If you want to live in a big, lively booming city......

[Will]

Just a thought. During the Fringe, the young people of Adelaide find a reson to come into the CBD, but once it ends, they stay home. We have to remember that we are a city of 1.1 million yet from Sunday to Thursday does not feel that way. Why? Because young people say to themselves "town will be dead tonight, why not have a BBQ or stay home instead?"

We have all done this, incluing myself. I wonder what would happen if we had a change of mentallity, and all decided to go to the city instaed of staying home and watching movies or having a BBQ? Maybe if we all went to the CBD we would get the nightlife and vibe we leave the state to get.

It's easy blaming Adelaide, but we have to be more mature and take part of the blame oursleves, because lets face it, us individuals also have a country town mentallity.

[jk1237]

Just a thought. During the Fringe, the young people of Adelaide find a reson to come into the CBD, but once it ends, they stay home. We have to remember that we are a city of 1.1 million yet from Sunday to Thursday does not feel that way. Why? Because young people say to themselves "town will be dead tonight, why not have a BBQ or stay home instead?"

We have all done this, incluing myself. I wonder what would happen if we had a change of mentallity, and all decided to go to the city instaed of staying home and watching movies or having a BBQ? Maybe if we all went to the CBD we would get the nightlife and vibe we leave the state to get.

It's easy blaming Adelaide, but we have to be more mature and take part of the blame oursleves, because lets face it, us individuals also have a country town mentallity.

Exactly Will. I too, would love to live in another city for a year or whatever (either Christchurch, Wellington, or Bangkok), but I like it here. Im just whinging that all my friends interstate and o/s almost think that those left in Adelaide are 'losers', (in a joking sense), and when they come back for a break and I take them to some new bars ie La Boheme etc, they all start saying things like 'wow, I cant believe Adelaide has some places like this'
Some may think living in Adl is boring, but its getting very boring when everyone goes to live in Sydney or London, caus its not like no ones ever done that before

[Norman]

I don't think all of us can afford to eat out every weekend though. Especially with things like Interest Rates and the price of petrol going up, it's not always viable to go to the city except for maybe a few times a year.

Maybe if trains and buses ran more often at night... even during the week.

[monotonehell]

I'm in the CBD most nights. It's not dead, there's people all over, enjoying the restaurants, bars and cafés. Don't know what you guys are on about, even in the dead of winter there's people there.

[Aidan]

I'm in the CBD most nights. It's not dead, there's people all over, enjoying the restaurants, bars and cafés. Don't know what you guys are on about, even in the dead of winter there's people there.

Bits of it are alive, but far too few bits! We have the absurd situation where some of the eateries close at 5pm! If we want to make Adelaide a lively booming city, a good way to start would be to abolish restrictions on trading hours.

[Sonata]

Personally, I don't want a big, lively, booming city. Or yes, I'd move to one. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't want to improve what we have.

[Queen Anne]

Personally, I don't want a big, lively, booming city. Or yes, I'd move to one. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't want to improve what we have.

Hi Sonata,

Your comment is interesting to me because there are often similar views expressed on radio in Adelaide, and on forums like Adelaide Now...and to be honest such comments have caused me concern...

I think we may have a communication problem in Adelaide. For instance I certainly *do* want Adelaide to be lively and booming, - you and I have different views and yet we both seem to love Adelaide, and agree we want to improve the old girl...

I wonder if a part of the problem in Adelaide is that many people have a fairly specific perception of what lively and booming might entail - an Adelaide that has lost its charm and individuality, and has perhaps become a less environmentally liveable place. But it certainly doesn't have to be this way, as many discussions on this site explore.

I would be interested to hear what you mean by not wanting to live in a lively and booming city. Do your concerns revolve more around what might be lost, rather than a simple dislike of substantial change?

Sorry to grill you but I have long wanted to ask this question of someone who expresses the opinion you have shared here.
Cheers, Caroline

[Sonata]

I believe that a city can be lively and booming (which yes, I want) without being... like Sydney, you know? Does that make any sense? I don't want it to be dead and quiet, trust me. I interpreted the original poster's big and booming to be something more like Sydney. Rather than lively and booming, which is different.

[Queen Anne]

Thanks for your reply Sonata.

Living here in America, I have had a bit of a chance to see exactly the kinds of places that I do not want Adelaide to become, so I think I do understand where you are coming from..

I wonder if that's what we need to focus on in our lovely city - we have choices. There's a whole world of ideas out there, some of them very good. We are not limited to copying the mistakes of other places.

Well, even though I'm sure there's more I want to explore about this topic, it's really late here and I am starting to go cross-eyed, so goodnight

[Sonata]

I want interesting things going on, but for it to stay... well. 'Nice'. And I do believe that that balance is possible.

[Cruise]

I interpreted the original poster's big and booming to be something more like Sydney. Rather than lively and booming, which is different.

I do think some people on here want Adelaide to be like Sydney, That's why I started this thread.

[Sonata]

In which case, I sort of agree, they should just move to a city like that. But I also don't want Adelaide to be 'dead'.

[Cruise]

agreed

[Queen Anne]

I kind of agree with you Sonata and Cruise,

Sydney and Los Angeles etc, etc, are already far better at being what they are than Adelaide will ever be - even if we tried (or really wanted to).

But I don't think we can afford to keep saying, "well, those who want big and booming should just move" - as this thread has discussed, they do move, in their thousands! To stop this drain and reach our potential as a city, we really need to actually define what it is we are, rather than just what it is we are not, don't you think? I kind of feel like this is a fundamental step in our development that we are not addressing, somehow, but I can't quite put my finger on what is missing. This question has frustrated me for ages
Cheers, Caroline

[Ho Really]

Is it money, isolation...?

Cheers