Sydney – early last year. A lot of crazy kids but the CBD is dead dead dead. Everything looks so old and messy. Love the stunning harbour but only the denialists won’t admit that Sydney is a big ol’ mess. Look at your government – neither parties will deny how bad it is in NSW. @ Kenneth is right – Melbourne rules – FAR nicer people, well planned, very liveable. Melbourne has class. Melbourne has culture. Melbourne’s the Australian city of the future.
Zak, “by 2020 I predict Sydney will be recognised as the better shopping city.” So you admit that Melbourne’s shopping is better, at least for now?
Sounds like you are going to get billions of $$$ worth of shopping centre shopping. How unique. And think of all those brands you mentioned, some of which Melbourne doesn’t have. But they are not unique to Sydney or they would not be “brands”. In my opinion when something becomes a “brand” it loses something more valuable. The best shops I find are not usually chains but “one offs”. But this point may be lost on you.
“Westfield Sydney, Australia’s premier shopping and dining destination.” Dining in a shopping centre, how romantic, what wonderful ambience. Next time I’m trying to impress a girl I’m going to take her to eat at the shopping centre.
How old are you Zak, 16?
Mr Lowe would like you to believe you can find all life has to offer in one of his shopping centre’s but don’t be fooled.
“$500 million upgrade of the retail offer at Sydney Airport” WOW, I never thought of going to the airport for a spot of shopping before. Why, think of all the money I could spend on parking?
Last time I was in Sydney Airport it was during a transfer to International and we had to run through what seemed like miles of “duty free” just to reach the gates. Personally I would rather the gates were closer and more convenient and the shopping was in the city where it belongs.
How much stuff do I really want to buy when leaving Oz only to lug it around with me on my holiday and have less space/weight spare for something I find O.S.? It’s just a grab for dollars from foreigners leaving the country but of no real benefit to Australians, only inconvenience. Please don’t do it to Melbourne Airport.
Alan
1/No I’m not 16
2/Obviously you know nothing of Westfield Sydney. Becasse (a 2 hat restaurant in the SMH Good Food Guide 2011 & No.9 on the Australian Gourmet Traveller’s top 100 Restaurants list) is relocating to Westfield Sydney. The owner/chef, Justin North, will also open a new restaurant (Quarter Twenty One) as well as a fine food emporium, cooking school, wine cellar and Becasse Bakery. He already operates the very popular Charlie & Co Burgers in the centre. Joining North in the centre will be Alessandro Pavoni (of Ormeggio fame, a 1 hat restaurant in the SMH Good Food Guide 2011) as well as Din Tai Fung and popular Sydney restaurants Chat Thai and Sassy’s Red (by Simon Goh). Already Sky Phoenix, Cloudy Bay Fish Co (by NZer John Susman) and Eat Deli Kitchen (by Michael Moore of Summit fame) have food outlets at WS.
3/Just because you prefer individual, one off stores doesn’t mean everybody does, but it is one of the things that makes visiting Melbourne fun and special
4/Not all of the shopping I noted will be in enclosed malls, some will be standalone stores at street level and others will be integrated into the lower levels of new developments by the harbour.
5/Right now, I think that Sydney and Melbourne are neck and neck in the shopping stakes. Sydney has more of the high end brands (International and local) if that’s your thing whilst Melbourne is better for small boutiques and consignment stores
Hi Zac,
I take back the quip about being 16.
The tenants you mentioned at Westfield Sydney have most likely earned their credits/stars. I wouldn’t say that there isn’t something of quality on offer. You are right that not everyone would see things the way I do and I wouldn’t have it another way.
I have to say though… I cant imagine being as excited about a shop, restaurant or bar that is one of many clones as I could with one that unique and just as good. I think most people respond more positively when experiencing something they know is not found anywhere else to when they are getting something that is widely on offer and relatively common. Without being elitist, I think most people appreciate exclusivity in one way or another.
Please consider that something becoming a “brand” usually has more to do with Marketing, Finance and Business Planning than it does with what it actually offers customers & patrons.
I honestly hope that Westfield Sydney turns out to be more than just another shopping center. One day when in Sydney I might “check it out”. I may even be inspired by it? But I won’t hold my breath, because for me at least, Vegas will never trump Venice.
