Ian Smith: It's a shame Adelaide is crumbling.

[Isiskii]

Meh, good riddance then.

[Benski81]

I read this article when it was originally published and sadly agreed with all of it. At the risk of being labelled a "troll" (which I have been unfairly accused of before and is a term thrown around on here a little too liberally for my liking), this article is spot on. Will's initial response was not a response at all but a reaction. No one outside of SA even knows Carnegie Mellon, etc have a presence here in Australia and their presence is mighty small in reality. A few rooms in the Torrens Building basically. Adelaide is NOT a university town. That is Rann spin; believe it if you want but it's not true. It has some universities, that is all. So does everywhere else.

It's the same as the "Arts Capital of Australia" tag tried out a few years back. Nice thing to aspire to, but complete bullshit. Christ, does anyone realise that Adelaide (with Canberra in Aust. of all places) is known as one of the glass-blowing centres of the world? Of course you don't. The Jam Factory is Don Dunstan's last remaining intact legacy and no one gives a shit. Typical, you see. Not capitalised upon in the slightest.

And yes to everything that people have defended that have been positive developments in Adelaide in the last few years, however all of these things are de rigueur in other Australian cities and have been for years (and if you're comparing Adelaide with Perth re. trading hours, you're showing a very weak hand). Adelaide is waking up after fifteen to twenty years of coma, that is all. There is a LOT of work to be done. Soem of the claims in this thread read like a country town! "We got Coles!!!!"

Just to clarify, I left Adelaide for Melbourne about two years ago and seriously, if you see me back there again, you know I f*cked up bad. I remember when I announced the move on here, I was greeted with "the grass is always greener on the other side... until you get there". Well, I'm here, it's been a while and the grass is still a deeply verdent hue. I was also accused of not getting the most out of the place. A hearty fuck you on that front. Worked in the arts and if you know who I am, you'll realise I was VERY active in investing my time in trying to make Adelaide awesome in my sphere of influence. Ultimately a brick wall came my way there, which I banged my head against for as long as I could. After a while you feel like a f*ckwit doing that.

I love Adelaide (born and bred in Kapunda, whose reputation is now being actively besmirched by The Bog Roll for future investment and sixteen years in the city), however having been away long enough now, I can get the national perspective. Which is exactly what Smith is outlining here, you must understand. Whilst I'll defend mindless Adelaide-bashing with a kick to the head, there are many things now I can't defend as a former resident. And he is correct in saying there is little corporate presence there (Santos HQ [the Brisbane premises are more impressive] and a few branch offices of various things such as SAAB Systems, etc). Smith's summarisation as Adelaide being a liability to SA is completely correct. The two biggest drawcards for tourists in Adelaide are the State Library and the Central Markets. Pretty crap. The awesomeness of SA is outside of Adelaide; the city is simply a gateway to better places as it stands. Or as Barry Humphries put it, "a nice place to have lunch" (he also asked if Athens was the Adelaide of the North... a good thing to ponder).

I appreciate well the verve and passion that people show for Adelaide on here. However I'm afeared that Adelaide is being loved to death. ANY outside comment that is in anyway negative is taken as a personal affront and makes everyone run back to their stoops and pull out a shotgun and cheesecloth. Hardly constructive. Adelaide is not achieving its potential; not on a national level, not on an international level and certainly not on the level of what those who know and cherish it see that it could be. I find it sad and frustrating, but I've left it behind. I'll land at ADL at Christmas, but then hurry off to Kapunda. There's more for me there.

This is my final post on Sensational Adelaide, so abuse me as you will. Remember there is a whole world beyond the Hills and the Coast. I think that's what Adels forgets.

Yeah so I was going to pick this apart bit by bit but then realised I couldn't be bothered. So instead I'll just say isn't it amazing how someone can say so much and yet actually say so little.

What a crap way to go out.

[rubegoldbergdevice]

Yeah so I was going to pick this apart bit by bit but then realised I couldn't be bothered. So instead I'll just say isn't it amazing how someone can say so much and yet actually say so little.

What a crap way to go out.

Oh look, one more post. Because it's funny, I'm bored and I hate you (and I take an active interest in Adelaide and always will. Caveat: I'M DEADLY SERIOUS ABOUT THAT).

This is the cynic's attitude. Lazy. Can't be fucked because he/she is above this kind of thing (read "isn't actually informed and so hides behind dismissiveness"). There is nothing more despicable than a cynic. If I said so little, then why so hard to respond? C'mon. BRING IT ON! Pick the shit out of me. Dot points if you like. Even an Excel spreadsheet would be acceptable. I'm not gonna respond. I'm just interested.

Better way for me to go out than the way you continue. Enjoy your tram.

[jk1237]

Yeah so I was going to pick this apart bit by bit but then realised I couldn't be bothered. So instead I'll just say isn't it amazing how someone can say so much and yet actually say so little.

What a crap way to go out.

Oh look, one more post. Because it's funny, I'm bored and I hate you (and I take an active interest in Adelaide and always will. Caveat: I'M DEADLY SERIOUS ABOUT THAT).

This is the cynic's attitude. Lazy. Can't be fucked because he/she is above this kind of thing (read "isn't actually informed and so hides behind dismissiveness"). There is nothing more despicable than a cynic. If I said so little, then why so hard to respond? C'mon. BRING IT ON! Pick the shit out of me. Dot points if you like. Even an Excel spreadsheet would be acceptable. I'm not gonna respond. I'm just interested.

Better way for me to go out than the way you continue. Enjoy your tram.

what a surprise, did anyone not believe it when he said it was his last post. How old r u? caus your ramblings sound like a 10 year old whiny little shit that wants some chocolate and didnt get some. Grow up. And your post was boring which is why no one really cared

[peas_and_corn]

Wow, a thread about a newspaper article which is little more than a troll attracts another troll.

[bulldog13]

First of all I'm taking this quote out of context if thats ok with you Will

I have issues

Second of all, totally agree with Atd. We're a very well off city compared to europe and America. Every city has their problems.
Brisbane with their decline in civil morality
Perth with their feeling of exclusion from the rest of the country.
Adelaide with our feeling of not moving forward.
Melbourne with their racism.
Sydney with their infrastructure.
Hobart with their NIMBYism (let's face it. Their NIMBY's make ours look like development contractors)

The fact that Adelaide's dealing with its problem proves we're changing for the better.

Yo don't mention Canberra and what "problem/s" we have. I know... everyone hates us, thinks all the money is spent here and that we are just an outer suburb of Sydney (sorry for going off topic)

[iTouch]

Yo don't mention Canberra and what "problem/s" we have. I know... everyone hates us, thinks all the money is spent here and that we are just an outer suburb of Sydney (sorry for going off topic)

I meant capital cities of states. I left out Darwin as well

[Aidan]

Second of all, totally agree with Atd. We're a very well off city compared to europe and America. Every city has their problems.
Brisbane with their decline in civil morality

What exactly has happened in Brisbane?

[bulldog13]

Yo don't mention Canberra and what "problem/s" we have. I know... everyone hates us, thinks all the money is spent here and that we are just an outer suburb of Sydney (sorry for going off topic)

I meant capital cities of states. I left out Darwin as well

True..Canberra is not a capital city of a state... its the capital city of the nation!!