Sydney vs London? (Mid 20s)

[emune]

Hi,

Not sure where to post this, but I'm looking for personal experience/advice with both these cities.

I'm a 27yo guy, lived in London my whole life. As much as I love this city, the winters can drag on forever, and life usually revolves around work leaving you socially isolated at times.

I'm moving to Sydney in a few weeks (taken a blind leap) and I've heard mixed reviews, some saying it's better, others lamenting on the lack of 'buzz' you get from London.

I've been across USA and was left disappointed by how bland some of the cities where and lacking in character (Miami, Orlando, Dallas etc). I can imagine as both countries are fairly new, Australia might be similar. Could Sydney be compared to any of these cities?

In general how does London compare to Sydney? In terms of places to hang out, shop etc.. is everything very spread out? Is the nightlife sporadic and subdued? I would like to know a bit more what to expect. I am use to going to the locals, pub crawls, and the nights out in central are usually heaving with atmosphere.

 

Thanks!

[plewis24555]

Hey there. It was funny to read your post, as it could have been written by me! I am also considering a move from London to Sydney. I have been over 4 times before and have friends there, so know it really well. If you want to have a chat and compare notes let me know!


Sent from my iPhone using PomsinOz

[simmo]

Sydney is great but if London you felt like London was socially isolated then I doubt Sydney will float your boat.

[Collie]

Hey mate,

Sydney is a great city, particularly in summer.  You are the perfect age for it also.  It is smaller than London though and very different.  Embrace it for what it is and don't compare it (particularly prices).  You will probably find that you will end up socialising a lot with other expats/backpackers.

Sydney is all about the harbour and the beaches.  With the great weather, it is very much an outdoor city and socialising is on the beach, bbqs, beer gardens, parks etc It will not be as busy as London and you don't have as many options (but still plenty).  The nightlife isn't as good as it used to be (thanks to the stupid lockout laws).  It is the biggest city in Australia and gets a lot is gigs etc.  It is very good at putting on festivals etc - The Sydney festival is in Jan and is great, then Vivid is is late May/June and is awesome.  Lots of smaller stuff happening all the time.

Australian cities are a bit different to Europe in that the scene and nightlfe isn't necessarily always in the CBD but often in the inner suburbs.  In Sydney you have the beach/eastern suburbs scene (bondi, Coogee, Paddington etc), Surry Hills is quite trendy and spreads to Darlinghurst (traditionally the gay scene but much more mixed these days).  The Inner west is another good area - a bit more grungey and down to earth (and cheaper).  Newtown is normally fairly good, Balmain used to be great but is a lot quieter these days.  Then you have Manly and the Northern beaches - Manly wharf hotel is great for a Sunday session overlooking the harbour.  The city has the rocks (old Sydney) and Darling harbour which can be a bit touristy but worth a visit

Go for it mate - don't die wondering, no regrets.

Happy to answer any specific questions.  I lived in Sydney for over 12 years and only moved to Perth earlier this year.

 

PS - be wary of some posters on here who don't really know Australia or have lived here in quite a while - eg pretty sure Simmo spent a year or 2 in Qld, never lived in Sydney and has been back in the UK a long time   

[Parley]

Really if you are coming in a few weeks, don't worry about what other people think.

Just wait and see and jump in feet first and enjoy Sydney.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Parley

[ScottieGirl]

I lived there for 17 years. It certainly isn't bland like US cities, the inner suburbs are a couple of hundred years old and have plenty of life. No shortage of pubs to crawl either as Collie says they are in the inner burbs not the CBD. Balmain and Rozelle have something like 60 pubs in a radius of 2 to 3 km!  By inner suburb I mean within a 5k radius so 15 to 20 min on the bus or train from the CBD.

Depending on what you do you may find the work environment very different. Corporate and professional services  are IMO  much slower than London. You rarely get the big sexy projects and it takes longer to adapt new technologies, the Australian office is never the first to get the latest update. The idea that you will be off work at 4 and down to the beach is also somewhat of a myth. If you want to get the swim in that's  done at ridiculous o'clock in the morning.

It's  a great place for a few years then you can decide whether to stay or move on.

Edited September 11, 2017 by ScottieGirl

[starlight7]

Nah- Melbourne's ten times better than Sydney.

