The Aussie Civil War

As the two biggest cities in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne have a certain sibling rivalry. Like all other sibling rivalries, it has elements of envy and competition - you see, Melbourne was the capital before Sydney, and the two have traded places several times in terms of bigger population and business centers. Apparently debates between natives of the city can become quite heated - Lonely Planet cheekily advises that should you get caught in the middle of such argument, you should deflate tensions by asking, "Does Canberra really suck as much as they say it does?"

The current state of affairs really comes down to a choice of personality: Sydney is viewed as a city of materialisism and glamorousness, albeit a hell of a lot of fun. Melbourne, on the other hand, has intellect, culture, and trams. Sydney is the "pretty one" and Melbourne is the "smart one." Which city is "best" really depends on your mood and the kind vibe you're after. While Sydney definitely is stunning and I had a fantastic time there, Melbourne will always be a slight favorite in my heart. (No doubt the opposite would be true had I lived in Sydney.)

"What's the point of this blog?" you are asking yourself if you've gotten this far. Well, it seems that a British scientist has somewhat weighed in on the Melbourne-Sydney debate. Apparently the capitalistic, fitness-obsessed Sydney residents are shallow and unhappy, much more likely to be depressed than residents of Melbourne or Adelaide. Advantage: Smart sibling and her crap weather.

See, smart can be sexy, too!