I’m an American who has lived in Sydney and Melbourne for about an equal 3 years each. I originally came from L.A to Sydney as I had a friend who lived there. I immediately loved it. There was the sunny weather, which I love as an original Californian, the beach which is important to me because I surf all the time and of course the monorail! The view from my apartment- the opera house, the harbor bride- was simply amazing. After about 3 years I decided to take a trip to Melbourne. I asked a lot of people and they said they hated Melbourne, I asked why, but they simply shrugged it off and said they just hated it. Curious, I went to Melbourne for the weekend. In short, I was blown away. Melbourne has that awesome city feel, the real artsy one. While as Sydney only gets that during summer while Melbourne has that all year round. The trams are awesome! And the shopping possibilities were endless. Have you ever walked down the city on a Friday night? Sure, I admit, the weather was insane, I checked the weather and it said 27 degrees but cloudy, and I was like wtf? So I went outside in shorts and a tank and I froze. And there are no surfing beaches. But Brighton beach has the cute little house thingys and they are amazing. Anyways so after my short stay, I went back to Sydney and I realized how much I actually loved Melbourne. I noticed that Sydney was more dirty than Melbourne. Sydney had a lot of 70’s housing while in Melbourne it was either Victorian or Modern. In my perspective I was loving Sydney mainly because on the reliance it has on the opera house, harbor bridge, and the beach backdrop. I still like Sydney, but I’m reaching my fourth year in Melbourne and I am perfectly happy here. I still think that this argument is silly, both cities have their goods and bads and no one can really settle which city is better. But if there is going to be a survey between Melbourne and Sydney, I’ll vote for Melbourne.
I’m based in Melbourne and travel to Sydney monthly (work). Sydney, with its harbour and iconic landmarks is a beautiful city to look at. Melbourne’s beauty runs deeper.
I’ve heard a few analogies that I feel are fairly accurate:
Sydney is the movie, Melbourne is the book.
If they were girls, Sydney is your ‘pretty to look at girl’ but she knows it and lacks substance beneath her skin. Melbourne is your hard to get girl that will show you some amazing things once you’ve gotten to know her.
Sydney’s America, Melbourne is Europe.
They’re both amazing cities with their own character, but I could never live in Sydney, and love living in Melbourne.
As for the weather, I can’t handle the Sydney humidity and find Melbourne’s winter spawns so much of it’s own identity. That smell of open fire place, the aroma of all those restaurants… the coffee… The gorgeous winter fashion. Bring on winter!
I grew up in Sydney but I just moved to Melbourne and I quite like it here. It’s good because I’m a uni student who can’t drive or afford a car so being able to get around easily is important to me. Melbourne CBD is so small and literally a grid, so pretty much no chance of getting lost. However, it’s impossible trying to get around in the suburbs without a car, so you’re better off in the CBD.
In terms of shopping and nightlife there’s really no difference.. Sydney’s made a real comeback recently with its arts festivals, I mean Melbourne has great stuff all year round but none of it beats the Sydney Festival in summer. It really depends what you like. If you’re from northern Europe/England and used to shit weather you’ll probs like Melbourne, but if you like sun and beaches you’ll hate it.
Basically living here as a uni student is heaps of fun because it’s cheaper to do fun things, but if I was a working professional with a high income it’d be Sydney all the way.. an apartment on a sunny hill with a harbour view and a speedboat.. mm.. Who could resist?
I know people are hating me right now but I love the US especially California and in particular LA (yes I know LA is in Cali
)… I would live there anyday & give my aussie citizen up. Best people & so much life, love it!! You are so lucky
And so it goes on and on.
I don’t understand why some people find it necessary to rubbish another city in defence of their city. It reflects badly upon you and your city.
