Adelaide: right at home in Australia's 'invisible' city

[claybro]

Have to agree with your sentiments re Ballarat. You could take a page straight from "Home Beutiful 1925" and that is the inner suburbs of Ballarat. The city centre equally as beutiful. Bendigo is also a beutiful town. I think Adelaide should be so much more though. A country town we are not. And so much of Adelaide is under developed. I mean the wasteland of old warehouses and carparking sheds in the SW area. The dry dusty paddocks that are the parklands north of North Adelaide.The suburban bland of most of Adelaide's coast. Also your mention of the Port River Expy and overtaking lanes in Barossa???, hardly mind blowing infastructure.. Adelaide is so pleasant comfortable and familiar, but so is visiting my nanas house, and I cant stay there longer than a few hours. If what we have in Adelaide is so desireable, then younger residents would not be leaving in their droves, and we would not have by far the lowest international visitors of any of the mainland cities. These are issues that cost us dearly in job creation and opportunity, so we should not be so willing to accept mediocrity.

[Goya's Line]

I can't defend those parts of the city, especially the CBD areas which look so neglected. My bus approaches Currie Street from West Terrace and every trip I think we're losing an opportunity for some kind of architectural statement; the views are great north of Wright Street, the only buildings worth saving are St. Mary's College/3 bluestone cottages and organic architecture (in the vein of NOX and Hundertwasser) would be perfect.

My point about the Port Expressway and Barossa was a response to how little you thought of Barossa roads. Having travelled that stretch of road hundreds of times the improvements are obvious and convenience for tourists is often what you don't experience - congestion and poor road surface.

I'm assuming you qualify as a young resident so frustration with Adelaide is probably fair enough. I moved here in '92 (aged 17) and we had a decade of great music before the pokies took hold of venues. I still look at Adelaide with slightly scratched rose-tinted glasses, especially increased crowds at almost all of our festivals and sporting fixtures. Having worked at the Art Gallery SA Bookshop we had a good number of tourists (of all ages) impressed with the collection and the city as a whole. Sometimes quaint makes as much of an impression as sexy.

[claybro]

I'm assuming you qualify as a young resident so frustration with Adelaide is probably fair enough. I moved here in '92 (aged 17) and we had a decade of great music before the pokies took hold of venues. I still look at Adelaide with slightly scratched rose-tinted glasses, especially increased crowds at almost all of our festivals and sporting fixtures. Having worked at the Art Gallery SA Bookshop we had a good number of tourists (of all ages) impressed with the collection and the city as a whole. Sometimes quaint makes as much of an impression as sexy.

I do come across as harsh of Adelaide at times, but it is only from the frustration of the unrealised potential here, and the small thinking of some. I agree those that come here find the place charming, and picturesque. However charming and quaint only attracts a certain type of tourist/immigrant.Those looking for a quiet time do not tend to spend up big. It is why we only attract a low percentage of international and interstate tourists.
Have to agree the 80's -90's were great times.

[Goya's Line]

I think everyone on this site has been justifiably frustrated with Adelaide developments at some stage. Three shelved projects on West Terrace alone drives me nuts - apparently weed-ridden caryards are a better entry statement from the airport.

Part of our image problem not mentioned in the article is that Sydney and Melbourne are broadcast centres and arbiters of taste/opinion. We can host great events and pass ground-breaking legislation but it's up to their press to report it. Easy to say, but perhaps we should look at more of this international coverage where available?

I mentioned Billy Connolly a few months ago being a big Adelaide fan and there are others; Craig Ferguson on his chat show, Neko Case makes a point of touring here (+ loves our Museum), Kelly Preston studied here, Maria Bamford and Matt 'Super Hans' King lived here, Maynard James Keenan loves our wineries, John Stanier lived here for The Mark of Cain, and there's the obvious Ben Folds residency. Apparently Pearl Jam would shoot pool at Glenelg, John Astin caught the tram into the CBD for his fringe play every night and Adelaide (was?) the last BDO city to have a signing tent, given how laid-back we apparently are. If we can't shake the quiet tag maybe we should use these examples to work with it and add some genuine 'laid-back' celebrity endorsements?

Good to read your youth wasn't wasted.

[monotonehell]

I had a giggle at a friend from Darwin's comment after spending a few days in Sydney on leave. He asked Sydney to "knock down all the rusty warehouses". Wasn't that same point levelled at Adelaide recently?

[Goya's Line]

About a decade ago a developer had plans to build generic warehouses in Adelaide to cash in on the conversion craze - meanwhile warehouses were sitting empty in the CBD. Reminds me of the push for Melbourne-style laneways when we have several in good shape (minus liquor licences).