Australians have called Sydney the “snobbiest” city because locals “always judge others based on where they live.”
While many argued it is a “huge stigma” that has existed for decades, others said Sydney is huge both geographically and culturally, so locals tend to stay in their own suburbs.
A conversation was started on Reddit after a man from regional Queensland who now lives in the New South Wales capital noticed the trend.
‘Why do people in Sydney care so much about what area someone lives in?’ she asked.
‘I was born and raised in regional Queensland so this crosses my mind. I may be generalizing, but I haven’t heard similar lines of questioning from the Melbourne people I’ve met.
A conversation was started on Reddit after a man from regional Queensland who now lives in Sydney noticed the trait. ‘Why do people in Sydney care so much about what area someone lives in?’ the editor asked
‘Why are some Sydneysiders obsessed with boundaries and the suburb they live in? Is it just old snobbery?
Over 300 comments were left and many agreed with his observation.
‘Sydney here. Sydney is large geographically but also culturally. “Different suburbs have very different socioeconomic, political and ethnic identities and, for better or worse, people like to stay in areas with other people like them,” one wrote.
“It’s definitely a thing… also the perception of entitlement or snobbery among people in wealthier areas,” said another.
A third wrote: “Yes, a lot of classism in Sydney.”
Another person not from Sydney originally said he “found it strange”.
‘I think it’s because a lot of people in Sydney associate your suburb with how well you’re doing in life. “It’s a way to gauge your wealth or living situation without asking directly,” the Redditor said.
Many argued it is a “huge stigma” that has existed for decades, while others said Sydney is huge both geographically and culturally.
Sydney has a population of over five million and it can take “hours” to travel to different suburbs.
For example, Parramatta is almost 40 kilometers west of the coastal suburb of Manly and would take about 50 minutes to reach from these two suburbs by car or one hour and 30 minutes by public transport.
With this in mind, Sydneysiders tend to stay in their home areas in their free time.
One woman wrote: ‘Now that I have a toddler and friends who also have toddlers, I know that if they live more than 30 minutes away I will see them once a month. If they live in my suburb, I can catch them several times a week.
Another agreed, saying: ‘This was me on dating apps. I was actually eliminating half of Sydney because I didn’t want to have to drive too far.
Due to the size of the city, many tend to form friendships with others nearby and would probably “never” cross the opposite side of the Sydney Harbor Bridge unless completely necessary.
Although a select few disagreed and said it’s more of a conversation starter, like asking what school someone went to.
“I’m sure there are some people who get snobby about it, but any real-life conversation I’ve had about it has been just small talk, like talking about the weather,” one wrote.