What to do & where to live dilemma...

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, NicF said:

An interesting viewpoint.  I've lived in Adelaide for a bit less than 5 years now but I visited several times before moving, first time in 2000.  The place has changed pretty dramatically since that first visit and continues to develop in to a more vibrant and interesting place while still being small and easy to get around.

I think the same. I didn't hate Adelaide to begin with when I first visited and enjoyed the CBD as hubby (then boyfriend) had a place just round the corner from the Central Market. Was a great place to live. And over the years the city has grown up, gotten some serious development and changed a fair bit. Improved in lots of ways for the social side of things. I really enjoy living here and don't find it limiting or boring to live in. We live out of the city but can be in the CBD within half an hour and for a night out or event. Suits us perfectly. 

 

[Keith and Linda]

Gold coast is fine and Adelaide is fine, but if it is really the beach lifestyle you are after then the Gold coast beach's, which get the sunrise, though are a lot more varied and exciting than Adelaide's generally waveless strip which get the beautiful sunsets, I would say there would be better (as in more) job prospects Gold coast way though.

Good luck whichever one you choose.

[MARYROSE02]

On 30/04/2017 at 0:27 PM, aconcannon said:

 

My husband & I (31 & 34) have been very happily living on Sydneys northern beaches for the past 20 months.

 

We absolutely love Sydney...the beautiful scenery, walks & beaches, the fantastic bars & restaurants in both Sydney CBD & on the northern beaches, the sophisticated / healthy way of life a lot of people seem to adopt, the cafe scene & the whole beach lifestyle.

 

Our dilemma is that we're tired of living in an apartment & desperately want somewhere bigger, ideally a house! With houses renting at over $1,000 a week on Sydney's northern beaches (and us not wanting to move inland) we're kind of stuck.

 

We're open to the idea of moving & have so far narrowed it down to the Gold Coast - Burleigh & Broadbeach being our favourite suburbs. For what we pay in rent in Sydney we could have a 4 bed house with a pool on the Goldie, have the possibility of saving some money towards buying a property & the year round better weather would suit us perfectly!

 

However, having spoken to a lot of people & visited several times to explore, we've concerned that if we move to the Goldie we're going to be making a big mistake. People talk about the crime, high unemployment rates, lack of 'decent' restaurants, no cafe culture etc

 

My question is, without giving up our beach lifestyle is there anywhere else within Australia that would offer us a similar life to what we have in Sydney without the Sydney price tag? Melbourne isn't an option as we've lived there before & didn't enjoy the climate outside of the summer months!

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've not been up to the Gold Coast for a while but I fancy the ambience might be different to Sydney's Northern Beaches although I have a soft spot for the Tweed Heads/Coolangatta area. If you can work anywhere then it's not a problem but if you need to work in Sydney or Brisbane then you are restricted. Perhaps Newcastle might be an option?

 

[Guest263228]

On ‎12‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 0:38 PM, llessur said:

How timely - here's an article published in the Adelaide Review today which is worth a read. Talks about how much Adelaide has changed in the last decade.

http://adelaidereview.com.au/features/general/coming-home-one-decade-changed-adelaide/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TAR 120517&utm_content=TAR 120517+CID_c7f65b6caa0eb93ec2632b8bda2035d6&utm_source=Editorial Newsletter&utm_term=Read on

I'm afraid these articles are PR jobs, that do appeal to have an element of success in selling the story. Perth has more or less the same article, by a different correspondent, informing us how much better the city is and the vibe  to go with it. Due for similar reasons. The expansion of small bars (if one can afford them) More inner city living, blah blah. Of course there are elements of truth. Surely cities don't stand still? I wonder how much has changed for the average resident?

One should recall Adelaide finds it hard to attract migrants. We had European tourist friends staying by us last year, whom spent four days staying in Adelaide Centre, finding it rather bland. (they far preferred Perth, but that could be because they had a knowledgeable guide)

The three people I know from Adelaide all left. (although one has six months ago returned for a time, but is leaving again) Mostly they left for employment prospects. (but not entirely)

Being a four time visitor to Adelaide I have enjoyed what is on offer. But would hardly rush there to live. The relatively easy access by car to Melbourne is definitely a plus. Oldest city demographics out of Australian cities as well. I can see may well suite retired residents but wonder just how suitable outside of the PR it would be for others?