[bristolman]

I can't speak with experience of living in Sydney but my experience of visiting a few times it's just another big crowded city with appalling traffic, to be honest Brisbane is the only Australia city I would consider living. It just depends what you want really. Nowhere will have the buzz of London. If you just want to live somewhere else Sydney is as good as anywhere. 

[emune]

19 hours ago, plewis24555 said:

Hey there. It was funny to read your post, as it could have been written by me! I am also considering a move from London to Sydney. I have been over 4 times before and have friends there, so know it really well. If you want to have a chat and compare notes let me know!


Sent from my iPhone using PomsinOz

I am going to Sydney mid October, but I'll be doing a tour of the east coast before settling for work so will be back there November. Hopefully I'll get a better idea how the cities compare.

 

12 hours ago, Collie said:

Hey mate,

Sydney is a great city, particularly in summer.  You are the perfect age for it also.  It is smaller than London though and very different.  Embrace it for what it is and don't compare it (particularly prices).  You will probably find that you will end up socialising a lot with other expats/backpackers.

Sydney is all about the harbour and the beaches.  With the great weather, it is very much an outdoor city and socialising is on the beach, bbqs, beer gardens, parks etc It will not be as busy as London and you don't have as many options (but still plenty).  The nightlife isn't as good as it used to be (thanks to the stupid lockout laws).  It is the biggest city in Australia and gets a lot is gigs etc.  It is very good at putting on festivals etc - The Sydney festival is in Jan and is great, then Vivid is is late May/June and is awesome.  Lots of smaller stuff happening all the time.

Australian cities are a bit different to Europe in that the scene and nightlfe isn't necessarily always in the CBD but often in the inner suburbs.  In Sydney you have the beach/eastern suburbs scene (bondi, Coogee, Paddington etc), Surry Hills is quite trendy and spreads to Darlinghurst (traditionally the gay scene but much more mixed these days).  The Inner west is another good area - a bit more grungey and down to earth (and cheaper).  Newtown is normally fairly good, Balmain used to be great but is a lot quieter these days.  Then you have Manly and the Northern beaches - Manly wharf hotel is great for a Sunday session overlooking the harbour.  The city has the rocks (old Sydney) and Darling harbour which can be a bit touristy but worth a visit

Go for it mate - don't die wondering, no regrets.

Happy to answer any specific questions.  I lived in Sydney for over 12 years and only moved to Perth earlier this year.

 

PS - be wary of some posters on here who don't really know Australia or have lived here in quite a while - eg pretty sure Simmo spent a year or 2 in Qld, never lived in Sydney and has been back in the UK a long time   

Thanks for the insight mate. I will enjoy it for what it is, I have FOMO but London will always be there I guess. It's a shame about the lock out law, reminds me of some places I went through in Asia. I thought Aussies have a rep for drinking even more than Brits here lol maybe that's why?

I'll have to look at the suburbs and which one is best, probably the beach area.

 

10 hours ago, ScottieGirl said:

I lived there for 17 years. It certainly isn't bland like US cities, the inner suburbs are a couple of hundred years old and have plenty of life. No shortage of pubs to crawl either as Collie says they are in the inner burbs not the CBD. Balmain and Rozelle have something like 60 pubs in a radius of 2 to 3 km!  By inner suburb I mean within a 5k radius so 15 to 20 min on the bus or train from the CBD.

Depending on what you do you may find the work environment very different. Corporate and professional services  are IMO  much slower than London. You rarely get the big sexy projects and it takes longer to adapt new technologies, the Australian office is never the first to get the latest update. The idea that you will be off work at 4 and down to the beach is also somewhat of a myth. If you want to get the swim in that's  done at ridiculous o'clock in the morning.

It's  a great place for a few years then you can decide whether to stay or move on.

Good to hear there's no lack of pubs and such. I think I'll go with your last line, stay a while and see how it goes.

 

5 hours ago, bristolman said:

I can't speak with experience of living in Sydney but my experience of visiting a few times it's just another big crowded city with appalling traffic, to be honest Brisbane is the only Australia city I would consider living. It just depends what you want really. Nowhere will have the buzz of London. If you just want to live somewhere else Sydney is as good as anywhere. 

