Blue Flu

I love Leederville. Love the walkability. Don't need a car most of the time. Great public transport options in bus and train. Easy walk or cycle to city. A generally safe area and most likely less violent than the nineties when The Leedy Hotel experienced a few problems with drunken youth and there was a fatal stabbing during those times. The Hippy Club was another place that brought loads of young people to the area, quite popular with International Back packers. All good. We bought here in 2000. Never made aware or noticed anything illegal happening until 2019.Neighbour from hell (woman with 13 year old boy moved in) I have delated what followed, but it wasn't pleasant to put it mildly. What was worse was a near neighbour informing me that aren't I aware it is all entrenched in the area. Sure enough after some observation it is. I have helped established a Neighbour Watch and the true extent came to light during this period. Some very disturbing outcomes to which I won't go into apart from another near neighbour who informed me they are aware I was attempting to make the neighbourhood a better place, but that I won't win. There are powerful forces evidently at work here. Let's be clear they are not meth addicts. Purely in it for the profit and greed. All around me are middle class with high earning potential or in a few cases well off students. Only option will be to relocate. e've lost a few I thought I mentioned you would as a casual observer be unlikely to notice it? I've lived here for two decades and only noticed it when the neighbouring house became a meth lab. The renter claimed to be a nurse with a thirteen year old boy. It kicked off after returning early

Very unlikely. What most likely will happen is that interest rates will rise well before predictions. I'd imagine next year and the heat will dissipate from all markets. Simply, Australian real estate is way over inflated, and intervention will be necessary regards .

Do you think you'll return to Perth again? How do you compare it to Surfers Paradise? Never been to the latter , but sure very different. Perhaps you'll stay in Sydney after all? In one sense best of all worlds there I guess. Good to have choices.

As a West Australian I do have a grievance or personal vendetta when it comes to the drug ice in Perth and WA generally. Well spotted. Also upsetting is the facilitating or at least lack of action by those with the means to bring change to a situation crying out for it. Not sure why you are attempting to play it down. It is a crisis. Pretty fair the matter is expressed on such forums as pre warned is pre armed. . You may care to explain just why Perth was and remains the number Uno capital of The World in the grub meth (ice) drug after Adelaide. Manchester has nothing on Perth for the use of meth, and that it purely to what I refer. They have their own drug problems but it is not meth. I have no idea how it is tolerated there and to what degree. But what I know through neighbourhood Watch it is everywhere and has escalated around me over recent years. I know it is a major problem in country WA. Mandurah, Bunbury (a few years ago a meth capital) Albany as well as seriously impacting Aboriginal communities in places like Broome . If don't believe me just ask most young people. They will know or able to access meth with the greatest of ease. Easy to find as advertise on line. One thing I can safely inform you is no exaggeration on my part. If anything far worse than I articulate.

I'd say Melbourne far superior for night life and as a city in the sense of CBD. It has far more vitality and more suitable to anyone used to something akin to city living. The weather though poor by Australian standards, is still better than UK. Many don't like excessive sun anyway. If in mining sector or oil and gas WA would be better though. Manchester has a vibe, that won't be replicated in Perth easily. Perth has the beaches and water sports. All depends what's important. Not forgetting the massive drug in WA.

What still out after eight o'clock at night in Perth Suburbia . No wonder the lights were turned off. Way past bed time for the normal suburbanite.

Worth their weight in gold believe me, unless of course purely being nosey but still...... In my case besides the neighbouring house which became hyper active around meth with cars coming and going most the night , midnight 'gardening' in the burying of drugs, lots of violent altercations which resulted in frequent police presence, but no cessation of meth production, it was only brought to my attention some five months ago the degree of houses doing drugs. We must use the word 'alleged' but rather obvious. I don't know if that was a good or bad thing being alerted to the extent of what's going on. Sometimes ignorance is indeed bliss . The original neighbours from hell departed finally but the over all issue remains. It is what it is.

Although air quality rather good in cities like Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Stockholm, I'd suggest with cycling being a major mode of transport (hence far less auto centric) while experiencing greater density, better built apartments in the main with certainly better walkability with the need Not to own a car in at least two of those cities from personal experience. I suspect the other two wouldn't pose much of a problem either.

Bikies are one part of the equation. Syndicates other than bikies are making massive bucks from the meth trade (as well as other drugs, cocaine seems to have topped the list now) I can wager a bet many most likely would not know they are living next to one. My case is no isolated incident , but the only solution longer term will be to move. The people manufacturing present as very middle class. Usually with young children as props and often have professional backgrounds. Usually get busted? No chance. The big problem being those making it (meth/ice) from home. It's easy and everywhere and nowhere close to being brought to heel. If anything becoming more sophisticated as to be increasingly 'mainstream'. As I've said before, there is a reason Australia leads the world in this grub of a drug (meth)

Crime Stoppers are only effective if information provided is acted upon. Besides anonymous calls are not given priority Those reporting (I also instigated Neighbourhood Watch in the area) reported is what was observed. We should not have to provide the entire scenario of proof of drug usage and/or production. In that case it will never be stopped . The odd thing being I was roped further into the going's on by be contacted by the property management company to gain evidence throughout the neighbourhood into the illegal manufacture of meth. They asked for photos and any incriminating evidence. Very odd request as already mentioned.

I like Melbourne. It has improved enormously from all accounts from the eighties and before. I believe lost a lot of the roughness that seemed to prevail in days past, not to unlike a number of overseas working class cities. Full marks for its reinvention and developing cultural traits that it has become renown for. I would agree it would most likely be the best Australian city fit, for Europeans and certain Brit's. But still hard surely to compare with cities that cultural traits and street life together with a cosmopolitan ambiance has long been the mainstay. Not to unlike saying Newquay in Cornwall must equate Bondi Beach because it has surf and something of a beach culture.

