Mate, have you heard? Melbourne is the friendliest city
Moving to Melbourne some three years ago, I knew only two people here: Andrei, a friend I met in Manila in 2007, and Josie, a friend I met in Singapore in 2012. Being a single person without a family in a new foreign city can be challenging. But Melbourne showered me with so much kindness from the onset.
During lockdown, I found community with neighbours in my city apartment. When I got COVID, friends came to my aid. Recently, I moved house. Worried I’d have to struggle with carrying boxes alone, my friends showed up to help, and one neighbour even took a day off work to help me move.
Maida Pineda with her dog Spark after moving to Melbourne.
Even community groups on Facebook melt my heart with the generosity, giving away their extra things to their neighbours, from plants to household items.
So when Melbourne ranked the friendliest city in the world, overtaking international destinations such as Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Brussels, Barcelona, London, Copenhagen and New York – and local rival Sydney – I was not one bit surprised.
Having lived in five countries – the Philippines, US, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia – and seven cities, and visited many more as a travel writer, no city has felt more like home than Melbourne.
Two months after moving to Melbourne, I wanted to join a workshop costing several hundred dollars at the Melbourne Convention Centre. They offered two tickets on Instagram. When I didn’t win, the woman who won the tickets sent me a message saying, “I saw you wanted to go. You can have my other ticket.” I was so touched by her kindness.
No city has felt more like home than Melbourne.Credit:Wayne Taylor
On several occasions buying things on Facebook marketplace, when the sellers find out I have no car, they offer to just drop off the item to me instead. Several months ago, my physio told me she grew up in Sydney, but chose to move to Melbourne.
I asked whether it was for work. “No!” She explained, “The people are nicer here.” A friend who worked for a top management consulting company also mentioned how much nicer people are in this city. She said, “They are friendlier and helpful.”
Three years on, I feel like I have been embraced by this city. I get hugs from my yoga teacher. I became friends with local writers who are helpful and supportive.
I’ve engaged in conversations with total strangers who turn out to be accomplished and friendly creatives, including a screenwriter with a TV show on Netflix and a former acrobat with Cirque du Soleil.
While I had been warned about Melbourne’s unpredictable weather, no one warned me about the warmth of Melburnians. Just like the charm of the city’s secret laneways, Melbourne’s friendliness is available for those willing to open their hearts.
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