My favourite part of Sydney is not the harbour or the beaches or the landmarks, they’re neat but not the cities true charm. What I love most about Sydney is the busy vibrant street scapes and density that creates man made canyons. I get a buzz and feeling of excitement just walking around George and Pitt Street and taking in the cities day to day activity. This picture captures Sydney’s vibe well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmettanderson/5105659487/
The quality of architecture in Sydney is outstanding, yes there is a lot of 70s crap, but the best of the city is easy the countries best, there are few skyscrapers in the world that match the beauty of Aurora Place, Chifley Tower and Governor Phillip Tower. I don’t think it’s well understood how large Sydney’s downtown is, it is the economic hub of the country and has over twice as many towers as Melbourne, and actually 3/4′s as many towers as Chicago!
If Melbourne is like a europe city…. Sydney is probably more like a mini-New York. Or possibly San Francisco. Which you prefer will depend on your tastes.
Another great thing about Sydney is usually it is the first city that international stars and companies come to. The first and largest Apple Store, similar with Zara. In my own area of interest, classical music, Sydney symphony attracts some great international conductors and performers, more interesting concerts and material than the Melbourne Symphony.
I think Melbourne is way better than Sydney. I have been to both cities and found Melbourne more unique than Sydney, sure Sydney has some outstanding features like the Opera House and Harbor Bridge but not much else stood out for me. The people were quite rude infact. The shopping there was also much more expensive, its harder to get around because the transport isn’t very good and the city is all over the place, its so hard to remember where you just came from and what your looking for. Melbourne’s transportation is awesome. Trams literally run through-out the whole city, trains also took you around the city too. The shopping there was fantastic, really was not that expensive and there were so many shopping complexes/centres/arcades. And the buildings stood out, espically the Eureka Skydeck. Also the people were very friendly and also multi-cultural.
I don’t see why people argue so much; they’re both great cities in their own way. It’s really up to what lifestyle you prefer.
However: http://www.news.com.au/travel/holiday-ideas/sydney-voted-worlds-best-city/story-e6frfqdi-1225788142062
This article is obviously a good pat on the back for Sydney but to read that Ubud was the “number one” city in Asia leaves me wondering…
The big cities arent always perfect. Look at Toronto for example. Doesnt have the best transport. Sydney can compare to that. But what sets it apart is the fact that it is a world city: only behind NYC and London. Fun and culture isnt everything… Job opportunities are important too. Just look at our skyline- Its forever capapble of accommodating new jobs. Melbourne has the tallest buildings – but add them all up and you get half the number of Sydney. Sydney also has many CBDs besides the Sydney CBD for eg. Chatswood, Bondi, Parramatta and Bankstown.
As for culture I can not see why Melbourne is ‘fun’. It seems like a dead city to me. There are so many destinations in the Sydney metro, I wouldnt be able to go to all of them in my life time. I can go to the city so many times and not get sick.
Sydneys sheer size compared to Melbourne:
http://www.samchuiphotos.com/Sydney/OS3.jpg
http://www.adventurestoday.org/images/large/1256854649.JPG
Tom,
Like many Sydneysiders you’re on the “world city” trip too… But do you really think Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris are “behind” Sydney?
You’re under the same illusion like many in Harbour-town in thinking that Sydney is vastly larger than Melbourne. Their populations are 4,575,532 and 4,077,036 respectively, that’s a difference of between 11 to 12 percent depending on which way you order the calculation. In fact the difference in size between Sydney and Melbourne is less than that between any other Australian capital cities.
As for skyline pics… True Sydney’s CBD is more crowded than Melbourne’s but your choice of images show a Sydney bias. In your image of Melbourne many of the largest buildings are indistinguishable. Let’s compare these two…
http://www.bcl.com.au/sydney/images/tnsw/008318v.jpg
http://www.photoeverywhere.co.uk/east/melbourne/city_skyline065647.jpg
I’m glad you can go into the city many times and not get sick but why is that a big deal? Do you know people who often get sick in the city?
Sorry, Tom, I think you are a bit misguided. Surveys of the best cities in the world continually have Zurich and Vancouver at the top, and Sydney languishing down the list (usually behind Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne). I am not sure I would like my city to be compared to New York, Tokyo or London – that would really put me off it. Clearly the results to the “best city in the world” surveys show bigger isn’t better!
Sydney! It’s a beautiful city. It has great beaches and nice, warm weather. It also has it’s own trademarks that make it recognizable in the world – eg. Opera House, Harbor Bridge, Beaches.
