For me, it would have to be the beaches, as well as the attachment I've grown to this city since I moved here when I was 1 and a half…
I genuinely let out a scoff on the inside when people say that Perth/Adelaide/Melbourne are better cities… have visited all of them and only Perth comes close to our beautiful city
So I was wondering… what's your reasons for staying in this city?
Posted by dphayteeyl
38 Comments
I’m a professional actor, if I want to work as much as possible I need to live in Sydney. Helps that’s it so beautiful.
Because I grew up here so the lifetime of social networks.
The city itself doesn’t really appeal to me.
Job availability and immigrant tolerance
Im born here, i can’t be arsed going anywhere else
I am only staying in Sydney because I have a really good job here (not too high paying or anything, but stable and a great work environment), and considering the current job market, I am not able to take the risk of switching jobs. The firm I work for does not have a s branch in any other Australian city, so I am pretty much stuck here for the foreseeable future.
My son needs NDIS support and is attached to his school and my parents. Other wise I am out
Well many here stayed cos they owned homes before the price came up.
I like most things about it. It’s very naturally beautiful. Beaches, the harbour, rivers, national parks. It’s got good public transport. Whenever artists tour, they always come to Sydney.
If I was rich I’d stay forever but I’m not and I know my time is numbered here. But I’ll stay in NSW
My friends mostly. I do love the weather here as well, like how sunny it is all year round.
My salary. I earn about 4 x what is used to earn in Perth as there are better career opportunities.
Indentured apprentice here
The nature. I generally am not a fan of cities but when I DO have to be in a city, I don’t just want a concrete jungle and Sydney has so many trees and birds and parks and beaches that just make it feel more pleasant.
Also the public transport is for the most part a lot better than other Australian cities.
I think Sydney has the most entertainment (beaches, bars, exhibitions, festivals, nature) out of all the cities; I can always find something to do, some subculture, some event, that I love here.
Rather be poor in Sydney than rich in Melbourne
I think Sydney has the perfect combination of:
1. Beauty – natural and man made.
2. Job opportunities (I am a software engineer).
You can finish a long day of intellectually taxing work and then go grab beer with the mates at the harbour looking at the water.
My family are all here.
Different cities offer different things. If you love the beach and can afford to live close to it then you’d prefer Sydney. Sydney also has the harbour which is genuinely stunning. It’s also warmer. The hilly terrain helps create some very pretty leafy suburbs.
If you dislike the heat then Melbourne is better. It’s also more affordable. If you want to buy or rent a place you’ll get far more bang for your buck in Melbourne. I’d rather live in Footscray or Preston or whatever than Blacktown/ Penrith. If you care about live sports then Melbourne is far better. A packed footy match at the MCG is an incredible experience. Melbourne does better for smaller scale live music, and clubbing if that’s your thing (I am way out of date on this one though). Their arts scene is also more developed.
Both places have great food if you look. Slightly better Thai in Sydney, but better Vietnamese in Melbourne. You can get great coffee in both places.
Traffic is far worse in Sydney, but public transport is better. Cycling is far better in Melbourne.
The rivalry between the two places is dumb. Just enjoy what you enjoy.
It’s home and I grew up here my entire life after my family immigrated from Asia 20 plus years ago. Visiting my parents motherland a few times has also genuinely opened my eyes as to how lucky we are to live here despite the issues we do have.
Clean drinking water, electricity, clean streets and cities and infrastructure and just generally how safe it is are all things we take for granted here yet alone the magnificent things Sydney has like the beaches, a beautiful city, world class coffee and diverse food selection all being up to a great level and just the natural beauty of Sydney and NSW.
I am blessed to live here and call Sydney my home great city and most importantly a city who is proud of it’s multiculturalism and tolerant of it never have I experienced random racism or felt like my ethnicity has made my life harder here.
Family and friends only. I think the cost of living here is disgustingly inequitable and awful.
Work. And that the boss expects me to turn up in the office
Was about to bail for the regions right before they brought in a RTO mandate
Because unfortunately I am not a millionaire and my skills are not valued enough in Ireland to have a comparable standard of living.
My job is here, my friends and family are here. The kids are in school here.
That’s it.
can’t afford to move, need medical care I can’t get in other parts of the country. that’s it.
Beaches, harbour, weather, food, concerts, other entertainment, friends (though many left because they couldn’t afford it).
Work used to keep me here, too.
It’s too expensive to leave
So many things to do. If you are bored in Sydney, you are doing something wrong.
Amazing beaches and hikes. The climate is good all year round (compared to where I’m originally from).
Also amazing restaurants, any world cuisine you can imagine and it’s here.
It’s extremely safe.
We poo poo the public transport all the time but ask anyone who is from a city with no public transport, Sydney is awesome in comparison.
Every place in the world has its pros and cons but after being here 10 years, every other city is just shittier when compared to Sydney.
The cost of leaving
Family
live music honestly. so blessed that this is a city where most touring acts will visit. I have seen so many of my favourite bands/acts live and honestly it gives me the will to live. I meet so many people at shows that travel interstate and i can be in my bed after the show ends within an hour is not taken without gratitude. this sounds superficial maybe but music/live music is one of the things keeping me alive and staying on this earth. i wanna see the music i love and i want to do it for as long as possble
Until recently, family.
But I discovered I can build a house with a backyard only an hour down the coast and now I’m outta here 🫡
Family and my job
All my shit is here.
Big titty homeless men
Pretty good trains, few to no natural disasters, great weather/sun, multicultural to the point i can have almost any cuisine i want, an OK work culture (though i feel this is worsening). If you apply yourself a bit, you can really have it good in Sydney. Being kind of well off in Sydney i think your standard of living is better than most “rich” in some other countries, because of fresh air, access to clean water/beaches, and medicare.
Sure its changing and you might have to live in an apartment, but most other great cities, freehold land is also for the rich.
Brisbane too much flooding risk/ feels like sydney a bit 15 years ago, melbourne too cold, perth is…perth.
inertia
My family and friends are here. That’s it.
Otherwise it’s expensive and humid and I hate it. If I could move my entire social network to somewhere cooler like Tasmania I would.
Laziness
Jobs. If I can find a rural job pays similar to pay mortgage I’ll take it. I’m stuck here can’t start fresh now
Because it has and always will be home. Is it perfect? No, but my God is it a privilege to be able to live work and play here (noting what’s happening in the world). As my immigrant parents said when they moved here (and when I developed first world problems) “only white people complain about living in paradise”.