Impact

Impact

10 Reviews0 Questions4 Answers

Reviews

Merrylands

"My review got deleted, only because it was honest"

So I wrote a review, it was long and well detailed on Merrylands. In it I mentioned the crime, gangs, the teachers afraid to teach students because of their associations. All of this and more was deleted.

Ill keep it brief, I don't recommend this place at all.

Great for

  • Affordable

Not great for

  • Crime
  • Gangs
  • Run down, awful place

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
2
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City

"Canberra has great potential, sadly it's not fulfilled due to accessibility and transport reasons..."

Canberra needs a fast link rail network to Sydney. I think that would create allot more investment opportunities for the place and would help it grow and develop. Sadly Canberra is a very quiet place which won't appeal to most people.

Upon driving into Canberra, I loved the roads, the way the city was laid out, the greenery and the parliament. The universities were also great, for a undergraduate student Canberra is actually an amazing place. I could easily see myself studying there and then going into the city to meet people and enjoy my time, everything in Canberra is very accessible which is epic for anyone studying. House rent is also very cheap here, most properties cost a fair amount but are not justified because the rental returns are so weak. The time for this city to develop through road in traffic and people moving over would probably be around 20 years. Canberra for the most part offers very little as far as night life or even diversity of people. It's a small place that has potential if the right laws were passed.

I feel like first home buyers have a chance here, but it's not really the capital of Australia, it's lacking allot, and the parliament is great, the design is great, however the strategies to get people into Canberra are severely lacking.

Lastly, Canberra is not built near water, in general it's not an overly pretty or accessible city.

Great for

  • Close to the city, small city
  • It's the capital of Australia
  • Amazing for undergraduate university students

Not great for

  • Empty, void of people
  • Boring, dull, quiet

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Students
0
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Manly

"Manly is a dream that most people can't afford."

Manly has some of our most beautiful beaches, the area itself is full of restaurants and really laid back and awesome people. The girls are beautiful in Manly, and so is their overall lifestyle spirit. Sadly everything comes at a price... Manly parking is impossible, the fines are very hefty, I myself got fined for parking wrongly :( They have a hospital there, great vistas, awesome sands, and the area is just on a level of its own. If you live here you probably can't appreciate how lucky you are to actually live in Manly, to the rest of us, it's just a place we visit on a special occasion.

Transport is decent, Manly has a ferry, and buses. Although I drive up there, so this doesn't apply much to me.

Great for

  • Amazing beach
  • Amazing food options
  • Beautiful people

Not great for

  • Traffic
  • Parking issues
  • Impossible to buy anything, too expensive

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
  • Beach Lovers
0
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Melbourne (CBD)

"Boring copy paste version of Sydney. Horrible weather, dead quiet!"

I come from Sydney and I'm sorry to say that Melbourne feels like a second class copy of a suburb in Sydney. Firstly, I arrived there and noticed something very usual, the weather. It would rain one minute, be sunny the next, by windy a little later, moody then rain again, just awful. It was so bad that when I first went to St. Kilda I saw a man with a yellow trench coat, his dog was wearing the exact same pair and they were casually walking in what was very hard rain with heavy winds, in Melbourne that's just normal and the locals know it. Someone mentioned to me that coffee was good in Melbourne? I never in my entire life saw any coffee plantations, as far as I know Melbourne coffee comes from Brazil and it's not overly special. They also claim to be sometype of art capital, but honestly, it was dead in Melbourne, where were the people? The whole place was so quiet compared to Sydney, and for the people that were there, they were badly dressed and in no hurry to get anywhere. I felt like Melbourne was a city for the low and medium income earners. There weren't any stars of the show, it was lacking that high class and caliber that I trust and love in Sydney so much. The city itself was dull, nothing to see, they had this one tall building that they were all happy about, but it was ugly and named very inappropriate too "Eureka" what the hell? The people were friendly, but they came off as badly dressed, I felt like the fashion police was in dire need to get to Melbourne but got lost along the way. There are some hipsters and they keep talking about lane ways and how much they like French films that even the French themselves have never heard about. There was nothing in Melbourne, nothing. The beaches were dreadful, you call those beaches? You guys should be ashamed, they were little placid areas with sand, they don't look anything resembling a beach. When you live in Australia the beach is something that we are proud off, certainly the guys in Melbourne didn't get that memo. And after all was said and done, the city was through in about 15 minutes of driving, that's it, nothing else to see, just farmland and Bendigo. I was surprised at just how uneventful and small the city was, it looked like someone took out Chatswood in Sydney and dumped it in Melbourne. There were no iconic buildings, no major restaurants, art galleries, oh wait... There was this one, but it was closed on the day I visited, shame. The weather is so cold there, allot colder than in Sydney, it felt uncomfortable to be there, I was greeted with a cold that I had long forgotten existed. The place also looked second rate, it looked like the budget version of Sydney, the no frills, I'm poor, I can't do better version. Everything screamed 30 years behind Sydney. There were a few tourists but they looked bored and trapped. The light rail network was old and falling apart, their train systems are awful, and I thought ours were bad in Sydney. I fail to see why people rate this city so high? I like Brisbane far more than Melbourne, the only city worse than Melbourne would be Adelaide or Canberra, but those are not really cities, more villages. Melbournes hospitals were rubbish too, waiting times in excess of many hours.

