Australia is blessed with amazing cities that are some of the best places in the world to live, and none can outshine Melbourne and Sydney. Both cities are beautiful, exciting and vibrant, and it seems impossible to choose one over the other. However if you take a closer look, you will see that there is a clear winner. Check out the following six aspects that help Melbourne take the cake.
1. Diversity
Both cities are extremely multicultural places to live, however in Melbourne the way people live together feels a lot more mixed. While Sydney is famous for having suburbs populated with one main ethnicity, Melbourne’s suburbs and neighbourhoods are markedly more diverse with dozens of cultural groups living in the same area.
It may seem hard to believe, but real estate opportunities in Melbourne put the city miles ahead of Sydney. For a start, the agents that deal with houses and off plan property in Melbourne have a much better reputation. From their knowledge of the city to sheer friendliness, the southern capital wins this one hands down. Not only that, investing in property in Melbourne is a smart move – the city is going from strength to strength and so the value of property seems sure to increase.
3. Art
It’s almost as though Sydney was happy enough with its natural beauty, so decided they didn’t need to invest in their art scene. Melbourne, in contrast, has embraced theirs and risen to rival New York when it comes to world-class art. Every kind of artistic expression finds itself at home in Melbourne and regardless of what you are into, you are sure to find it here.
4. Live Music
Both cities have suffered from the plague of the pokies, though Sydney has been particularly devastated. Up until the 90s, Sydney could rightfully claim to have the country’s best live music scene, but those days are long gone – music venues in Sydney have become rooms full of pokies. While Melbourne has been hit hard too, venues have managed to hold out in little pockets across the city, so there are still loads of great places to catch a band or two.
5. Sport
If you are at all into sport, there is no question that Melbourne is the place to be. Hosting top level matches of Rugby League, Rugby Union, and soccer – and, of course, being the undisputed home of AFL, the footy codes are well and truly covered. Then you have the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix, V8’s and Motorbike races at Phillip Island, not to mention the Boxing Day Test Match at the home of Australian cricket, the MCG. Along with hosting the Australian Open Tennis Championship, major swimming championships, netball and basketball finals and field hockey, pretty much any sport played in Australia will be on show at the highest level in this great sporting city.
6. Pubs
Melbourne seems to have embraced the idea of the English-style neighbourhood pub and as a result, there are hundreds of places to grab a beer across this city, each with its own vibe and character. Sydney, on the other hand, has replaced a lot of its fine old drinking spots with larger, more modern and centralized venues. There are still neighbourhood pubs but way fewer and they seem to all look the same.
Melbourne and Sydney are both awesome, and if it’s beaches you are after, Sydney is the place to go, no question. For overall character and a city with plenty to offer, give Melbourne a try. You’ll find yourself wishing you’d come sooner.