Melbourne has a laid-back vibe. It’s the place you go to eat and shop. It’s nice, but I still prefer Sydney.
Every big city has its flaws – but I feel privileged to be raised in Sydney. Sure, the houses are unaffordable and the transport is not that great but the beautiful harbour, the fireworks, awesome restaurants and the job opportunities make Sydney the number 1 choice.
I understand that you tend to support your own city. I like Melbourne too, and I enjoy visiting it, but Sydney has won for me. Funny how Melburnians NEVER compliment Sydney and always rubbish us whereas we appreciate Melbourne and never bring up the rivalry. I also wonder why its always ‘Sydney vs Melbourne’ and not the reciprocol
Mike,
To say that it’s, “Funny how Melburnians NEVER compliment Sydney and always rubbish us whereas we appreciate Melbourne and never bring up the rivalry.”, is a statement of your perception rather than fact. I can assure you that Sydneysiders give as good as they get and Melbourne has received it’s share from Sydney over the years. Likewise, there is no shortage of Melburnians who like much about Sydney and don’t mind saying so.
I know Sydneysiders like to pretend they are above any rivalry and that it’s just a Melbourne thing, but Sydney politicians and media often partake in it because it’s popular.
As to why it’s “always”, “Sydney vs Melbourne”, and not the other way around? Well that’s not strictly true but as the rest of Australia can attest, Sydney does insist on coming first.
Ohh and I read a comment here saying that Sudney ran out of space to build 10 years ago, ok so you guys ran out of space and we have only just began to work on our new development called Docklands which btw is huge. Have fun in 10 years Melbourne will be looking at Sydney and be saying, asif we were ever pushed around by those rugby loving retards.
I liken these cities to the Brady Bunch:
Sydney like Marcia is naturally beautiful, is oblivious to the scorn of the younger sister.
Melbourne is like Jan, and suffers from an inferiority complex and lives for one up mans ship.
and………..
Brisbane (or insert Adelaide) is like Cindy, slightly backwards and could be a little ‘slow’
Nice try Mitch – I wonder how they all look now,
I always thought Marcia was a bit big for her boots, and was high maintenance.
Jan was clearly quite a bit brighter than Marcia but a bit fixated on trying to prove she was better.
Then we come to Cindy – well, she never got involved in the disputes between the other two, but quietly went about being the best of the bunch. Obvously she was always far prettier than the other two, and was very happy being herself.
Gee, that’s awfully like Brisbane and Adelaide, compared to the perpetually arguing Sydney & Melbourne, isn’t it?
Wake up, people – both Melbourne & Sydney are second rate compared to Adelaide. Sydney has terrible beaches compared to the 25+ kilometre stretch of sand and safe swimming waters that Adelaide is blessed with. While Melbourne produces some reasonable wines nearby at Yara Glen, you have to travel for ages in Sydney to get to a winery. Adelaide is surrounded by them – the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. The you have real estate. Prices in Adelaide are so much better both for residential and commercial purposes, and offer igood ncrease in value with our fantastice resource boom. Wow – can you actually travel 12km in 13 minutes in Sydney – try 15 minutes to go 18 km right to the centre of the CBD here. Public transport isn’t bad either – the same trip takes approx 30 minutes by bus in peak hour. Then there is the language. While Melburnians still speak Australian/English, Sydney (and Brisbane) now seem to be suburbs of Auckland when it comes to diction. Honestly, I can’t understand much of what I hear on the TV shows coming from one of the most polluted cities in the world. I am not sure what a teacha is, nor a docta – I do know that teachers work in schools and doctors treat illnesses. Are these the same? Then we get to things like year-ah. Honestly, my English-born mum would roll over in her grave if she could hear some of our supposedly elite eastern state people these days. I know, I know, you will all say people in Adelaide are welcome to our backwater – we will gladly take it, and if you all stay away, the better it will be! Then we can have all the goodies to ourselves.
Cheers
The awkward moment when someone actually thinks Adelaide is better than Melbourne and Sydney :/ Just joking, Adelaide has its ups. The reason why travel around the city is so quick is because your population is way less than ours. Adelaide has a very laid back lifestyle and is bliss to live in, but many would hate to sacrafice big city life to move there.