Cool thanks

[newjez]

6 hours ago, bristolman said:

I can't speak with experience of living in Sydney but my experience of visiting a few times it's just another big crowded city with appalling traffic, to be honest Brisbane is the only Australia city I would consider living. It just depends what you want really. Nowhere will have the buzz of London. If you just want to live somewhere else Sydney is as good as anywhere. 

What did Australia do to you to upset you so much? I mean, my migration experience wasn't exactly brilliant. Cried myself to sleep many a time as a frightened isolated ten year old. But I still like Australia, and I still think it's a brilliant place to live. What went so wrong over there for you?

[bristolman]

1 minute ago, newjez said:

What did Australia do to you to upset you so much? I mean, my migration experience wasn't exactly brilliant. Cried myself to sleep many a time as a frightened isolated ten year old. But I still like Australia, and I still think it's a brilliant place to live. What went so wrong over there for you?

Nothing at all. I still tell people it's a nice place to live depending on what you want from life. We had a nice comfortable life. 

[CaptainR]

Remember life is an adventure, nothing has to be permanent, just go and enjoy it! So many amazing places in the world to live in, explore and enjoy. Sydney is certainly iconic and has a lot to offer but of does not replicate London, it provides something different. 

[Collie]

To the OP,

Australian cities are all very different from each other which is great for travelling and having different experiences.  Embrace the whole experience as the adventure it is and don't compare to the Uk or US or anywhere else.  Everywhere is different and has +'s and -'s.

I spoke about Sydney above.  Melbourne is more like a European city with lots of alleyways and lanes with hidden gems.  Melbourne has better nightlife, is easier to get around and is about 10% cheaper than Sydney (so are salaries though).  Melbourne a bit more relaxed, has the big sporting events and a better food scene.  But, the weather is unpredictable, you get the extremes, often in the same day.

Perth is about the beaches with miles and miles of golden sand.  A much smaller (& quieter city), the CBD is a bit souless but Freo is quite cool.  Economy is struggling at the moment and work is hard to come by.

Haven't been to Brisvegas in quite a while, it was more like a big country town.

Ultimately though, if you are travelling, you will want to get out of the cities.  The East coast is a well worn traveller trip (Sydney to Cairns) over a few months.

Again, I say embrace it and enjoy it.  Forget about the UK and London for a while, it will still be there when you are done with Australia.

 

[emune]

Ok nice, I might check out Melbourne whilst I'm there (tennis in January). I'm also doing the Sydney to Cairns bit. Thanks for your advice mate.

[bunbury61]

On ‎10‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 21:58, emune said:

Hi,

Not sure where to post this, but I'm looking for personal experience/advice with both these cities.

I'm a 27yo guy, lived in London my whole life. As much as I love this city, the winters can drag on forever, and life usually revolves around work leaving you socially isolated at times.

I'm moving to Sydney in a few weeks (taken a blind leap) and I've heard mixed reviews, some saying it's better, others lamenting on the lack of 'buzz' you get from London.

I've been across USA and was left disappointed by how bland some of the cities where and lacking in character (Miami, Orlando, Dallas etc). I can imagine as both countries are fairly new, Australia might be similar. Could Sydney be compared to any of these cities?

In general how does London compare to Sydney? In terms of places to hang out, shop etc.. is everything very spread out? Is the nightlife sporadic and subdued? I would like to know a bit more what to expect. I am use to going to the locals, pub crawls, and the nights out in central are usually heaving with atmosphere.

 

Thanks!

Sydney is definitely warmer , and as I remember the harbour area is truly stunning ...but ....and iam well travelled .

long term , there is nowhere like London ( Paris maybe ) .

I was in Milan , fashion capital of the world , 2 months ago , and it was nowhere near .

I have a love/ hate relationship with London .

love to visit , but couldn't live there

but most cities don't even come close for someone young

[BacktoDemocracy]

On 11/9/2017 at 06:02, simmo said:

Sydney is great but if London you felt like London was socially isolated then I doubt Sydney will float your boat.

That wasn't what the poster said, he was talking about work and the weather in London and how those factors affect you in London 

[simmo]

5 minutes ago, BacktoDemocracy said:

That wasn't what the poster said, he was talking about work and the weather in London and how those factors affect you in London 

 

no, it's what I said ... derrrrr