Sydney Vs Melbourne - TheMoveChannel.com

(EMAILWIRE.COM, May 05, 2009 ) Australia - There is a long-standing rivalry between the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne, with Sydneysiders calling their city Â‘the capital in everything but name,Â’ and Melbournites fiercely disputing this Â– TheMoveChannel takes a look at what each city has to offer and which metropolis really reigns supremeÂ…

Starting with SydneyÂ…

Sydney offers cosmopolitan city living, high powered working and eclectic shopping with a twist of beach and sun.

Its cocktail of attributes - both physical Â– the city has some of the countryÂ’s best known landmarks and beautiful beaches Â– and mental Â– its hectic business centre has all of the energy of Tokyo or Manhattan Â– explain why Sydney nabbed tenth place out of the 215 cities surveyed in the annual Mercer Quality of Life Survey this week.

It is home to some of the most famous attractions in the world, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. A working building, not just a monument to style, the Opera House also offers chamber music, symphonies, drama, dance and experimental music.

Oxford Street, Kings Cross and the area around Darlinghurst is the part of Sydney that never sleeps. Around here you can find dozens of bars, cafes, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs.

North of the Harbour Bridge lies Manly, a long curve of golden sand edged with Norfolk Pines which fill up at dusk with colourful flocks of lorikeets. You can reach Manly via a ferry from Circular Quay or by the rapid Jetcat boat, which will cut the trip down to just 15 minutes.

Sydney shopping is impressive Â– Oxford Street in Paddington has some a medley of designer boutiques and Double Bay also offers a wide range of shops.

Properties in Sydney are an eclectic mix of old and new homes, many set into the cliffs overlooking the water and utilizing the Â‘outdoors indoorsÂ’ theme with huge wraparound decks and sun terraces.

Sydney is brimming with beautiful beaches, lying like a row of glittering pearls along the coastline. Scattered around Darling Harbour are tucked away coves and sleepy bays Â– ideal for swimming or for young children. One is so famous it hardly needs a mention Â– Bondi lies only minutes from the city centre and attracts thousands of surfers and tourists each year.

Many beaches edge onto harbour waters, but the most popular of them all is Balmoral. Strung with cafes and a couple of fine restaurants, Balmoral is a trendy and scenic north-shore suburb with a resident flock of bright white sulphur-crested cockatoos.

Moving on to MelbourneÂ…

Well, after that glowing report about Sydney, can Melbourne really hope to measure up?

The answer is a resounding YES!

Melbourne has a more relaxed vibe. Its city centre is accessible. Historic architecture - St. Pauls Cathedral, built in the gothic transitional style is juxtaposed with the in-your-face modernism of Federation Square.

Taking an evening stroll along Southbank past the fountains of fire spilling into the Yarra River outside Crown Casino is another one of the many highlights of Melbourne.

But beaches donÂ’t match up to those in Sydney and the weather is certainly less reliable. Melbourne gets proper winters and you will be glad of that winter coat.

And yes, the Melbourne suburbs may be rather sprawling, but one of them gave birth to that accompaniment to my childhood Â– Neighbours.

Geelong, an hourÂ’s drive from Melbourne, is the gateway to the Great Ocean Road, which is known as one of the worldÂ’s greatest coastal drives. It is also home to the giant rockstacks of the 12 Apostles, one of the most famous natural phenomenons in the world.

Culture wise, you are spoilt for choice in Melbourne. The annual Food and Wine Festival held each February lets you eat in many of the cityÂ’s top restaurants for half price. The city offers an eclectic range of eateries from little Italy to China Town.

Catch a tram to the neighbourhood of St Kilda, which has developed from a seaside resort into a trendy and cosmopolitan suburb, famous for its food, entertainment and nightlife.

Acland Street is a bustling shopping precinct famous for its cafes, continental cake shops, fashion and second-hand shops bursting with vintage clothing. Nearby Fitzroy Street is renowned for its restaurants, bars and live music.

A range of quirky and out-there street theatre is always on offer around Southbank so make sure you take some coins to throw into their hats!

And the winner isÂ…

MelbourneÂ’s mix of cosmopolitan culture and down to earth vibe beats SydneyÂ’s somewhat superficial rat race hands down.

Obviously it depends what you are searching for. MelbourneÂ’s beaches canÂ’t compete with those in Sydney but in terms of city living, I would choose Melbourne every time.

For more information on properties in Australia and the property market in general, please visit http://australia.themovechannel.com/

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

TheMoveChannel.com is a property website that was founded in 1999 as an online resource for buying, selling and learning about property. It now receives as many as 300,000 visits per month and advertises over 50,000 properties in nearly 90 countries, which are listed by over 500 partner organisations.

For further information, please contact:

Dan Johnson
Managing Director
www.themovechannel.com
0207 952 7650

TheMoveChannel.com
Dan Johnson
020 7952 7650
dj@themovechannel.com