The only thing I liked were the houses there. This is where Melbourne shines hard and has us beat hands down. They have affordable and beautiful properties for sale, in quiet neighborhoods. Their transport system (as far as cars go) is very efficient and well thought out, but I mean Melbourne is so small, you can't screw that one up. If I were a student id go to Canberra, I wouldn't study in Melbourne. If I were looking for work Id go to Sydney, I wouldn't move to Melbourne. If I wanted to buy my own property, id look at Brisbane hard before I went to Melbourne, If I were old and retiring id go to the Gold Coast, who goes to Melbourne? Well if you're poor or a hipster then Melbourne is great. Those on depression medications such as Valium would also benefit. Lastly, the place looks like a concrete slab of junk. Oh and they have allot of toll roads and their drivers are paranoid to go over the speed limits.

Blah, I hate Melbourne. It's great for putting all the people we don't desire in our more serious and established cities.

Great for

  • House prices

Not great for

  • Everything under the sun and more
  • Awful place
  • Worst weather in Australia
  • Concrete jungle

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
  • Hipsters
0
Bort
Bort

You are obviously a yuppie. For normal people Melbourne is a fantastic city. There's a good reason it's consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world.
But you're right, the beach in Melbourne is not as nice as Sydney's. Enjoy your beach while you swim under a mountain of debt in one of the most overrated and overpriced cities in the world. ;)

Impact
Impact

Well I consider you strange. I think "normal" people as you call them in Melbourne need a serious kick up the butt. A job helps, and so does a purpose in life and I don't mean drinking cheap imported coffee.

And I will enjoy the beach, thank you very much :)

stara

I found Sydney terrible. Everyone is rude, arrogant and has no concept of community. It hardly has any Australians in the CBD and where there are Australians in suburbs, they are vacuous, narcissistic wankers. Adelaide is a wonderful place where the people have retained values that keep families strong. Lovely natural areas, wine, and beaches, without the wankers. You sound like a bitter person, who should stay in Sydney with the other bitter and arrogant vacant nobodies.

rhiannone
rhiannone

I had the privilege of living in Sydney for 13 years, but there is no place like home. Returning to Melbourne several years go was like being wrapped in a warm, welcoming blanket. Sure, my first winter back in Melbourne was brutal, but it was so less stressful than a hideous mortgage in our sexy sister city of Sydney. Sydney is brass and has a sparkling harbour. Melbourne is thoughtful, leafy and cultured. I love walking through the gardens in Melbourne, particularly in Autumn when the leaves are turning into rainbow hues. Apples and oranges. Comparing the two cities is like apples and oranges. They are so different, and we should celebrate both cities accordingly.
PS Melbourne rocks.

kaiparah

If you looked with your soul and not with your eyes, you would have seen Melbourne. But you never saw Melbourne.

amyc15

I can imagine what an unpleasant person you are in real life with the way you wrote that review. Snotty, bitchy, whiny and so annoying. Glad you dislike melbourne, hopefully that ensures people like you stay out of this amazing city!

xaun-lopezx

Sorry, you can hardly call an average of 6 - 14 degrees in July "brutal" .. In my mind, the rest of Australia is unbearably hot / humid / dry... I like the grass to be green and the air to be fresh. P.s OP sounds like a complete tosser.. definitely better suited for the eastern suburbs of Sydney lols.

katiep9

Did you notice that Melbourne CBD was under a covid-pandemic lockdown when you wrote your review? So art galleries and theatres, as well as department stores, restaurants and coffee shops etc. were closed by law? And I dont think that most people move to a capital city specifically for its beach.
Ive only visited Melbourne (multiple times) so far, (&Sydney, which I find to be much tackier), but I love it so much that Im moving there- Im putting my money where my mouth is.
PS If you think Melbourne isnt a serious and established city, you obviously dont know much about history (or architecture, or art, or theatre, or food etc). Please continue to enjoy Sydney- please.

hellothere123
hellothere123

Coffee is grown in the North Queensland Tablelands region and in Northern New South Wales. Coffee cannot grow in Victoria, obviously. 99.99999999999% of Melbourne coffee is not grown in Australia. It comes from tropical regions all over the world. Melbournes coffee culture is unique because it is entirely espresso based and is a slow food, it is purchased, roasted, blended, brewed and served by small, locally owned family business. Unlike Starbucks!

