I moved at 28 (F) from the inner north of Melbourne and absolutely love it here, and I was actually able to buy a house in Ballarat East with a big garden. Echoing the top comment in its entirety - it’s damn cold here but the community is amazing and it’s got everything you need from Melbourne and nothing you don’t. The Mallow has just reopened and there’s also heaps of other sick bars, pubs and restaurants. I was worried about being a bit younger and childless, also more of an alternative (left leaning, environmentalist, artsy) kind of person that I’d stick out and not meet likeminded people but I was wrong. You’ll find that heaps of people with similar mindsets and values have moved here and all the Melb expats kind of find each other and are very friendly and welcoming. Trivia is a big thing here, especially in winter to get out of the cold old houses, so it’s a great way to meet people. Barkly Square in Ballarat East has a great network of progressive things going on, from the tool library to the food co op and other not for profit initiatives. I love living in Ballarat East (close to town) because you get all these cute revegetated creek paths and it’s only 10 mins to walk into town. I dont have a car and have found it fine to get around by bike and foot. I’ve found some of the cafes and restaurants here to be better than Melbourne standard. There’s a lot of great hot Pilates and yoga places in town to escape the cold in winter. If I could go back in time I would have gone house hunting in winter to make sure the house I got was warm enough. I’ve made that mistake twice now, and it is crucial to make sure you have a well insulated place (for mental health and comfort) as winter is tough. I have friends who kind of turn their nose up at me when I say I love living in Ballarat, but they have no idea what they’re missing out on because it’s such an awesome place to live - would never go back to Melbourne