As an american wading into the debate (having visited both cities a number of time), I can say that you all should be proud of both cities although I do prefer Sydney myself. My observation is that people from Melbourne appear far too obbsessed with competing with Sydney rather than just enjoying their own wonderful city for what it is. The elitist attitude is apparent even when I mention where I am from as I am invariably asked have I been to Sydney. People from Melbourne cannot understand how I can like anything at all in Sydney, let alone have an overall preference for the city. Honestly, while people appear more approachable in Melbourne, the mood can quickly change when conversation turns to Melbourne itself. It’s not cool to beat your chest and show off guys. It just smacks of trying too hard. This forum is a perfect example as the vast majority of posters from Melbourne appear to find fault with Sydney in areas that only people from Melbourne seem capable of seeing. Just putting it out there. And beleive it or not, if you asked 95% of people around the world to name a city in Australia, guess which one it would be? I’ll give you a hint… it’s not Melbourne. Maybe some humility is in order.
I lived in melbourne for 10 years and living in sydney for past 3 years. Melbourne is a nice city to live in but most annoying thing about melbourne was that everyone was really hyped & brainwashed about how melbourne is a best city in the world and that they have coolest buildings, best fashion, culture and art that are world standard and equivalent to other european cities. Melbourne is definitely a nice city but it is no where near europe/other major cities in world in terms of architecture, fashion, culture, art and foods. My impression was that many people didn’t really have opportunity to travel around to other parts of the world other than cheap south eastern asian countries. I did see few melbourne born friends who were quite shocked and realised how Melbourne isn’t that great in terms of culture/ buildings/ art/ fashion (which they always boasted about) after they came back from travelling around other major cities. Personally I’ve been to most of recommended restaurants in Melbourne, and I found most of them over-rated and have to admit that Sydney does offer world-class restaurant experience that do not disappoint you as long as you have $$$. Also in terms of international cuisine, sydney has much more to offer. Melbourne didn’t have very nice japanese/chinese/korean/ thai restaurants that are comparable to sydney ones.I don’t drink coffee so I cannot comment on that aspect but I heard melbourne has best coffees. In terms of shopping, sydney is much better place for me as I prefer european designer brands rather than local aussie brands but I guess this depends on personal preference. Sydney is more dirty, more crowded, more expensive, worse public transport and higher crime rates, but it does have that international vibe and character to represent Australia. It’s like NYC/ London/ paris,, a city that can represent a country. Melbourne feels like replica version of small city in germany. My thought is that both city are nice, but if you have lot of money, sydney would be better place to live. I like melbourne, but I often find melbournians way too patriotic.
Haha that’s interesting. I’ve lived in Melbourne for 17 years now and I love it! It’s really clean and everything is accessible. Actually I’m typing this in Bordeaux (France), and I’ve been to many countries such as the United States and Japan (not cheap South-Asian countries) and I can tell you for sure that the Melbourne style of living is perfectly fine.
Melbourne and Sydney are beautiful in their own right and for different reasons. This argument is silly as it is all subjective. The simple fact is you can fall in love with both (as I have) and enjoy spending your time in both.
Who cares?
What I find really interesting is how Melbournians bring up this subject ALL THE TIME and Sydneysiders never mention it.,… maybe its because there is no comparison, even trying to compare syd and melb is crazy, Sydney is in a much higher league (with new york, paris, rome etc) I visit family is Melb all the time. I find the outer suburbs so industrial, littered, brown, boring and dirty. The city has its quirks and isn’t so bad. Particularly like Lygon st and Chapel st. However Sydney is a world renowned city, its got some of the most famous landmarks in the world and some of the most beautiful beaches. Its got amazing views, is lush and green, hilly, not monotonous, its got a soul that is its own.
I think melb should start comparing itself with Adelaide which is in its league lol
Sydney is an Alpha+ World City. Melbourne isn’t.
All you people are completely delusional. Sydney has a population of 4.5 million and Melbourne 4.12 Million. Both cities offer different lifestyles of which both do well, what Sydneysiders would have you believe is that its “always sunny in Sydney”, that they are always at the beach having BBQ and that weather is the most important thing in life.