There has to be something that skews the result. It must be population density and/cleaner air. The other factors you write about, walkability, convenience , transport links to other places, public transport within are most likely done better in a host of Euro cities. I can name without thinking hard Hamburg, Lisbon, Toulouse, Rotterdam, Strasbourg (not even main cities) that have all named attributes (just imagine if they were in Australia the ranking they would likely get) that would easily give Melbourne a run for the money. I seriously don't get it. I get that Melbourne is a decent enough city, but the constant inflated ranking of close to top city in the world, over the years to my mind is very odd indeed.

You better posed question would be why no action is taken in regards to what is happening in the area. Not something I would go into on a forum .

But Melbourne 8th best in the world? A bit of a tall order I'd have thought .

I know the reputation of St Kilda. Must be a decade since last there though. Not quite the same. Leederville has not the overt appearance that anything is untoward usually. There are no longer many meth heads walking the streets, at least to my observation. It is more a case of making and disturbing from home addresses. If you know the signs it is easy to pick up. Sadly its around me and little will deter what is happening. It's widespread many likely not even aware. Many know little about neighbours in my experience here. A thing to be certainly aware of though if having a rental property. Perth is not one of the principle meth capitals in the world (after Adelaide) surely without reason?

Leederville is inner city. It's one of the places to go out to wine and dine. Great location. Problem being the drug meth is very prominent. More the manufacture of it than the consumption from observation. Having it next door was not fun. (to put it mildly) While it is fairly quiet now it remains well entrenched in the area.

Have lived in Leederville for yonks. While great location and raters high in walkability stakes, great public transport access, close to dining options, it is not without its problems unfortunately. A shame what has happened but hardly confined to Leederville.

The Mercer Survey is a yearly American published survey out every year. It indicates to companies, ratings of cities for expats and not so useful to those living in those cities. The last survey gave Vienna, Zurich, followed by Vancouver as the top three. Australian cities came in at Sydney 11th Melbourne 17th and Perth 21.

The price of over inflated property will put many off. Where would people live considering already a dire shortage of rentals. I agree the interest from abroad will most likely be substantial, but the reality will likely check over exuberance.

That was Mercer Survey from memory. Purely based on the cost's concerning business expats relocating. Little to do with everyday living features that would likely impact ordinary people. For example cost of housing not included. Most would stay in company rent paid houses. And so on.

This is due to corona virus lockdowns through out much of the world.

Well more likely we'd be paying the banks for the service of holding our money. It was the intervention by government into the market that created the problem we now face. (prices were falling, especially in WA, but believe in other places as well.) All government intervention does is to raise the prices accordingly. I don't think social housing has been a great success in Australia. What would be better is a change in attitude. Make Australia a feasible country to rent in as in Europe. We need far better tenancy laws. People need to have the security of tenue. Not as present , six or twelve month leases with no idea if they will have continued tenancy at the end of that period. We need stable rents. Not dependent on the economy at any particular time in the cycle. Banks have far too much tied up in the housing market , together with the real estate industry enabling far too much influence over policy. Mortgage loans are easy bread and butter for the financial industry. Far too much invested in that. Sheer laziness and likely knowledge that tax payers will support bad policy in time of crisis. Not a question of doom mongers. The housing industry did decline rapidly in countries like Ireland and Spain. Some areas of USA as well, I believe. As mentioned WA saw considerable price deflation come the decline in resource demand. That has been turned around starting with state government intervention around extensions and later first home buyers yet again. If the market is not allowed to find its true worth, due to political intervention, just how will prices adjust? It should be remembered the historical rate of interest rates is 7%. That used to be the figure suggested to make allowance for in times of lower rates. Usual economic policy has been ditched due to present policy to keep it afloat. The truth is property on an international scale is well over priced. It is a drain on the economy, being unproductive and limiting potential, due to high costs of recruiting staff to unaffordable cities. I can see why stagnation would be the preferred option of many. Never a good feel paying of a mortgage on a property worth twenty per cent less than purchased. But of course once interest rates do head upwards, many will find themselves in a very difficult position. But a return to housing for their traditional reason as a place to live in rather than a vehicle to make obscene unearned money from should be welcomed imo.

I fully endorse your point. While the days of Aussie/Kiwi's/Saffies doing Europe in camper vans has become a part of history, still know Europeans that take to the highways and back roads of Europe , admittingly in well decked out vans. The diversity in language, culture but still pass port free travel is a big part of the attraction. There's a lot of Europe and North Africa and Turkey of course. Australia/New Zealand offer something else. A number of the same people's kids have done it, in some cases the parents as well. Both offer a different experience. America, being the other really big one of course. I expect with a three month visa entry into EU there will still be Brit's crossing the Continent. How many in camper vans though not sure. It could be a lapse of memory, but don't recall that many from the past. Most were German or Dutch(especially). Quite a few French.

Once interest rates go up in The States and money becomes more expensive to borrow at the international level, Australia will have little choice. ANZ has already made the call that rates will rise before The Reserve Bank of Australia's 2024 has forecasted. One thing for certain they will rise. The government has placed far too much emphasis on housing, even to the point of relaxing Royal Commission recommendations into curtailing certain risky behaviour by brokers for example. Nobody knows how it will end. We have some examples like Ireland. But again little wes learnt there either, after some heavy losses experienced. I guess the banks feel they are too big to fail. Most likely scenario is those that borrowed with reckless abandon will be left to own devices and some sort of intervention will be necessary to stop a market crash.

Always made time somehow for travel. But in the day, it was easy to pack in a job and pick up another on return. What was always hard in London was the finding of a flat . That and suitable flat mates.