Sydney vs. Boston vs. Melbourne

Leave it to a table full of New Englanders to spend an evening in Sydney, Australia discussing all the reasons this city ISN'T Boston. We ate tasty dinner of crocodile, kangaroo, and barramundi with a fine lemon butter sauce and broccolini. We drank a bottle of a beautiful Hunter Valley Shiraz. We sat out on the patio, the lively hum of summer hugged our ears, and the Opera House sat bright and majestic across the water of Circular Quay. But we all had Boston in common, and we all agreed that despite its many pluses, something was missing from our lives in Sydney.

So I sleep in my Red Sox t-shirt, that doesn't mean my heart belongs to New England only. Far from it, in fact.

We agreed that the restaurants in Sydney are outstanding. It goes without saying that the beaches are amazing. And where else can you sit out on a summer night and watch enormous bats swooping and diving overhead? But the lack of cozy pubs filled with smart 30-somethings, the lack of people reading on public transit, and the exorbitant cost of live music left us missing (just a little bit) our small, cold town. Maybe we're not looking in the right neighborhoods. Or maybe, when in Sydney, we should do as the Sydneysiders do. But what is it they do? Where do they go to unwind and relax when the work day is over?

I surmised that Melbourne might, culturally, be more akin to our historic hometown of drinkers and thinkers. I will report back next week, as it just so happens I'm going to Melbourne tomorrow for a long weekend. I'll be staying with a friend, a local there, who will be showing me the town. Hopefully my days will be filled with theater, music, art, creative inspiration and relaxation.