u/Rexberg-TheCommunist

Apologies if this isn't explicitly Melbourne related, but I've read on here that Maryborough is rough and dangerous and a depressing town, but when I visited it for the first time recently I didn't mind it at all.

As a matter of fact, at the risk of sounding like a Reddit contrarian I liked Maryborough a lot more than either Daylesford or Castlemaine; both of which came highly recommended but I found them to be simultaneously incredibly pretentious but also underwhelming, while Maryborough has more of a down to earth, unpretentious working-class town feel.

I don't know what to believe anymore. Why is Maryborough's reputation so poor?

Better roads and infrastructure, friendlier people, better weather, historical buildings are better maintained, more laid back, there aren't massive lines and waiting times for literally everything, Perth pub patrons are friendly and outgoing compared to these blocks of wood in Melbourne, the footpaths aren't jammed up with dozens of people at any given time, public transport is more reliable and frequent, there is a direct rail connection to the airport, railway stations are far cleaner and actually function (looking at you, constantly broken escalators at Southern Cross Station), the beaches are in another league compared to anything Melbourne could offer.

I am feeling homesick for Perth and I never actually lived there, although I was in the city quite often.

Edit: I should probably add that I don't hate Melbourne, part of the reason I moved here was to be closer to Melbourne and eventually live there but there's definitely lots of things Perth does better and comparing the two I think Perth is the better city, I just didn't like the isolation of WA.

I've recently relocated to Ballarat from WA and I am finding it incredibly underwhelming to say the least. Every time I have visited Bendigo though, it's vibrant and friendly, there are things happening in the city centre, there are people everywhere, heaps of shops open, eateries are popping off etc. Bendigo's city centre seems much cleaner than Ballarat's as well.

It feels like an actual small city in its own right. Conversely, Ballarat feels comparable to my hometown in WA despite having more than three times the population of it; it's an absolute ghost town after 6PM and on Sundays and Ballarat just gives off an unfriendly and austere vibe around this time of year.

How can two cities which are otherwise virtually identical feel so different from each other?

I cannot seem to find a decent answer on Google, it seems to think I am after Banh mi when I'm not.

It's worth mentioning that my adopted hometown 'only' has a population of around 130,000, but it might as well be Midtown Manhattan compared to where I am from.

Are there any other rural comrades here? What are your horror stories from your time spent living in a reactionary shit hole?

I am going to be in the city next weekend and I have a habit of going for longer walks (12 km+) after dinner. Which tram routes would you guys recommend that I walk along? I haven't explored anywhere in Melbourne east of Chapel Street in Windsor. I will be in Chinatown in the evening as my starting point, if that helps.

Cheers

Howdy from WA. I am visiting Bendigo for the first time next Friday as I am relocating to Ballarat and have time to kill. I know through my own research that Bendigo is home to almost eighty historic pub buildings but less than half of them still exist as pubs today. Which ones serve more than just hamburgers, schnitzels and pizza? I would love to check out the Shamrock Hotel but the food looks underwhelming, even bordering on shithouse.

Cheers

Examples would be Leederville, Vic Park/East Vic, Freo, Beaufort Street, South Perth (lmao) etc.

I am curious, how regularly do people from towns along the Texas side of the border cross over into Mexico to visit friends, relatives etc?

Given that the population of the border counties is predominantly Mexican I can only assume that many people regularly do this, but surely having to cross the border constantly to enter what is basically the other side of the same city in some cases (for instance, Brownsville-Matamoros is basically one city split in half by the border) becomes a hassle for you guys after a while?

Cheers in advance for answering my somewhat silly question