I can finally announce the other reason I moved to Newcastle: I won a spot in the City of Newcastle’s New Move program. I’m part of a cohort of 29 other remote workers and entrepreneurs who’ve moved here from across the country and the planet to bring their skills to the city. I was chosen for my skills in my current day job in tech design, as well as my long history of audio-related projects. The program has had somewhat of a soft launch, but I’m grateful to council for choosing me and giving us all an opportunity to network in a town that does have a reputation for being a bit insular.
I had big plans to carve out new routines and host guests over Christmas, but then Newy hosted Australia’s biggest super-spreader event instead and Omicron ruined everyone’s fun. It’s been devastating for small business owners who were expecting big holiday crowds after a tough year, and horrible for health and aged care staff. Despite the region cranking out the most Covid cases of any health district in NSW, the city is now as active as it was when I first moved in October.
We’re renting a new apartment in the historic East End district, which is where I first fell in love with the city. The neighborhood is a short walk from the beach, the harbour and downtown and the housing is a mix of heritage listed terrace houses and modern units. I spend hours every week walking through The Hill1, Cooks Hill and the East End looking at beautiful old buildings and reading the historical plaques that accompany most of them. Your 30s really come at you fast, don’t they? I love the location and I used to think I’d stay in this part of the city forever if a couple of million dollars fell out of the sky, but the current housing options mean the only people who can afford to buy here are very wealthy, very white, moderately old and not particularly friendly2. Maybe in 25 years time I too will be old enough, wealthy enough and grumpy enough to come back here and fit in with the other East Enders.
When asked how the move was going, for the first couple of months my reply was the same: “I love it and don’t regret it, but I miss my friends and Melbourne’s food”.
I moved to Melbourne for its music scene and coffee. I had the palate of a toddler and wasn’t particularly interested in the city’s foodie culture. Spending nearly a decade there changed me, and I knew I’d miss having cheap groceries and 13 different cuisines within a 15 minute walk of my house in Footscray.
However, I left Melbourne determined not to behave like a Melbourne wanker, so L and I hit up local Facebook groups for recommendations. So far we’ve had amazing German, Persian, Thai and Lebanese food. My cousin’s cafe Neighbours and restaurant Basement are our preferred brunch and pizza spots in the CBD and we’ve found favourites for junk food staples. Weirdly, Newy doesn’t have any fish and chip shops near their main beaches, so we’ve had to drive into the burbs or down to Lake Mac for that.
As for the friends, I’m working on it! I’ve moved towns five times before, and I know these things take time. It’s been difficult with the shadow lockdown, but I have faith. L is doing the same thing, and has remarked it is like dating, and it kind of is. If you’re reading this and are in Newy or near Newy, please come say hi!
Fun fact: beloved Australian artist Margaret Olley owned a row of terrace houses in The Hill for 40 years. The rental income from them funded her career. I’ve been taking pictures of all the places she painted in the 1960s - the skyline has changed but the houses remain.
I thought I was a curmudgeonly 30-something until I had to deal with 60-somethings who have never lived in an apartment before and are outraged at having to share elevator, rubbish and car park facilities with others. The body corp meeting minutes make for wild reading.