What it’s like to move to Melbourne to study
She was expecting blonde surfers and beaches, but found footy, food and rooftop bars. A New Yorker looks at how Melbourne stacks up as a city to study and live in.
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Living in Australia has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl.
Experiencing different cultures in general is something that was ingrained in me — I was born in Albania but raised in Queens, New York, I’ve worked in London and now study a Masters of Journalism in Melbourne.
I’ll be honest: When I first touched down at Tullamarine Airport, I was half-expecting stereotypical Australia portrayed in American movies. You know, golden-tanned women, blonde shaggy-haired surfers, and a beach in every direction.
Not quite.
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Imagine my surprise when I pulled up at my suburb of Parkville (walking distance from my school, the University of Melbourne) and it looked like a prettier and cleaner version of Queens, with some parts even resembling the New Orleans French Quarter.
I had done my research, but the carefully curated Google photos I browsed through didn’t highlight the real Melbourne, which is so much better than I could have anticipated.
The Culture
Aussies (pronounced “Ozzies”, avoid the “S’s” or you will get glances) are laid-back and friendly.
For the most part everyone is insane amounts of chill.
As I’m used to loud, straightforward people, this was a nice change.
Melbourne is very multinational, so if you didn’t grow up around different ethnicities, this is a great city for you to learn about an array of cultures.
But one part of Aussie culture I was not prepared for was the obsession over ‘footy’ (Australian football, it’s kind of similar to American football … kind of not).
Footy is the go-to game here, with a good chunk of Aussies either playing in a league, or following one religiously.
Join in on the fun and support your suburb’s AFL (Australian Football League) team at Marvel stadium or the MCG! You can find tickets on Ticketmaster from $15.
Getting around
Initially, I chose Melbourne over Sydney.
FYI — there’s some serious rivalry here between these cities.
I opted for Melbourne for the nightlife and public transit system, which as a New Yorker are both integral parts of my life.
As far as public transport goes, God bless the tram system is all I have to say. It’s incredibly easy to navigate (just use Google Maps) and it’s cheap.
As a student your tram fares are reduced (for Zones 1+2 expect to pay $4.40 daily, or $22.00 weekly). Plus trams are free to ride in the city centre.
And if you’re going to be living by uni, or the surrounding suburbs, everything you need will be a 10-20 minute tram ride away, if not walking distance.
Bikes are also a very popular and eco-friendly option.
Please note that if you’re from a country that drives on the right side of the road (they drive on the left here!), it can be a hard adjustment to look the right direction before crossing the street, so do yourself a favour and check both ways before crossing.
Nightlife
As for partying … Melbourne is unlike any city I’ve been to.
Within a few blocks, the vibes can change completely.
You can be in a uni pub one second and an upscale hotel bar the next. Then you head around the corner of some street-art covered alley with … more bars.
Fun fact: You can find an aesthetic rooftop spot anywhere you go (trust me, your Instagram will thank you).
Some fun areas to check out include:
Fitzroy — For all the hipster feels, with none of the attitude-ridden bartenders (seriously I’ve made so many bartender friends here). Check out Baxter’s Lot for live music from local talent ($5 wines and $6 beers during happy hour, and no entry fees).
Richmond — If you’re into watching sports, this area will probably be your usual spot. Corner Hotel is multi-level space great for watching the game, atop a lush roof space with big-screen TVs, surround sound, and drinks starting at $9.
Southbank — If you’re feeling fancy, visit Ponyfish Island, a bar floating on the Yarra river below the pedestrian bridge to Flinders St train station (particularly great for first dates).
St Kilda — The world famous area is a mixture of beach-town vibes and really fun clubs.
One thing I’ve noticed here is a ‘club’ isn’t a necessarily a bottle-service place filled with pseudo-model types, but a bar with a dance floor, which is so much better (and cheaper). Check out Veludo to see what I mean. P.S. $7 jam jar cocktails all night on Saturdays, just saying.
Food
But if you’re like me and many other students, food will be where most of your funds will go. And if you’re spending all your money on something, it better be good. Thankfully, it is.
Melbourne has literally every type of cuisine you could possibly crave.
You can get $13 delicious ramen from Shunjinko, which has several locations throughout the CBD, or $20 all-you-can-eat dumplings at Empress of China in Chinatown (BYOB!).
Pizza is a staple food here (check out 400 Gradi, which has previously won the best margherita pizza in the world award, about $23-ish).
They have some food delivery apps too like Deliveroo and UberEats, which are very handy for those cozy nights in when you’re supposed to be studying but are really Netflix-ing.
Delivery fees will cost an extra $5 usually, but if you see yourself ordering-in a lot you can purchase Deliveroo Plus, a $15/month subscription plan that eliminates delivery fees.
Otherwise, expect a meal to cost around $25 for a burger and fries (New York Minute is pretty good) or around $15 for an HSP (Halal Snack Pack) which is obligatory uni student end-of-night-probably-drunk food.
If you like to cook, groceries can get expensive depending on how clean you like to eat. Typically you will pay more for meats and cheeses than vegetables, but your run-of-the-mill items can go for approximately $40-$50/weekly.
What to expect
Overall, expect a good time in this city!
Study, but also take chances on new people, explore new neighbourhoods, and dive head first into the Melburnian lifestyle that is footy talk and Vegemite toast brekkies.
I’ve made some amazing friends here and am already falling into a Melbourne-induced nostalgia as I get ready to graduate and head back to New York.
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