By ANNA JAMES
It’s the opinion that makes me a very unpopular dinner party guest: Sydney is no longer liveable. I’m moving back to Brisbane. My friends are appalled.
This conclusion was formed the moment a man took a dump on the front step of my Darlinghurst home, at 9am as I stepped out for a run.
In the same week as the Victory Turd Incident, my landlord raised my rent.
A Sydneysider born and raised, I’ve watched what was once an invigorating city become a giant real estate nightmare, albeit an unsafe one. Sydney is a hive of activity but it’s also expensive, overpopulated and merciless.
When contemplating my move to Brisbane, I came across an article “Why I’m Leaving New York” that echoed my sentiments about Sydney: just because a city is tough to live in, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good.
Millennials are flocking to the big smoke to make it – but at what cost?
In 2011 I relocated from my Annandale home to sunny Brisbane. My Sydney friends thought I was crazy – why would you leave all of this for a big country town? I was spoiled for fresh air, affordable housing and the security to walk home alone at night. Not the worse decision I’ve made.
Finally, I decided to return home; with its bright lights and chaos, Sydney is quite the seductress.
In the three short years I was absent from Sydney, the cost of living had grown considerably; no longer could I pay for a coffee in loose change.