30 Things You’ll Miss When You Move Away From Brisbane

Have you noticed? Noticed the fact that every second person seems to be skipping town in favour of our metropolitan counterparts like London, Vancouver, Singapore, and even Melbourne? I can understand the appeal of moving to 'the big smoke' (who doesn’t love exploring a new city?!) but what things do you leave behind when you pack your bags and say goodbye to the brown snake city?

Here are a few of our favourite things about Brisbane that we would miss if we ever had to leave the world's (real) most liveable city.

1. Walking the corridors of GoMA and pretending to understand modern art, but mostly just getting excited about the children’s exhibit.
2. Bumping into friends every time you step out your front door because in some respects Brisbane is still a small town (although this can be both a blessing and a curse…).
3. All the incredible beaches in our little corner of the world (including a couple of secret ones).
4. Sunday sessions at Riverbar and Kitchen whilst you take in the scenic Story Bridge and Brisbane River. I bet you'll never find another river so brown!
5. Warm winters—because cold weather is seriously overrated.
6. Meeting a complete stranger and realising you have 13 mutual friends and frequent the same cafe. You obviously went to the same school, too. #brislyfe
7. Sunset BBQ’s atop the Kangaroo Point Cliffs.
8. Grabbing your morning coffee from your local café where they know your name, the staff are friendly, and the coffee is as good as gold.
9. Hitting up Heya Bar, Cloudland or Alfred & Constance on a Saturday night (or all three!). 
10. The oodles of waterfalls and beautiful hikes available on a clear day.
11. New Farm Park. If you haven’t enjoyed an afternoon in this gorgeous spot with cricket, a BBQ, and a picnic mat than I recommend you amend that ASAP.
12. Trivia at The Brightside. Where else can you show off your Seinfeld, Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, Rick & Morty, Buffy and Lord Of The Rings trivia chops?!
13. Our incredible selection of rooftop bars. Brisbane's cityscape is best enjoyed 19 floors up with a bottle of champers. 
14. The sunflower fields that bloom every summer along The Sunflower Route. 
15. That tangible thrill when a new retailer (that’s been in every other metropolitan centre for years) finally opens in town. We're looking at you, Sephora!
16. Snakes, koalas, kookaburras, ‘roos, and Ibis' all in your backyard.
17. Day-tripping to Sirromet Winery and emerging from their cellar with another few bottles for your home wine collection. 
18. The luxe boutiques lining the leafy-green footpaths of James Street.
19. The entirety of Sunnybank, which offers an absolute smorgasbord of Asian eats.
20. The Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art. Long has JWC thrilled us with cabaret, comedic, vaudeville and burlesque acts!
21. Popping into the charming (and refreshing) Spring Hill Baths on the hottest day of summer.
22. Cruising the Brisbane River on the CityCat is a surprisingly pleasant way to pass the afternoon on a clear day.
23. How it’s totally acceptable to wear thongs everywhere.
24. The eyesore that is the Brisbane Skyneedle. It’s a hideous landmark, but it’s OUR hideous landmark.
25. Brisbane cooks up some of Australia’s best Asian-fusion dining.
26. The Brisbane Broncos / Brisbane Roar / Queensland Firebirds… whichever you’re into.
27. The Brisbane Powerhouse and their eclectic selection of performances and Saturday farmers market.
28. Traffic isn’t great in any major city, but ours is nowhere near as bad as Sydney. Glorious.
29. The Brisbane Comedy Festival, because where else will you find the Brisbane Comedy Festival? Nowhere!
30. The jacarandas that bloom every September and paint our city a beautiful shade of purple. Bliss.

Are you a true Brisbanite? Check out 52 Things Every Brisbanite Has Said At Some Point!