People & Places
Head for the city of Adelaide
Crashing waves, cracking wine, and culture in abundance. Kate Baddeley discovers why the city of Adelaide is a great place to live
According to a worldwide survey carried out by The Economist magazine recently, the city of Adelaide is one of the world's most 'liveable' cities. South Australia's capital was ranked equal fifth in the survey alongside fellow Australian cities Perth and Sydney. Considering it's warm and sunny for most of the year, it's not too hard to see why the city's lifestyle rates so highly.
Boasting golden sandy beaches, the scenic Adelaide Hills, exotic wildlife, over 400 annual festivals and events, and 29 parks, Adelaide city incorporates the best of both worlds – a bustling city centre that sits happily alongside wide open spaces. Adelaide enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world, and is a perfectly sized city with everything within easy reach of the city centre for its one million or so residents. The city is also an arts hotspot with opera, theatre, music and comedy all prevalent there.
Adelaide is also an ideal gateway to the Outback, the dramatic Flinders Ranges, the natural beauty of Kangaroo Island, the River Murray and the many South Australian vineyards that produce some of the world's great wines.
Entertainment
Adelaide is famous for hosting a number of festivals in the city throughout the year. "Adelaide's residents are never short of entertainment options. South Australia is known as the 'Festival State', and the city hosts a range of events and festivals year-round," emphasises Darren Hunter, Adelaide's Tourism Marketing Manager. "Some of the most significant are the biennial Adelaide Festival and Fringe Festival, Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under cycling race, Clipsal 500 Adelaide touring car race, and the WOMADelaide world music festival."
Adelaide is also a sports lover's paradise explains Hunter. "Adelaide city is home to two Australian Rules Football teams – the Adelaide Crows and Port Power – who both play to packed crowds at the 50,000 all-seater AAMI stadium in West Lakes, about 20 minutes from the CBD." The city's hottest zones for nightlife are the pubs, clubs and bars in Rundle Street situated in the east of the city and Hindley Street and Light Square in the west. Throughout the greater Adelaide region, hundreds of pubs and clubs host musicians, bands, comedians and dance bands during the week, including great laid-back sessions on weekend afternoons.
The really big shows come to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and the theatres of the Adelaide Festival Centre. Her Majesty's Theatre, the Adelaide Town Hall and the Lion Arts Centre are used by South Australia's opera, theatre and contemporary dance and touring arts companies.
Wining and dining
Compared with the capital cities found on the eastern coastline, food and wine prices are low. As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay a third less than you would at a restaurant of comparable style in Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne. "Adelaide is believed to have more restaurants per head than any other Australian city. It is also home to some of the country's best restaurants, and most affordable dining," says Hunter, "In the city, Rundle Street, Gouger Street and Hutt Street are all popular dining precincts, with many offering al fresco facilities," he adds.
The good life in Adelaide is driven, to a large degree, by the city's vibrant food and wine culture. Some of Australia's most creative chefs have chosen Adelaide as the place where they can best fire up their pans and present cuisine that embraces every possible origin. And the city's pubs, cafés, bistros and restaurants provide every possible atmosphere in which to eat, from formal to jeans and t-shirt.
Set alongside the Central Market, Gouger Street hosts great seafood and Asian cafés and restaurants. Across the River Torrens in North Adelaide, O'Connell and Melbourne Streets do fine dining and café society side by side.
South Australia is of course well known for its wine and Adelaide is surrounded by an extremely large wine producing region, so you can buy wine readily from any wine bar or bottle shop in and around the city, or alternatively you could visit the wine cellars yourself. You'll come across the first wine cellars within only a 15–30 minute drive from the city, and many offer tours and tasting. Penfolds Magill Estate is the nearest winery nestled in the foothills and is the birthplace of Australia's most famous wine, Grange.
Shopping
Those looking for unique South Australian products should head for Adelaide's Central Market, in the centre of the city square mile, with dozens of fresh food and speciality stalls. Rundle Mall is the retail backbone of Adelaide, with international and national flagship stores, boutiques, specialty shops, cafés, elegant arcades, buskers, flower stalls, sculptures and is open seven days a week. King William Road at Hyde Park is great for fashion and design, while Glen Osmond Road at Eastwood is the centre for seconds and clearance shops. The Parade at Norwood is much loved by locals and visitors.
The lively Jetty Road at Glenelg is a good excuse to mix shopping with a stroll along the beach, while the popular suburban shopping centres at Tea Tree Plaza, West Lakes and Marion have enough shops to browse and things to do to take up a whole day.
Outdoor life
If you are keen to escape the buzz of the city centre the suburbs of Adelaide also enjoy the luxury of being near nature. The natural bushland rubs shoulders with residential areas. These important natural spaces protect vegetation, landscapes, wildlife and birds, as well as provide a wide range of activities and facilities. As Hunter points out, "The Adelaide Hills – home to wildlife sanctuaries and historic villages – is just a short thirty 30 minute drive away. The Murraylands, and the mighty Murray River, is about an hour from the city and a popular spot on weekends for waterskiing and fishing".
Adelaide has more than its' share of great beaches. In fact, 60kilometres of white sandy beachfront makes up Adelaide's metropolitan coast. Great for sailing, diving, swimming or just strolling along the jetties. Hunter continues, "In summer, thousands flock to Adelaide's beaches every weekend. Glenelg is the city's most popular seaside destination, and beaches at Semaphore, West Beach and Brighton are also popular."
So if you want outdoor living but don't want to give up the city life, Adelaide could be your dream come true. It's definitely well worth considering as a new home.
Read articles about other Australian cities:
From Hobart to Launceston
Canberra: A city of surprises
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