Unfortunately for them some of the best cities in the world, if not most of the best cities in the world that offere depth, culture, food for all types of budgets, cool commerical and underground arts scenes, cool underground warehouse style parties, clubs bars, pubs resturatants are all found in colder climates. One of my favourite cities in the world was Berlin where winter temperatures are below zero, so too NYC, Paris and London. All amazing centres of arts, culture, fashion, food and culture that trascends they perspective nations.
Sydney on the other hand does not really influence culture arts, fashion, food movements or club movements in Australia, they lack several major national and international events and we here dont stop for races ar ROYAL RANDWICK for example, but they all across the nation stop for the Melbourne cup. There are certain cultural aspects that Melbourne has a profound meaning and depth that affects the entrie nation. This is the essence of what makes a city great to live, work and be part of.
Both great cities, Sydney is more for the tourist who wants beaches and what people THINK is aussie culture, and Melbourne more a place to live, delve into arts, culture, food, life and to open your mind to the wonders of creative thinking and a global perspective on fashion, arts and club movements. You take your pick, what suits you and what is most important in your development as a person in life.
@ Lejla.. LOL! I am so sorry, but did you just say that Sydney is in the same league as great, historic and REAL world cities like New York, Paris and Rome?!?!?! That is the funniest thing I have read in a long time.
No, Sydney is nowhere near the kind of city as those. No Aussie city is. Look at the history of NY, Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo etc, and then look at Sydney? Sydney is young and has nothing going for it other than its opera house and harbour. Maybe if Sydney was established, say, at least another 2-300 years earlier then it could compete. When people around the world, especially on tv/movies, talk about international cities, they never, ever mention Sydney. Why? Because it’s not worth a mention. It’s not interesting enough. People don’t talk about the opera house. They talk about the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Big Ben etc.
While you Sydney-siders keep believing that you’re “so famous, so important and centre of the universe”, the rest of Australia just sees you as a little kid trying to be cool and fit in with his older brothers (NY, Paris, London etc) who are rich and popular, and screaming “look at me, look at me! I’m a big boy too! Somebody pay me attention!!!”.
And who said that a Melburnian brought this topic up? The write of the article clearly isn’t originally from Melbourne. I also found it ironic that you mention that this debate always come from Melburnians. Then how come you and so many Sydney-siders are on here joining in the debate? My experience with people in Sydney showed me that the rivalry in Sydney is very well and truly alive! I have seen numerous headlines in your newspapers saying that “Sydney beats Melbourne in…” blah blah blah. Not to mention your politicians craving the attention and wanting Sydney to be #1. Kristina Keneally in particular.
Sydney lacks the soul and the vibe that Melbourne has. Yeah, Sydney has some nice beaches, but they’re tourist traps – overpopulated and dirty. Why would anyone want to live by a Sydney beach with the view of thousands of people.. uglyyyy!
Sydney should really compete with a city like Auckland. Nobody around the world really knows or cares about either.
Wow, this just proves Melburnians keep this ‘rivalry’ alive. No one in Sydney cares about the rivalry. Sydney isn’t as important as other world cities, but then again, neither is Melbourne (In fact its even more unimportant than Sydney) yet I don’t see any negative comments about Melbourne.
I’m 16.
All I can really say is that I love life in Melbourne. I lived in Sydney for the first couple of years of my life, and I don’t really remember much therefor I can’t make any comments on it without basing them on what other people have said.
But I assume that after having lived in Sydney for some years, my mother and father chose to move their family to Melbourne for a reason.
Last night I ended up in an unfortunate situation where it was 12:30am and I was walking around alone in Brunswick for about an hour. As a 16 year old girl it is not a smart nor sensible thing to do, but I felt completely safe. It was weird to say the least, even weirder was the fact I wasn’t the only younger person on their way somewhere alone. I don’t know if Sydney is that safe, but in Melbourne people looked out for me and I’m glad this is the city I live in.
Some of these comments make me laugh, it’s VERY obvious that the comments against Melbourne those people have not been to Melbourne even if they say they have because they don’t make sense at all. Straight to the point melbourne is the worlds most livable city, more people prefer it, Melbourne has the worlds cleanest water supply and Australia’s most reliable electricity supply. I’ve been to both cities. I’ll admit they are both great but I prefer Melbourne.
