Melbourne Living - Anyone Else Getting Sick Of It?

[Nai]

Nah I love it I grew up in the country and the day I moved to Melbourne was one of the best days of my life. I don't think I could go back unless it was a sea-change thing. However I HATE commuting with a passion so I couldn't live much further out than we are now as we cycle pretty much everywhere and we are only 3km from the CBD.

[fionas]

I read back a year or so ago that lots are heading back into to city - something about lack of decent coffee ...that would indicate to me they probably didn't move for the right reasons anyway! Property prices went up out there accordingly...but not TOO badly.

I'm not that fussed about coffee (yes I AM human without a morning caffeine fix) but I do really need nice places to eat/drink and luckily Woodend has a really good pub. Now a few years ago I would have said "what you've only got one place to eat??????" and fainted, but these days we really don't go out very often and if we do, it's to the end of the street which is a 2 minute walk and invariably we end up in the same bar. So I'm used to only going to a few places. Gone are the days of frequenting every sticky carpet pub/bar within a 5km radius though I haven't quite accepted that I'll never go out dancing again. And I'm planning to still come to Melbourne quite a bit so can easily get my DFO/sushi fix and it will feel like I've been on an exciting day out to the city. I can even read a book on the train. Bliss! There's more places to eat in Woodend - it's just that I've only actually been to the pub. There's EVEN a wine bar there now. Whoopy doo.

There was an article in the paper last week that even people who can afford to live close to Melbourne are getting sick of commuting too. Too much time spent in the car doing drop offs to childcare/school and then going to work. Some people even in the inner burbs are spending 2-3 hours per day in the car anyway.

I'm feeling really good about it. Probably especially because it's out of left field for someone like me who really has made the absolute most of city living. I like doing something completely different - moving to Australia without actually having been here before being a case in point. I'm loving the fact that DP and I will be discovering places, people and community activities together too whereas he moved into my house in Northcote so there was no joint discovering to be done.

[LionsandBears]

I adore Melbourne. I always have. I was an inner city snob, never used a car, public transport everywhere (though that was in the 90's). Now we're in the burbs about 20 km from CBD. I'd hate to move further out, but we can't afford to buy this close in....I'm not sure exactly where we could afford to buy TBH. The dream of the qtr acre block with the dog and kids playing outside seems very distant.

It's not all great. The increase in knifings/bashings etc are a worry, public transport is useless so we use a car all the time, traffic is mental even on weekends (how about 24hr/7 day clearway on Punt Rd?), taxis are a crying shame, I'm convinced the state and most local governments are corrupt if not downright incompetent ($750M on Myki anyone? ). It's not perfect and we don't have a spectacular harbour, but it's gorgeous, bohemian and fun.

I love the strip shopping in the burbs, the laneways in the CBD, the fact I will never be able to eat at all the fabulous restaurants/cafes we have, that the coffee is (mostly) fantastic, the open parks, footy season (even if you don't go). Obviously I have no idea how things will change after bub arrives. Maybe I'll start feeling housebound and claustraphobic, I don't know. But I'll have access to services and loads of things to do (budget willing).

I like the country - think it's a great place to visit, but I don't think I could live there.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Woodend is full of lovely people, Fi - I know some fireys in the area Kyneton is full of life, too!
My DP could always open up a real coffee shop - he's a coffee snob, but makes his own from fresh roasted beans ( he knows if they're not fresh, and he's found a great supplier near here who can deliver when we move) and is thinking of roasting his own anyway. No moving back for coffee here (plus, lotsa Italians in the area, they have to have brought something other than soccer??)! Me, I just want a good yoga teacher (and there's one who has a kids class n Sth Gipp!!), nearby surf, soccer club, horses at my back door, and a decent health food shop. The rest I can make or order online

[Astrid]

There was even a telly show hosted by Michael Caton called The Real Sea/Tree changers (or something similar) that followed several people over about a year to see how they went. That show is a few years old now.

I read back a year or so ago that lots are heading back into to city - something about lack of decent coffee ...that would indicate to me they probably didn't move for the right reasons anyway!

That was an interesting series. Many of those "changers" not only moved, but also went into business. So not only did they have the new business pressures, they had the settling into the new area. I have read a number of articles on this over the years. Often people like to move where they holiday, they enjoy the place and want more of that lifestyle. Often though they find the reality very different. They spend their time working and watching the visitor enjoy the lifestyle that they wanted, this is especially so if they went into business in order to do the move. Many people see business as a freedom, rather than the work that it is. So often it is not the failure of the move, it is the failure of the business that is the problem.

I did read another article where the family moved back to the city as the country had too much to offer (WTF??). She said her children wanted for nothing and had a great lifestyle, so they moved so they could have less. Very confused on that one.

[Ahurani]

Yes I am kind of getting sick of it I never thought I would say it.

Im sick of the traffic, people well nearly everything lol It was only on the weekend when I was driving over the westgate, I was looking at the city and I thought wow, this is why people move here, its just so beautiful.

DP is getting sick of Melbourne too. He complains about the traffic, price of living etc. Id probably have to agree with him.

I was 18 when I moved here from Perth thinking I would live in Melbourne forever because I love it but its funny how life and things change :/

Lulu: I watched that show it was quite interesting.

[Lulu]

Yeah, I don't know why they couldn't just buy a coffee machine!
Astrid I can't remember any failures on the show (think I watched a rerun recently), they all seemed to go well after a bumpy start to the business (as they all are!).

Woodend is so pretty, I can't wait to see pics of the house.

[KitFaerie]

I've just moved back to Melbourne after 3 yrs away, and DH and I have decided it's definitely our home! I'm originally from Brisbane and he's a RAAF brat, so from lots of places.

I loooooovvvvve Melbs, the coffee, the theatre, a couple of my friends are artists so I love going to their gallery openings, I love buying nutella waffles from the french couple in the city, I love wearing gloves in winter, I even like getting through more of my book on the train than I thought because of 'metro apologises'.

[Astrid]

Yeah, I don't know why they couldn't just buy a coffee machine!
Astrid I can't remember any failures on the show (think I watched a rerun recently), they all seemed to go well after a bumpy start to the business (as they all are!).

You might be right about that series, I can get confused between what I read and watched, I also watch a lot if UK stuff. So I think it was in the articles that had the treechange fails.

[lilima]

Yep = as you know we left Melb for the "tree change" and we will be neighbours as you are just one town away from me!!!!

Saying that, I grew up in the eastern side of Melbourne, and LOVED it. Then when got married, moved to a different part of Melbourne that was very industrial, and I HATED it. (won't say where so not to offend)

So when DH got the job to where we are now, we jumped at the opportunity.

[Boo Boo]

Fiona, we used to live in Northcote too and moved down to the Mornington Peninsula in 2004....for the first 18 months I commuted to the city for work everyday, by the end of the 18 months, I had had enough...then we went overseas for two years and had DD then came back to our house and settled back into life here with a child, I love it, I love the community feel and don't miss city life one iota....we hardly go up to Melb but when we do I am so glad we moved out.

Congratulations on your move to Woodend and wishing you lots of happy times.

Laurin