[llessur]

I agree that in order to write such an article you’d have to be one of the residents who is happy with their situation in their chosen city. There will of course be other residents who are not and look for opportunities elsewhere.

I think that with Adelaide it largely comes down to employment. If you can find employment in your required field and feel that you have the necessary job prospects to not have to worry about relocating in the future then I think it could work very well for you.

Melbourne and Sydney (and to an extent Perth and Brisbane) are larger than Adelaide and, by default, have more employers in a greater range of industries. For those who cannot find an appropriate career path in Adelaide then these cities would probably be a better option.

I absolutely love Melbourne and we visit often. I enjoy Sydney too – although to a lesser extent as it feels a little more harsh and less ‘arty’ than Melbs (more like London). However, even with the increased salaries that are on offer in those cities, we could not afford to live anywhere near the CBD and would be out in the suburbs a good 30-40 minute drive from the action. I wouldn’t really therefore consider myself as to be living ‘in Melbourne’ – I’d be living in a suburb of Melbourne and would be able to visit occasionally (and to be honest if I spent 30-40 mins every day commuting to the CBD I’d be much less inclined to make the same journey on the weekend to visit for leisure).

So with regards to how well Adelaide would suit residents ‘outside of the PR’ – well, I am one of those people. I moved to Adelaide in 2012 when I was 32, having lived most of my life in a very bustling city in the UK and I certainly had reservations that I would find Adelaide a little dull. However, both my wife and I have secured good jobs in our chosen industries, with promising prospects for the future. We have bought our own 3 bedroom house on a large block in a beautiful and friendly heritage suburb 3km outside of the CBD. Our commute to work is less than 15 minutes by train (including the walk at each end) or 20 minutes by bike through lovely parklands. We rarely use the car – only occasionally on the weekends. When we do, it’s a 10 minute drive to a beautiful beach – we often pop down to watch the sunsets and have an ice cream.

Our social lives are at least as good as they were in the UK – we are loving exploring all of the new bars and craft breweries that have been popping up over the last few years and we still see a fair amount of live music (although admittedly we do not see as much as we did in the UK, partly due to there being fewer acts which we would want to see - Melbourne would indeed be better here - and partly as we’re  getting old and ratty). We have built up a great group of friends (none of whom have problem finding work, I know of only a couple of people who have moved interstate, but we have also picked up a few people to our group who have moved here from Melbs and Sydney so it pretty much balances out). I get to visit possibly the most attractive sporting ground in the country every other week to watch the footy in the winter and the cricket in summer – again, it’s 10 minutes from home and it costs $30 a game or less if you stand. On the weekends it’s a 10 minute trip into the CBD for shopping, eating and leisure (granted, I’d love an H&M and a few more smaller stores like the ones on Brunswick Street in Melbourne but I do OK here). Alternatively, it’s a 30-40 minute drive to two of the best wine regions in the world (which bodes well as we both love our Shiraz).

It’s wrong to compare Adelaide with the bigger cities. It will never have the range of employment options, shopping, eating and leisure that Melbourne and Sydney do. But Adelaide is not Melbourne or Sydney. It’s a smaller “boutique” city with its own offerings, which have undoubtedly improved tenfold over the last five years or so (and show no particular signs of stopping). It doesn’t have the traffic, it’s still completely affordable to live a stone’s throw from the CBD, in the middle of the city, or right by the beach – whatever you prefer. I haven’t been bored on a weekend since we arrived over five years ago, despite hailing from what is possibly the most leisure-focused city in the UK (which I made full use of over my years there).

When we finally decide to settle down and pop out a couple of kids I know it’s going to be such an easy city to live in. Parks, walks, beaches – no overcrowding or air pollution.

Adelaide’s been great for me. Your experience may vary.