City life has surprising upsides

City life has surprising upsides

Here is what Chris Murphy has to say about his relocation to the city.   (Chris is a new Residents 3000 committee member.)

“After almost 40 years of commuting into the CBD for study and work, my wife and I took the plunge and moved into the Melbourne CBD. Our children had all grown up and started their own life journeys and it was time for us to enjoy some ‘me’ time. And mostly, our change produced few surprises.”

“Living in the epicentre of Victoria’s economic, social, cultural and sporting activities was as exciting as we imagined. Great food and coffee on our doorstep, theatre and sports options that are unrivalled on the world stage. The Queen Victoria Market offered us unlimited spoils for food, and perhaps most enviable in this day and age, was the complete elimination of the daily commute and sitting in never-ending traffic.”

“And the several downsides were also hardly surprising. The noise of garbage trucks plying the city at night, the boisterous and noisy restaurant and nightclub patrons spilling out onto the street, the difficulty in finding parking for our visitors and almost impossibility of getting tradesmen to quote for work – let alone undertake it.”

“But overall, as we expected, the upsides of city living well exceeded the downsides. What was so surprising was how supportive and vibrant the community of Melbourne is. Rather than being a soul-less concrete canyon, the city we found was more like a country town than a giant metropolis. Neighbours stopped to say hello, shopkeepers remembered you and your favourite order and restaurants were more like a home kitchen than a commercial business.”

“In part, I know this sense of community is built on the attitude we bring. When you stop to say hello, people say hello back. When you share a little story about yourself, you get a story back.

Just a simple nod in an elevator can break the ice and lead to great discoveries. There are now over 30,000 residents in postcode 3000 and its near surrounds. And if you reach out to them as neighbours and fellow community members you may be surprised by the response.”

“If like many of us you are afraid of taking that first step, then consider joining Residents 3000. Here you will meet other residents who can share their experiences and discoveries. From the simple to the obscure, from where to find a good tradesman or service to how to navigate the bureaucracy that governs so much of our city lives, someone will have the answer.”

Residents 3000 holds a forum on the first Thursday evening of each month at the Kelvin Club where you can be informed about crucial issues for CBD residents and perhaps more importantly meet other residents and start to join a community that will make living in the city even more rewarding than you expected.

Events are published on the Residents 3000 web site:  www.residents3000.com.au. 

Our first two events have been confirmed.

February 7 at 6pm – An interesting update on the grand Metro Tunnel project.

March 7 at 6pm – Meet and discuss with our parliamentarians – Fiona Patten MLC and Ellen Sandell MLA.

Members and guests are welcome.  If you are not sure whether Residents 3000 is for you, just come along as a guest for a few times to try us out!

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