Melbourne is ________ than Sydney
A recent special occasion saw me taking a 4 day weekend to journey South, and to indulge in some of Melbourne’s scrumptious offerings; feckless youths lined the atmospheric cafes tucked into narrow city centre alleyways, a Melbourne trademark. Here dandys of all ages come to see and be seen, cigarettes tipped lightly on rouged lips, chelsea haircuts brazenly on display.
Fashion is often a topic used when engaging in the Sydney vs. Melbourne debate. It’s not hard to see why. Style-conscious city folk parade the grid that is Melbourne city, from boganleotard to high end Gucci. There is also a phenomenon that seems to have afflicted Melbourne’s under 30 male population, what I dubbed, the “emo swirl”. You see an abundance of these guys looking like quaint roosters, scattered around the designer boutiques and clothing shops.
Melbourne’s extroverted mayor once accused Sydney of being a city “with a wallet… and in it, a credit card”, while Melbourne is a city “with heart”. I’m not sure what in particular he was refering to, but I did notice many a by-stander dropping gold coins in buskers’ guitar cases, of which there were a few. Perhaps Melbourne just enjoys its indy music. In any case, Melbourne’s mayor should be thankful, as this Sydney boy’s credit card just contributed considerable amounts to his city’s heart, being swayed by the fashion to purchase a designer suit, and dining at celebrity chef Neil Perry’s restaurant. The year-aged wagyu beef came with a view of the Yarra lit up at night, the promenade lined with silver poles that are actually torches, which periodically spew burps of heat and flame to the delight of Korean tourists.
Coincedentally the Melbourne comedy festival was also on, and I sampled the witty and articulate English humour of Jon Maloney. See some of his material here. His skit on the royal family’s German ancestry is particularly good, and I nearly regurgitated the sinful cakes I had earlier from St. Kilda’s Acland Street from laughing so hard.
My happy snaps are found below.
Sydney or Melbourne? It’s a no brainer really…
One Response to “Melbourne is ________ than Sydney”
April 7th, 2009 saat: 3:08 pm
Melbourne has a heap going for it. the City’s entertainment (footy and the arts) rivals that found anywhere else in the country.
But its marketing team have blown out the reality of its appeal. Short of natural assets (like a stunting harbour and beaches), i’m afraid Melbourne will always rate second best.
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