Is Brisbane boring? Here’s what we found

You may have heard that Brisbane is a boring city, with nothing much to do and see. Well, we decided to investigate.

It probably isn’t new but whenever someone mentions the city of Brisbane, it’s often associated with passing remarks like “oh, it’s so boring” or something like “I prefer Melbourne”.

There’ll always be a comparison between the various Australian cities but when it comes to stereotypical perceptions of Brisbane, it is something that has stuck – like an old gum underneath a plastic seat in an AFL stadium.

While cities like Sydney and Melbourne continue to share the limelight when it comes to having a bustling cityscape, Brisbane reinvents itself by letting its iconic river guide its progress.

More than just a medium for public transport (the CityCat ferry), the Brisbane river has become an integral fabric of the city’s allure, a vital cog in the city’s fast-moving machinery.

Over the years, aspects like restaurants, sidewalks and bikeways have been created and placed alongside the river, with the latter adding natural gloss to these manmade creations.

One can even go as far as to say that Brisbane’s thriving list of activities are built around the snaking currents, giving the city an identity that no other can forge.

Feeling bored in the city is a perception that will brew if you don’t know where to look. And it’s not a surprise that those who enjoy Brisbane has probably uncovered the secret to the city’s charm – an almost laissez faire way of living, of having the choice to either go full-steam or to crank it down a notch.

For those who need a dose of sunshine and fresh air, Sunshine Coast or the Gold Coast would be ideal hotspots. Otherwise, various scenes have bubbled, like hidden hipster laneways that lead to speakeasy pubs and cafes, restaurants that offer myriad cuisines, as well as the arts where Broadway and renowned shows offer a cultural edge.

South Bank, where it once used to stir from the mockery of having “fake beaches”, is now a marvellous sphere of classy restaurants, artsy cafes, indie markets and yes, the manmade beaches.

While the beaches offer a swift respite from the summer heat as well as a needed switch from city to sand, they have become symbolic of the progress that Brisbane has made, of having grasped the success of city planning, of putting the scoffs back into the mouths of those who uttered them.

The tripartite impact made by the city’s universities hasn’t gone unnoticed either. The likes of Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and the University of Queensland have continued to ensure that higher education needs of students, both local and international, are met.

As such, these factors have contrived to pull in international students from all over the world, who themselves become entwined in the Brissy way of life.

Brisbane, as a city, does not seem to be keen on being “the best”. Instead, it feels like it’s only seeking to evolve and nurture – not the city itself – but the people who live within.