Cameron Golden, Global Business Institute: Sydney Spring 2025
We live in a suburb of Sydney called Zetland at a hotel and a residential chain called Meriton. I have three other roommates, one of whom I knew before at Pitt, and the other two from other colleges around the U.S. My roommates and I get along very well, and we’re fast friends.
Zetland is a very interesting neighborhood because it has changed a lot over the past decade. From what I’ve heard from some professors, the area was redone over the past few years, and it used to not be as safe. A funny thing about the suburb is that a lot of people who grew up in Sydney said they do not know where I am talking about when I say I live in Zetland. The neighborhood is mostly just apartments, and we have a small shopping center down the street.
One of my favorite things about our neighborhood is Green Square Library, which is right by the train station. I go there to do a lot of my studying, and eventually I got a library card so I could borrow books. I loved how the amenities are free, and it is a safe space to be productive. The staff is also very nice, so it feels very homely to be there.
One of the challenges I have in Zetland is how far it is from Haymarket and the beach it is. However, a lot of people do live far from these things in Sydney because the real estate is so expensive.
The Meriton itself is very enjoyable, and the staff are super nice as well. There are permanent apartments next door to the hotel part that we live in, and the community is very quiet and chill. I don’t see as many people as I expected when I’m walking around the area, and I think that’s just because of the population difference between the United States and Australia. Overall, everyone I know in the program was pleased with where our home base was set.
Leave a Reply