Is Melbourne Overrated?

Melbourne, Victoria’s capital city, is famous. People tend to have a strong opinion about it. Some think it has the best food, coffee, great weather, and excellent public transportation. Add it to the craze for sports, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Football. So, let’s find out how Melbourne is.

The main argument against Melbourne being highly rated are its high cost of the living and congested inner city. With housing prices increasing year after year, many people feel like they can’t afford to live in this city anymore. Apart from that, the inner city also experiences significant traffic congestion during peak times, making getting around difficult for many residents.

What is Melbourne known for?

So, Melbourne is one of Australia’s biggest and most populated cities. City dwellers love it and praise it for many reasons. As such, there are three things that Melbourne is famous for:

The Sports

Victoria happens to be the sports lovers’ destination in Australia. So, Melbourne effectively becomes the sports capital of the country. All kinds of sports are played in Melbourne, including basketball, Australian rules football, cricket, shooting, soccer, and netball.

If in Melbourne at the right time, you can catch a game for your entertainment. The city boasts of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct, a series of sports stadiums and venues located in the city.

The precinct offers some of the most significant domestic and international events like the AFL Grand Final, the Australian Open, and the Boxing Day Test Match. The venue also hosted the 1956 Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The Food And The Coffee

Melbourne has a number of food and coffee joints. The city is known for its famous cafe and coffee culture. There are a number of famous locations in Melbourne CBD, and many of them are scattered in the suburbs.

Melbourne residents claim that the city boasts the finest brew and offers some of the most delicious dishes. Choosing the proper cafe and coffee point for you could be tricky, requiring extensive research.

So, if you want a city where you can grab a quick cup of coffee with a sandwich, you can visit Melbourne.

Public Transportation

Melbourne offers different kinds of public transport- trains, trams and buses. An extensive public transport network connects every part of the city.

So, Melbourne is a city that can boast of last-mile connectivity. If you don’t have a car or don’t want to hire a cab, you can travel to any part of the city using public transport.

On top of it, a Myki card can be purchased at the rail stations and topped up at different stations. You can also get it recharged at some bus interchange points and tram junctions.

Why may you find Melbourne overrated?

Every city has its goods and vices. And so is the case with Melbourne. Many visitors and tourists find Melbourne overrated for these reasons:

The Weather May Be a Spoilsport

At times, you may enjoy windy, rainy weather. But sometimes, you want a Sunbath. However, Melbourne is more or less likely to offer rainy weather more often than not.

Melbourne offers very unpredictable weather. Sometimes, it is called “four seasons in one day” weather. So, you may head out to the beach if you see the Sun shining, but by the time you reach the beach, a drizzle may ruin your plans. If it gets worse, there could be a heavy downpour that sends you running back home.

Also, you can’t plan a game or outing with your friends in advance. Weather predictor doesn’t work if you are living in Victoria’s Capital. And then, who wants to get his or her shoes ruined after getting out in the city?

Melbourne may be a bit overrated for you if you like it sunny and bright.

The food and coffee may be overrated.

Some visitors and internet users say that they had better food and brew than that in Melbourne. Some believe that the food and coffee in the city are simply overrated and that there is nothing special about it.

It is believed that good food and coffee in Melbourne are found at high-end restaurants and cafes in the city. Finding great food and coffee at only high-end eateries may not be affordable for you. Basic food may seem very expensive for you, and you may have to explore several shops to find the perfect fit for you.

Also, Melbourne cuisine may be a little different from authentic cuisine. Therefore, you may be a little uncomfortable when checking out food and coffee in Melbourne.

Public transportation may be slow for you.

Public transportation in Melbourne is quite famous, and the residents seem almost to celebrate it. But it has problems of its own.

First of all, the trams aren’t public transport but an iconic ride at the most. They are suitable for sightseeing and enjoying the ride itself. Therefore, you cannot take a tram to a suburb or the city centre to dine at a high-end cafe. 

When it comes to buses, you may find that they take a lot of indirect routes. So, it can get clumsy at times. Travelling from Point A to Point B may become much more prolonged than GPS shows due to how buses snake through the city streets. This won’t be too efficient if you are out in a hurry.

Similarly, with trains, connectivity to distant suburbs may be an issue. Moreover, the frequency of the trains may be too long, and you may spend more time waiting for the train than travelling in it.

So, while the public transportation network is vast, it may be slow and cumbersome.

It all, therefore, depends on your choice. Melbourne may be ideal for some and overrated for others.