Is Melbourne really better than Sydney?

I've always been a painfully one-eyed Melbourne supporter but after spending the weekend in Sydney, I've done a bit of a somersault.

Art
At the moment they have a Bienalle with art installations all round the city. We went to an exhibition on Cockatoo Island--a former prison and abandoned shipyard. There are exhibits in all the nooks and crannys, amongst the decaying machinery. Supercool place to display artworks. We arrived at sunset, which magnified the spooky vibe. Melbourne has some great artspaces but Sydney gets some points here.

Food
Melbourne has a reputation for good food but in Glebe, where I stayed, the main street has the most diverse range of food I've ever seen- Korean, Thai, Indian, Austrian, Mexican... you name it.

Climate
It's the middle of Winter and yesterday I was lying on the grass in a t-shirt. Back to Melbourne today and I'm wearing three layers of clothes and a jacket! Big points for Sydney.

Beaches
You have to travel at least an hour to catch a wave if you live in Melbourne. Sydney--Bondi is 30 mins max from the city centre.

Music
Melbourne's music scene is definitely bigger but Sydney has some cool venues.

Markets
Sydney wins handsdown here--The market in Newtown is really bohemian... lots of political paraphernalia, random punky stuff and stalls where you pay what you want for items. Not to mention impromptu DJ sets from local music nuts.
Glebe market is also pretty cool--bit trendier--lots of vintage, arty stuff, cool t-shirts.

I'm not quite ready to change teams yet but I've moved a lot closer, especially after battling that icy wind on the way to work this morning.

Comments

emsydo said…
thanks for your comment on my blog. On the fashion stakes everyone says that Melbourne beats sydney hands down.
I can't really make a decision, i've never been to sydney.
Lee Kindler said…
I don't know... They have some cool markets in Sydney with different stuff that's not too expensive... depends on your budget I guess.
richard said…
traitor!