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Sydney (CBD)

"Sydney is the best city in Australia by far."

I've lived in Sydney 15 years. This city is amazing. There is so much to do, so much to see. If you were to take every single Australian city and squash it into one, Sydney would still be better and have more things to do. We have Darling Harbor which is an amazing area, boats, shopping, clubs, places to meet people, restaurants, everything you could want. Circular Quay and the Opera house, art galleries, museums, more restaurants, vistas, parks. There is Pyrmont and the Anzac Bridge, incredible view points, eateries, food choices, casinos, artsy little areas. There is allot to list here, and if I honestly began listing it all, you as the reader would be overwhelmed, Sydney is a monster. In this review I couldn't tell you everything I like about Sydney, this post would just brake out of proportion, so I'll settle for telling you that there is easily something for everyone in this place. Without hesitation I will put forth that there is allot to do, allot to like, allot to see, allot to experience. Sydney will take you and grow you as a person, there is no way you can be an average Joe and live in this place, things will rub off and you will be forced to bring out different sides to you that you never knew were there or could exist. There are plenty of people, HUGE amount of people and a great atmosphere with limited downsides. Out of 10 I would rate Sydney a 9. People are often shocked at just how big Sydney is and just how much there is to actually do once you really get to know the place well. Lastly, among the million, billion great things in the city, there is also a huge amount of tourism everyday which feels like a new, fresh breath of life coming in and out of Sydney.

The downsides are as any major city. We have occasional druggies, but they often steer clear. Our Kings Cross area should be shut down, it's the slums of Sydney and is really giving us a bad light. There occasional fights in the CBD, and stabbings, but if you stay away it will never effect you. Most of our nightlife ends at a certain time, and so does our train systems which is an epic shame. Things in general cost allot, and forking out money is part of living in Sydney, it's just something you do. If you don't know where to go and how to survive in such a big city you might be bound to feel isolated or to make many financial mistakes. Sydney is not for the faint hearted, it's not for everyone and it will exclude many people. It really helps to know someone who knows the city, and although many people live in Sydney, allot of them don't actually explore or know it properly. Another downside is a huge influx of Asian investors which has made Sydney house prices absolutely insane. There is heavy traffic and a failing road system that simply can't support the amount of people who want to live in this place. Sadly Sydney is heading away from being a romantic and beautiful city and going towards being a heavily commercialistic and money driven city. Due to price hikes, food is becoming really expensive, living and rent is out of proportion, buying things has become impossible and hence the future might not be so bright for medium income earners who wish to make a permanent living here. Sydney is not a 24 hour city, due to our large number and alcohol driven issues, we shut down around midnight, this may not appeal to some, especially if you're the type of person that starts their night at midnight. Our music and art scene is slowly winding down, allot less interest in bands and allot more in DJ's, a sign of a faster paced and impatient society. Sydney is also very competitive and people are constantly in a rush to get somewhere. There are also allot more tourists than actual Australians in Sydney, most Sydney siders weren't born in Australia but got citizenship and now call Australia home.

Great for

  • HUGE amount of things to do
  • Allot of tourism
  • Multitudes of places to visit
  • Beautiful city
  • Lifestyle
  • Great Beaches

Not great for

  • Commercial City
  • Expensive
  • Traffic
  • Safe, but everyone is cautious
  • People can come off as snobby

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
  • Beach Lovers
1
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Surry Hills

"Great place to live but not for the reason you'd think."

Surry Hills is best known for its artsy culture, gay and lesbian community and heavily liberal views. The reality however is that Surry Hills should be known for its proximity to the city and relative proximity to FOX studios, Centennial park and the beaches. Unfortunately it's become one of those hype areas where word of mouth has made it out to be something more than it actually is. In reality it's just a bunch of rundown shops and mason brick buildings that need to be pushed over in favor of medium residentials. The food isn't anything special here, as most of the venues have more bang than actual quality for the buck. There are coffee places which boast organic product but in essence its just esoteric hipster nonsense. The people are artsy and slightly neat, but after a while you'll see their robotic nature and sheep mentality. I feel like Surry Hills tries in so many ways but fails in all of them. We are trying to have something and do something that we're not. We don't really have the artistic culture to support such a vivid idea, we are not France, nor are we Germany or Italy, we are Australia, yet in these places you will find hipsters who adore those lifestyles and ideals to the extreme. its that nonsense and proximity to the city which has caused a massive inflation of housing rent cost in this area. Expect to pay somewhere between $600-800 a week (easy) for a 2 bedroom place and don't even think about buying, it will be well in the 2 million+ mark.

