Sydney superiority

I've had a quick flick though this thread and I was wondering if the "little green eye" was at work as the posters who dislike Sydney don't live there. I've lived here for over 50 years and I have never heard a Sydney sider say that it is the best city in the World - best in Australia yes, Australia is the best country in the World - yes, but most people think that the country they were born in is the best, even if they don't live there.

The only thing that is really expensive in Sydney is real estate. Food is more expensive that it used to be, wages/salaries have risen dramatically but if you shop smart you can still eat very well on comparatively little. I have seen many changes, not all good, but Sydney is not as bad as is being made out, as I said in the beginning, maybe the little green eye is showing itself.

Totally agree with you, we lived in inner west SYD for almost 10 years, all our children were born there and started school almost right up to secondary, and it is a cracking city to grow up in, sadly we made a huge mistake and moved to adelaide in 2012, a city which is frankly so far behind its hard to see where it will go.

People who talk about quality of life and say adelaide is better than Sydney have obviously not lived in SYD.

Events like NYE (and VIVID which is on now) are huge, which is why I don't like them. One of my brothers went to see VIVID last night with his wife. Funny thing is that although he really does know Sydney roads like the back of his hand, when it comes to public transport he is lost, so he was texting me to ask for advice. "How and where do I get an OPAL card?" (machine at the station or places like newsagents - I Googled the info for Leumeah where he was catching the train), "Can more than one person travel on the same card?" (No) I dismissed VIVID as "crowds and coloured lights" and "NYE with less drunks" but I can't deny their appeal to both locals and tourists.

People don't have much choice in the huge sums they have to pay for prime locations like hotels around the harbour, or I assume, people's homes because they put the prices up. Anyway, for a once in a lifetime treat, why not splurge on a hotel for the night, or a harbour cruise. I keep meaning to book a space at Neilsen Park which I assume is far cheaper. I just signed up for the newsletter at http://www.sydneynewyearseve.com/vantage-points/nielsen-park/.

If you are going to VIVID it's best to go during the week when crowds are down. My one weekend memory is of crowds worse than for the Royal Easter Show but then I don't like crowds. I see the capacity at Neilsen Park is held at 450 so that is pretty good. I often swim there.

Sydney could well have the best harbour in the world although it's running at capacity for cruise ships as the Harbour Bridge restricts access to the western side to the smaller ships.

"...we had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security..."

— Governor Arthur Phillip, 15 May 1788. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Jackson)I know that is on Wikipedia so you can't quote that for an academic assignment!