It’s simple, and quite obvious that both cities are opposites.
To all tourists, take your pick out of the pros/cons below.
You go to Sydney for a beach, laid back life.
Pros:
Beaches
The central city is a little easier on the eye
Australia’s landmark city
Cons:
Horrible arts community
Bad nightlife
Horrid public transport system
A little more expensive than Melbourne
Bad fashion
Highest polluted city in Australia
Or you go to Melbourne, for a great arts and nightlife lifestyle.
Pros:
Fantastic nightlife
Great arts community
Cheaper living
More fashionable
Worlds largest tram system
Transport system is very easy, very smart.
Worlds cleanest water supply
Australia’s most reliable electricity
Cons:
The weather is quite dull
Western suburbs of Melbourne are an eyesore
ALSO – For all those saying that the suburbs of Melbourne besides Toorak, and those suburbs surrounding are ugly and industrial obviously have no idea what they are talking about. The only industrial suburbs of Melbourne are out west, or way out South East.
I agree with this poster about the ugly suburbs in Melb myth. I’ll say that even the inner West suburbs have flavour.
I live in Sydney and adore the lovely city. Only visited Melbourne once and I’m falling in love. In the end, I found out that it doesn’t matter where you are, what matters is if yo are happy staying where you are.
Cool site and business. I will be back for more.
Come say hi sometimes;)
Hi everyone! I think it does not make a sense to compare these two fantastic cities! I am from the EU – Slovakia ( which is a beautiful country too!) and have lived in Sydney for 3 years and have been to Melbourne twice. None of them are the best and you know why? Because they are different :
SYDNEY: ( city centre small, surroundings big)
-opera house
-harbour bridge
-the rocks
-over 40 beaches – all amazing and beautiful compare to eu and us beaches
-great weather all year around compare to …
-great shopping
-multicultural
-great coastlines
-great suburbs ( newtown, leichardt … )
-perfect iconic place
-the best concerts in oz
-the best opera in oz
-the film city of oz
-the media city
and so on … could continue for ages!
MELBOURNE:
-the best cultural city of oz
-beautiful city
-great shopping
-weather not too bad
-multi culti
-great music scene
….
I think everyone has a favourite place, city, country or even a person!
SYDNEY has more things to offer definitely!
SYDNEY is definitely a WINNER.
Sydney is better for tourists … its better for outdoor style of living …
so what? I still like MELB but dont take it that way to compare … its like comparing PARIS TO RIO and so on ..
I have been to many places in my life:
-NYC
-SAN FRAN
-LONDON
-PARIS
-BARCELONA
-BANGKOK
-LISBON
-PRAGUE
-VIENNA
……………………..
but I LOVE SYDNEY …
and you know why?!
because its my favourite
which does not mean MELB is shit!!!
and of course YOU CAN COMPARE SYD TO LON OR NYC in terms of many things … why can you not?! but they are different and you know why?
because they are all originals!
can you imagine having all the cities looking the same?! LOL
DONT TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY!
(YOUR COMPETITION)
and i forgot about the sydney ferries — they rock! they are fantastic – its just great that there is so many ways of transport in this city which doesnt even have NYC or PARIS or LONDON – and its a fact
Peace to you all people !!!
even the weather is better than in these mentioned cities … and it never gets too over crowded its very spread out its about the size of london which is two times bigger!
I WOULD RATHER BREATH THE FRESH AIR AT SYDNEY BEACHES AND GO FOR A WALK OR SWIM .. THAN GOING TO CHARLES BRIDGE EVERY DAY, GOING AROUND EIIFEL TOWER IN PARIS OR LIVING IN TIMES SQUARE IN NYC! why? I LOVE HOW SYDNEY IS CONNECTED TO NATURE WHICH THESE CITIES DONT HAVE
Did I mention that Sydney has the 2nd biggest events after Rio and Sao Paolo?! yes it has its mardi grass for gays or new years eve celebs ::: the most amazing and beautiful events in the world including its festivals for young people and i love it ::: and no i am not from australia