To conclude, I used to work and study near there and I do like the general area, but it's over hyped hard. The only thing of relevance is Central station, Fox Studios, Centennial park (horse riding), Bondi and the multitude of beaches, and lastly the nearby university. The geographical location is what makes this place, not all the other nonsensical hipster art hype that the locals would have you believe makes Surry Hills.

Oh and to all you Melbourne readers, the coffee isn't that great :)

Great for

  • Artsy, but only slightly
  • Close to FOX Studios
  • Close to University
  • Close to everything
  • Good cafe culture
  • Dog friendly

Not great for

  • Expensive is an understatement
  • Limited street parking
  • Drug addicts and homelessness

Who lives here?

  • Singles
  • LGBT+
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
  • Beach Lovers
3
brianb16
brianb16

Good cafe culture but "the coffee isn't that great???"

jamesreynolds
jamesreynolds

Only one thing wrong with Surry Hills and its called Clover Moore

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Liverpool

"Liverpool isn't great at all. A low income area that has recently gone up in price."

Liverpool is basically a bit of a hole. Aside from a TAFE and a shopping center it's very dull and uninteresting. Most people who live here are low income earners and the area itself is known for allot of petty brake ins, theft and other crime. I never felt safe here and I come from Bankstown - which is a really tough skinned place to live. People here range from druggies, to students, to crazies and trash. The only up side is that it's cheap and there is a clear reason for that.

I would avoid this place at all costs, even living around it isn't that great. Liverpool is the toilet of Sydney.

Great for

  • Cheap to rent

Not great for

  • Unsafe period
  • Trashy low class people
  • No reason to live here

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
3
matn

Your "Cons" and "Recommended for" dont jell well. Perhaps you know nothing of the area. It appears that your statements about the area are based on horsehit. Good luck living in an "upper-class" area!
(No, I dont live in Liverpool)

mg4

Its a safe town you sound like those people who just copy what the crowd says. I walk alone all the time at 11pm and have lived here for 20 years. Its fine.

thirtyninethirtyninegod87
thirtyninethirtyninegod87

Yeah right it dont matter where ya live walk at night someone will 9 out of 10 times try and mug ya muppet you should learn to hold your own BOOM

seylah

Disagree. You just need to move around more. It has everything. Bus and trains, hospitals, Westfield, Public and Private Schools. Cafes and its own DFO in Orange Grove and 4 minutes drive to Cabramatta for Asian food

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Newtown

"Newtown is a dream, but a very expensive one."

I love Newtown, you'd be mad not love this place. It's one of Sydney's art capitals. There are many of cool restaurants, great venues, thrifty store, artsy and stylish crowds, there is a university nearby, there is a great hospital, the community is awesome and the people are friendly. So far everything sounds brilliant, and indeed if you manage to live here, you'll be living great. For young people, there couldn't be a better place to live in my opinion.

The downsides are the house prices. An inch in Newtown costs as much as three houses elsewhere. It's very expensive, the rent is SUPER expensive. Sadly the place is very run down and needs a massive push over and rebuild, but who can afford to buy up the place to do it? Everything is so expensive now that it's impossible to ever push over and build a new. That being said, Id recommend living near this place, or within traveling distance, but actually living here would be financial suicide. If you're Rich or a Rich student, then this will be a breeze to you. If you're an average income earner then maybe this is a great place to visit. Newtown is also close to the CBD which means that you will on occasion get undesirables. It's a loud place and a vibrant place, it's a great place to visit, and I would probably live here If I could, but it's not for everyone.

There are allot of gay and lesbians living here, if anyone cares about that? I don't really but some people might. I like it for the close access to everything, the amount of choice, art and beauty. The creative people who come here are ace, great place to network!

Great for

  • Close to everything
  • Amazing food choices
  • Amazing venues and artsy areas
  • Public transport

Not great for

  • Run down
  • Old and vintage
  • Crazy rent prices
  • Overpriced
  • Dirty

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
3
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Castle Hill

"An amazing place to live, it needs no big write up, there are some downsides to consider."

