some thoughts on sydney
I haven't had much to say about Sydney so far, since I've been (1) busy and (2) without a homebase in which to relax and reflect. Here are some unrelated thoughts:
Sydney is as full of shopping as the US, which is pretty overwhelming. Our *needs* don't actually change that much as our income does; we consume a higher quality of food, shelter, clothing and entertainment, but that still leaves a lot of money left over in a rich city like Sydney to be soaked up by purchasing stuff we don't need. There are multiple Prada shops in the CBD (and plenty of other luxury consumables). However, for every storefront one sees at street level, there are 3 more (and 100+ more people) below ground level. For instance: about 2 doors down from my office, I can enter a shopping arcade, go to the far end, take an escalator down to a food court, and then walk for MANY blocks of underground shopping, incorporating at least 2 train stations. If I go the opposite direction from my office, there's another one a block away. When I have internet of leisure, I'll see about locating a map of Sydney's underground extravaganza. It's not just boutiques, it's grocery stores, butchers, bakers, toy stores, discount shops, you name it. I find it freaky.
Sydney has surprisingly good bike and pedestrian infrastructure, even in places you wouldn't expect it, like motorway interchanges. In addition to making safe passage for non-car transport, they've gone to lengths to make those no-man's lands inviting with lighting, benches and public art. A huge number of cars come through Sydney every day, but by and large the motorways are non-intrusive. Jo tells me a proportion of this is the work of the current mayor. If so, I'm grateful to her.
The public transport is pretty effective, as well. There are double-decker commuter and long-distance passenger trains, a lightrail/tram line incorporating old freight infrastructure, a monorail, buses, and ferries. They seem to run frequently, interoperate conveniently, and not be heinously expensive.
Nonetheless, people here commute unreasonable distances. My boss lives a 90-minute train ride north up the coast. He says it once took him 8 hours in the car when there was a terrible accident. My VP-level boss (3 up from me) lives 2 hours south. Because these sorts of trips are considered acceptable, the relocation assistant really can't understand when I tell her that the cute suburb on the other side of the ferry is too far out.
I'm really looking forward to settling into a place and doing normalising stuff like cooking at home. We've been living out of suitcases now for 5 weeks (with another 3 to go), and it's wearing on my peace of mind. I need a bit of space of my own in order to fully relax and smooth my feathers. We've seen a number of nice places in areas we like and price ranges that don't feel *too* ridiculous. We're planning to get a 2 bedroom so that we can receive guests and so that Will has separate studio space. We're looking for covered balconies so that we can have an exo-lounge in the warm weather in spite of rain. If all goes well, we'll have something the weekend after we get back. It might take a little bit to furnish it, since move-in costs here are 2+ month's rent.
Sydney is as full of shopping as the US, which is pretty overwhelming. Our *needs* don't actually change that much as our income does; we consume a higher quality of food, shelter, clothing and entertainment, but that still leaves a lot of money left over in a rich city like Sydney to be soaked up by purchasing stuff we don't need. There are multiple Prada shops in the CBD (and plenty of other luxury consumables). However, for every storefront one sees at street level, there are 3 more (and 100+ more people) below ground level. For instance: about 2 doors down from my office, I can enter a shopping arcade, go to the far end, take an escalator down to a food court, and then walk for MANY blocks of underground shopping, incorporating at least 2 train stations. If I go the opposite direction from my office, there's another one a block away. When I have internet of leisure, I'll see about locating a map of Sydney's underground extravaganza. It's not just boutiques, it's grocery stores, butchers, bakers, toy stores, discount shops, you name it. I find it freaky.
Sydney has surprisingly good bike and pedestrian infrastructure, even in places you wouldn't expect it, like motorway interchanges. In addition to making safe passage for non-car transport, they've gone to lengths to make those no-man's lands inviting with lighting, benches and public art. A huge number of cars come through Sydney every day, but by and large the motorways are non-intrusive. Jo tells me a proportion of this is the work of the current mayor. If so, I'm grateful to her.
The public transport is pretty effective, as well. There are double-decker commuter and long-distance passenger trains, a lightrail/tram line incorporating old freight infrastructure, a monorail, buses, and ferries. They seem to run frequently, interoperate conveniently, and not be heinously expensive.
Nonetheless, people here commute unreasonable distances. My boss lives a 90-minute train ride north up the coast. He says it once took him 8 hours in the car when there was a terrible accident. My VP-level boss (3 up from me) lives 2 hours south. Because these sorts of trips are considered acceptable, the relocation assistant really can't understand when I tell her that the cute suburb on the other side of the ferry is too far out.
I'm really looking forward to settling into a place and doing normalising stuff like cooking at home. We've been living out of suitcases now for 5 weeks (with another 3 to go), and it's wearing on my peace of mind. I need a bit of space of my own in order to fully relax and smooth my feathers. We've seen a number of nice places in areas we like and price ranges that don't feel *too* ridiculous. We're planning to get a 2 bedroom so that we can receive guests and so that Will has separate studio space. We're looking for covered balconies so that we can have an exo-lounge in the warm weather in spite of rain. If all goes well, we'll have something the weekend after we get back. It might take a little bit to furnish it, since move-in costs here are 2+ month's rent.