A young woman revealed why living in Sydney was not for her and why life in Melbourne is much better.
Jen Rothwell returned to the Victorian capital after three and a half years of experiencing the disappointing reality of life in the port city.
She blamed social media lies, clique culture and the fast pace of city life as reasons why Sydney is not the best place to live.
“Before we moved to Sydney, everyone on social media gave the impression of living on the beach and having a really nice beach lifestyle,” Jen said.
But Jen, who lived in Newtown, a suburb in Sydney’s Inner West, said the reality is not “constantly walking around Bondi” and “the weather isn’t even that amazing”.
“The life you see on social media is not actually the lifestyle you lead,” he added.
She also noted that Sydney’s notoriously clique-filled and self-contained social scene is a difficult place to make new friends.
What’s more, Ms Rothwell thinks the New South Wales capital is too fast-paced and that while Melbourne has a great urban feel, it still manages to offer a “relaxed, laid-back lifestyle”.
Many agree with the Melburnian that life in Sydney is not all it’s cracked up to be, especially with rising costs making the city now too expensive for most.
The Melbourneian concluded that Sydney is not the best city for creatives and introverts: “It’s a very lively, entrepreneurial place… it’s super social and suited to extroverts.”
While she admitted that calling Sydney home isn’t necessarily bad for everyone, for her, “Melbourne definitely is.”
Many Australians agreed with Jen about the reality of life as a Sydneysider, and none more so than the people who still call the city home.
“I lived in Sydney for a few years (also in Newtown) and I really identified with this. I think living near the beach would be wonderful, but unfortunately it’s very, very expensive,” said one former resident.
“Most people in Sydney live out west; the reality (for most people) is nothing like a coastal lifestyle,” another person agreed.
Jen moved back to her hometown of Melbourne, which has the benefits of city living without the hectic pace and expense that has now become a reality of life in Sydney.
“I moved to Melbourne last year after seven years in Sydney. You are definitely right,” one man commented.
Australians also disliked Sydney for being “full of social climbers”, for having more rain than Melbourne in both summer and winter, and for having public transport that “just isn’t what I was looking for”.
Jen is not the first person to claim that Sydney seems like a better place to live than it actually is.
Llani Belle, who moved to Sydney from Adelaide, had to leave the city after the cost of living and fast-paced lifestyle became too much for her.
She blamed the difficulty of meeting friends, a social climbing culture and a dating scene she called “Peter Pan land” as reasons she would never call the city home again.
“There were so many things that morally contradicted my values,” he said.
Many agreed with Llani about the reality of life in the New South Wales capital.
“Exactly! I have the opportunity to leave Sydney right now and I hope it comes through so I can get out of here as soon as possible,” said one man.
“I’ve lived in Sydney all my life and I still don’t feel comfortable there,” another added.
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