Castle Hill in very quick summary has amazing shopping centers, it's close to Rouse Hill which has the best shopping center in Sydney, however both areas are very far from Sydney and are plagued by Red-bellied snakes. For a young family this place is probably one of the best places to live in Sydney, it's got a really good family vibe, it's super laid back, the people are really nice, and the shops are top notch and ultra clean. It's a dream place until you get bored and wonder "What now?". For all its beauty, Castle Hill is kind of nowhere and for a person seeking life and thrills, this place can get boring quickly. Lastly, house prices are very expensive in Castle Hill, is it worth it? Well no, but considering Sydney is expensive everywhere, I guess maybe? A real downside is the public transport system which has failed Castle Hill fairly hard. They are working on doing something about it, but until they do it's very much a car commute area.

Overall I would recommend Castle Hill for those who can afford it, and those who are willing to commute long to get to the city. Beware of the snakes, but aside from that it's a really pretty and peaceful place to live.

Great for

  • Big shopping centres
  • Big houses
  • Clean and peaceful community
  • Community/neighbourly feel
  • Relative isolation...

Not great for

  • Snakes
  • Long commute
  • Expensive
  • Bad transport
  • Middle of no where

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Students
0
AnitaN

Commute via Express Bus to the city from Castle Hill Tower is less than 30min, a whole lot less from Bondi Beach to the city most times. I don't know where you get the snakes statistics from because never seen or heard anyone I know had this problem in Castle Hill. The train line is already in the pipeline and it won't be long if you want to be closer to the city's urban nightmare.

VickieHord
VickieHord

My husband grew up in Castle Hill and I have been here for 7 years. We haven't seen a snake in the Hills except in Kellyville Pets. I am not sure where you can find one in Castle Hill.

sydneyi

I live in CH. Have a large block of land backing into a nature reserve. Have seen many amazing birds, occasionally rabbits and some foxes. Never a single snake of any kind. Lots of wonderful other wild life and amazing water dragons, but never a snake :D

juliec14

I have lived here for over 10 years and also back onto a reserve. Never seen anything more scary than a blue tongued lizard, much less a snake!

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Rouse Hill

"A growing family place with great shopping, but lacks spirit and centralization."

Rouse Hill is known for a few things. For one, it's safe and very family oriented. There are many first home buyers, new housing developments and allot of parks. Secondly it has THE BEST shopping center and restaurant area in the ENTIRE of Sydney. Rouse Hill shopping center is second to none. Basically they've built a little commercial district within a relatively light residential neighborhood, they've brought everything into it and allowed everyone to really get together. Rouse Hill is also very close to Castle Hill which is another very safe and beautiful place with amazing shopping centers also.

The down sides are that it's very far from Sydney. Once you live in Rouse Hill, you are kinda stuck in Rouse Hill, depression and lack of things to do set in fairly quickly. Don't get me wrong, the shopping centers ARE amazing and for a young person that'll last you for a while, but sooner or later you'll want to go somewhere, but exactly where can you go? The city is far. Secondly there are dangerous snakes here (red belly) which is a big chip off the beautiful statue. They've build Rouse Hill because of housing demand in the middle of nowhere, the wild life is still adjusting to what humanity has done. The house prices in this neighborhood are also astronomical, is it worth it? Well... If Chinese investors didn't inflate house prices -- surely not, I doubt many sane people would actually live out here. However with the monster of Sydney house prices and over purchasing of houses, Rouse Hill stands in a league of its own. There is also a commute from this area to go anywhere, basically it means that you must have a car, if you rely on public transport to go anywhere, you're screwed.

Lastly, I wouldn't live here personally, I wouldn't even live in Castle Hill. These are amazing places to visit and really enjoy for a day, the "wow" factor of doing shopping and meeting awesome people is great, but by the end of it, you wanna go home, "home" being somewhere where there is some form of life.

Great for

  • Big shopping centres
  • Big houses
  • Clean and peaceful community
  • Community/neighbourly feel
  • Relative isolation...

Not great for

  • Snakes
  • Long commute
  • The feeling of isolation
  • Bad transport
  • Middle of no where

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Students
0
jessicap7

Things are changing, people will have different view in near future

davidu2

Regarding the red belly black snake, Wikipedia says: It is not an aggressive species and generally retreats from encounters with people, but can attack if provoked. Although its venom is capable of causing significant illness, no deaths have been recorded from its bite, which is less venomous than other Australian elapid snakes.
The Eastern Brown Snake is a much more venomous snake with a greater tendency to defend itself. Just make noise as you walk through the bush, wear shoes, and dont harass a snake if you see one. And dont try to rescue a pet from a snake. Get professional help.

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