I've been in Sydney the last few days. My 5th trip there this year, having not been there for several years previous.
My previous trips this year have all been measured in hours rather than days, however this time around I was there from Tuesday through Saturday, so it felt like a more substantial visit even if I did spend 90% of it in my hotel/conference venue.
I don't dislike Sydney - both my Dad and my brother lived there for some time though both gratefully returned to Melbourne - but I really wouldn't want to live there. And not just because of a humidity (thank goodness for air-conditioned hotel rooms).
So, I am firmly in the Melbourne camp in the Sydney-Melbourne debate.
I have, however, decided that there are three things Sydney definitely does better than Melbourne. In order of importance:
1. the David Jones shoe department. I have hopes this may change with the Melb DJs reno, but really the whole floor Sydney department leaves Melbourne's for dead, and always has even before Melbourne's got squashed into a corner during the re-build. Which is probably good for my wallet.
2. the Taxis. Not the service, necessarily - finding a taxi on a hot Friday afternoon with the threat of a storm is just as impossible as in Melbourne and had me very glad I wasn't trying to get to the airport like many of my colleagues - but the cars. They all seem to be big air-conditioned, nicely detailed cars or brand new hybrids. No crummy old Falcons with door handles that come off in my hand when I close the door.
3. the View. Especially driving over the Bridge in the back of a large, leather-seated, air-conditioned, neat and clean taxi.