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?
I lived in, or near Sydney my whole life, my familys roots go back to the mid 1800′s here, I feel I have a connection with this city, that runs into the sandstone its built on.
Its dirty, smelly, aggressive, obnoxious, rude and can sometimes disappoint
But its also vibrant, warm, fun accepting and just always a happening.
Sydney is Sydney, like no where else, Sydney wont pretend to be anywhere else because it cant be anything else.
Bondi, the Rocks, Manly, Darling Harbor, Surrey Hills, George st, Manly, Harbor Bridge, Coogi, Newtown The Opera House, Sydney heads, The Blue Mountains, Olympic park and the events held there,
the diversity, the different cultures, great food,
Well haven’t been to Melbourne yet, threw too short and ended up in Bendigo once, then threw too far and ended up in Hobart, so come March Ill be there, By the way, Bendigo, lovely town absolutely adored it, and Hobart, fantastic, especially the surrounding areas.
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I am torn between both cities; I have spent 3 years living in Sydney and have just moved to Melbourne about 4 months ago due to work. (20 year old girl point of view)
I am from the northern beaches of Manly and let me just say (I do love the place by the way) that if you are not in the top 10% of beautiful, pretentious, snobby, drug taking, alcoholic professional or bummy surfer under 30 you are not welcome and you do no exist in Manly. That’s just Manly and I’m sure Bondi and eastern suburbs by the beach would be very similar.
Sydney as a whole… What can I say….. Beautiful, fun, exciting, the opportunities are endless and the opera house and the bridge are just amazing. I travelled on the manly to city ferries every morning and it’s just a fabulous way to start your day… The people in Sydney I have found to be snobby, to their own and uninviting, I found it hard to meet ‘Locals’ as such because it felt like if you’re not one of them you are not welcomed… In saying this I joined groups and classes to meet people and that’s fine where as to Melbourne I could meet a best friend on the street.. Anyways back to Sydney.. Food in Sydney errrrm not so good for the overpriced meals you get but there are some amazing restaurants around like Sydney café, Manly wine bar, Hugos all of the restaurants have amazing views. I am a big wine and diner and I am satisfied with 90% of the restaurants around. And as for manly as such there are heaps of restaurants with the $10 option every night of the week and it’s not that bad actually Monday night at ‘The Steyne’ do $5 meals… AMAZING… and decent proportions.
Prices of things… Now I rented in Manly and now renting in South Yarra so they are both expensive places but I will say for what I am renting here and the price of it, it wouldn’t even be close so I do think Sydney is more expensive. Sydney has lots of exspensive areas because of the amazing veiws and locations to everything and Melbourne not so much.
Travel in Sydney, 1 year without a car – I do say the public transport is shocking especially in the city but how ever it does have the ferries which is a fantastic way to commute, and the train’s are great for getting out to the suburbs from city but getting around the city is a shocker. I do hate every form of public transport though.
Entertainment – Races, concerts, shows-venues are just such a commute its annoying cause you cant just drive you have to public transport so for someone in manly to get to a venue say at ANZ Staduim would be a 30 min ferry ride and then anther long bus or train ride and coming home from a big concert public transport is just crazy. Only been twice to a concert and I will never go again!
Now since I have only lived in Melbourne for a short time I have been very critical of it here as I have been in Sydney so long and I don’t really have much to say as I haven’t been around for long, I do love South Yarra area and Toorak and to be honest I don’t understand how it’s the most expensive place in Melbourne I mean there’s no view and the only view you get a trees and the crappy apartment building next to your quaint block of 4, shopping is awesome and well over priced, I’m always looking over my back to see if someone will stab me there’s so much crime. The other day I went to st Kilda first time, well for fake sakes I probs have sars from the water as you cannot see through it and I was only there for 2 hours because it started to rain with thunder and lighting, the weather changes here by the hour its four seasons In one day, I find the people are nice and helpful. Restaurants are well over priced with bad everything, food, staff, vibe. The only thing I like about this place is the botanical gardens – Wednesday night markets and Lygon street is cool.
On an overall –
Defiantly Sydney is amazing to live, yeah it’s a little more expensive but so well worth it, defiantly need a car if living over on northern beaches and if you’re not working in city. Heaps to do, fun places to see and most of all if you’re a beach goer or boat person Sydney is just incredible. And ofcourse if you wanted a weekend away you have blue mountains and huntervally to visit.
Melbourne if your alternive and into your arts and/or homeless Melbourne is a great place, its funky vibe with garden bars and with all the cool parks around and if you don’t mind being suffocated in a city then Melbourne is your city. Trams is the best way of transport if you don’t mind catching 4 trams to get to any one destination and sitting to a coked out freak that pissed himself then Melbourne is allgood.
Basically what im trying to say is that syndey and Melbourne are different in every single way different people would suit one or the other and some people will highly disagree with me about Melbourne because all I’ve heard and especially from my friends who live in Sydney that they just love Melbourne and it’s just so amazing but if it is so amazing why are they not living here and living in Sydney? They’ve only been here for holidays and that’s what Melbourne in great for, is a holiday to get away from ya crazy life and see a place even crazier!
Sydney or Melbourne? What’s your personality?
Sydney’s the city with everything. Melbourne exceeds Sydney in some aspects but is missing what it takes to be a global city like Sydney. Melbourne is a bit dated to be honest. (Im from Brisbane by the way and we prefer Sydney over Melbourne).
Agree, Sydney has more to offer than Melbourne, it has the natural beauty and the aesthetic layout around the harbour can’t be beat. I would rather look across the harbour or Sydney beaches than the brown Yarra…… Sorry Melbourne, Sydney is Australia’s number one city………I am saying that as a person independent from Brisbane.
Our office works out of London, Munich, and Brisbane, so we have no ties to either, however as a NGO for international bus agencies, we have compared numerous surveys considering the proposition. So this lead to personal investigation.
Without bias I can confidently stae, international tourist prefer there trip and experience in Sydney…. Sorry Melbourne.
It’s, the weather, the sandstone suburbs, the open parks. On the harbour and the beautiful beaches. ‘Melbourne, just has not got the natural beauty of the city of Sydney.
Needless to say the life style out side of the city of Sydney, Melbourne has a better reputation with restaurants and the retail variety. However that being said the new Melbourne is Brisbane. It offers the same cultural experience now. The river lifestyle is the same in the two cities of Brisbane and melbourne. But Sydney is truly a unique experience as described by out tourist demographic, and residents alike.
Sydney growth of the financial hub of Australia and the Asia pacific, also promotes the higher social demographics and extended lifestyles preferred by this sector
So our research its clear. SYDNEY, exceeds Melbourne as Australia’s premier city.
As a Melburnian, I must say Sydney is better. Melbourne feels like an old English town while Sydney is a modern and beautiful city.