40 Reasons for Americans to Move to Melbourne
Here are 40 great reasons for Americans to move to Melbourne -
1. The Mighty US Dollar
The USD is stronger than the AUD (at time of writing) which means you get more for your dollar in Australia. Buying power rules!
2. Cyclists Paradise
Melbourne averages excellent weather for cycling and with bicycle infrastructure and dedicated bicycle lanes, cycling is becoming a greater part of the transport system.
3. American Dude Food Heaven
Melbourne is full of American dude food joints and riding the wave of a burger craze. Get your fill of Southern American slow cooked meats, spicy fried chicken, massive burgers and fries, and mac and cheese all over the city.
4. Thriving Street Art/Urban Culture
Hosier Lane is a world class street art attraction. But also check out other street art in our laneways...
5. American Fashion Brands Accessible
Brands like Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs (stockists), Ralph Lauren, Coach (below), GAP, Nike, Levi Strauss & Co., and others...
6. The American Shop
From Oreos to Barbeque Rub, they have it all...
7. Mild Climate (no Freeze Snaps)
Melbourne weather has defined seasons with hot summers and mild winters (compared to most US cities). Melbourne weather can experience four seasons in a day.
8. Free City Trams and Efficient Transport
Melbourne has an excellent transport system, including free trams in the city! You'll think you're in San Francisco, with Melbourne Trams an icon of the city. Also a decent train and bus network. The only negative is no express train to the Airport, but the Skybus from Southern Cross Station to the Airport is a great option.
9. Modern Attractive Design and Architecture
Melbourne was built on gold rush money and boasts classic architecture, with recent additions like Federation Square a highlight.
10. Cable TV
Netflix, Foxtel and other cable services are available. Watch your US series on cable TV as well as a host of US shows on Free To Air TV.
11. Local Gridiron, Baseball, Basketball
Catch your favourite US sports also in Australia... (Image Credit Basketball Australia Facebook).
12. Decent Beaches
Melbourne has excellent suburban beaches such as Brighton and St Kilda, but for decent waves you need to drive further out to beaches like world class surfing Bells Beach and Torquay.
13. World Class Education
Melbourne boasts universities in the top 100 and has a thriving education culture with high number of international students.
14. Support Home Education
Parents wishing to home school their children need to register. See the link.
15. Attractive City and CBD
Melbourne boasts a clean and attractive city centre full of attractions, facilities, cafes and restaurants.
16. Eating Out Culture
Melbourne is a city for eating out. Unlike America the people of Melbourne don't go so much for chains but boutique eating experiences.
17. Strong Housing Market
Housing is expensive relative to many US cities but historically the housing market has been strong.
18. Cultural Diversity
Melbourne is one of the most multicultural cities in the world with some 140 nations living side by side largely from four large waves of migration.
19. Celebrities
If you love your celebs you will see them here in Melbourne...
20. Costco
Costco is available at three locations in Melbourne; Docklands near the CBD, Ringwood in the eastern suburbs, and new Moorabbin.
21. Coffee
Melbourne is the coffee capital of Australia and one of the leading coffee cities in the world with a plethora of fine cafes and baristas who perform well in world barista championships. Hard to get a bad coffee in this city!
22. Relatively Low Crime
Melbourne is considered a reasonably safe city.
23. World Class Medical System
One of the best health care systems in the world. You generally need to be a citizen of Australia to get the full benefits of the Medicare health scheme but it's recognised as one of the best in the world. Workers pay a Medicare Levy out of their pay but receive a "free" health system. Some doctors "bulk bill" which means patients don't pay a cent. Not everything is covered by Medicare including some expensive drugs and some operations, but it's a world class health system. Check this link.
24. Awesome Parks
Melbourne is considered to be Australia's "garden city".
25. World Class Bars
Melbourne is famous for its bars and has some of the most highly acclaimed bars in the world such as The Everleigh and Black Pearl.
26. Food Trucks Everywhere
Melbourne boasts a fleet of food trucks with diverse cuisines such as burgers, Vietnamese, curries and po' boys.
27. Cute Wildlife
Melbourne has a world class Melbourne Zoo as well as popular Werribee Zoo in the West.
28. Thriving Arts Scene
Visit Federation Square home to the Ian Potter Centre, Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI), then nearby National Gallery of Victoria. Attend top line concerts and performances in Melbourne.
29. Environment
Melbourne is an environmentally conscious city including Environment Victoria and Australian Conservation Foundation. Many restaurants and cafes are environmentally aware with patch gardens.
30. Stable Politics and Government
Victoria is known for its relatively stable politics.
31. AFL
Many Americans follow AFL football in America as a tough, athletic and skillful game. Adopt a team and visit the MCG with crowds up to 100,000, as well as Etihad Stadium.
32. Loads of Space
Melbourne is a fine attractive city but it's not far to wide open spaces to enjoy Yarra Valley and Dandenongs, Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island, Great Ocean Road and King Valley to name a few.
33. World Class Wine Country
Melbourne is close to many world class impressive wine regions such as Yarra Valley, Macedon Ranges, Heathcote, Mornington Peninsula and King Valley to name a few.
34. Snow
Yes Melbourne is in close proximity to quality snowfields such as Mt Buller and Falls Creek.
Image Credit: Mt Buller Facebook
35. Clean
The city of Melbourne has high standards for cleaning of streets, laneways, footpaths, drains and parks.
36. Starbucks and Krispy Creme
You can satisfy your fix of Starbucks and Krispy Creme in Melbourne.
37. Chamber of Commerce
Both the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are highly active, as well as the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (great for networking).
Image credit: AmCham Facebook
38. Boutique shops
While America is known for it's large malls, Melbourne has a blend of large shopping centres as well as bespoke boutique shopping precincts and high street style shopping.
39. McDonalds
McDonalds are innovative and have over 850 stores in Australia, also known here as Maccas.
40. Burger Culture
Melbourne has a vibrant burger culture with a major interest in who has the top burgers in town.
