TysonL

Despite having a high youth population, plenty of schools and a university, Toowoomba is a relatively inactive and dull place lacking in anything valuable or meaningful for anyone in the age 5-55 age bracket.

The majority of things to do here are only tailored to specific groups and demographics, and not to people in general.

Fortunately, most of the population does consist of these groups and demographics, but for anyone who doesn't quite fit into the mold, you'll be bored stiff.

Firstly, I will get the (very few) positives out of the way:

General: Positives:

- Fairly beautiful and decent parks.
- Downtown looks quite nice in some areas.
- Has all the necessities.
- Frequent town events.

Specific: Positives:

- There is more churches than schools, an indication of just how conservative this place is. So if you're Christian or Catholic and nothing else, this is religion-central.
- It's a nice little place good for retirees.
- There's plenty of family-friendly parks and events. However, most of the kid's events are things no child older than 5 would enjoy.
- Some of the schools are average/decent.
- For a pub-goer, there's quite a few downtown.
- Good for farmers, gardeners.
- Cobb and Co. Museum for history fanatics.

Now, for the cons.

Negatives:

- There is no religious diversity, and certain groups such as the Sudanese have recieved a lot of discrimination here.
- Bad Traffic.
- Noise pollution, as a main highway runs straight through town, and we're at a halfway point from the darling downs region to Brisbane, meaning we get all the big loud riggers and trucks passing through here, and sports car speeders. Lots of loud factories even on the outskirts. There isn't too many quieter, peaceful neighborhoods, except maybe Glenvale.
- Most of the yearly-events suck. Most are for children no older than 5. The carnival of flowers is nice, but the sideshow isn't in recent years. Easterfest has been discontinued. Everything else appeals to the religious, gardeners, farmers, or the faint-hearted who don't enjoy surprises or anything out-of-the-norm to what they've been experiencing in toowoomba for the last 3 decades they've lived there and like peaceful little picnic events.
- There is no culture, art, museums, etc. The Cobb and Co. Museum is dusty and consists of nothing more than 17th century horse carts and carriages. The Theatre almost never has anything interesting on, except for the lucky regional touring act. There's some nifty little street art.
- Music? Haha. The only music is pop rock and indie rock played at the bars, or classic '70s rock/country.
- There is no nightlife, save for one seedy nightclub.
- Not good for meeting new people, as there's not many singles.
- The school's are quite bad. Wilsonton State School is heavy in bullying and other issues.
- There is a high crime rate, but the media covers it up to make this place look more 'family-friendly', even though some of the parks have broken beer bottles and syringes.
- We have some very bad neighborhoods, such as Rockville and Wilsonton.
- There's no decent swimming pools. Very poorly maintained and unhygienic.
- The weather is awful.
- Housing is over-priced.
- Brisbane is too far, and the only way down is the range, an accident-prone area. The highway from Toowoomba to Brisbane is riddled with poor drivers, roadworks, poor weather conditions.
- Toowoomba's drivers are awful.
- Most people are unfriendly, rude and will give you death glares just for walking to the shop with friends/family. It's heightened my social anxiety disorder to the point I cannot leave the house alone for fear of being targeted.
- It's dangerous for women, children, and even myself, a young man of decent health/fitness.
- The mail/postal is slow. I've gotten letters dated three weeks ago. Urgent ones.
- Police are corrupt.
- Hospital is understaffed, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, etc. are mostly incompetent.
- Sexist, racist, homophobic, but worst of all, HYPOCRITICAL. Acts like this conservative, peaceful, family-friendly little town when fact of the matter is, it is very wicked and decrepit. There was an uproar when the strip club opened - "How dare they ruin the family-friendly values of this wonderful little town" lol as if it wasn't already pretty sinister here enough.

So, if you're a 40 year old gardener, farmer, conservative christian with a wife and two kids, who enjoys a small place with nothing new or interesting to offer but a nice little content place that won't surprise your sensitive little heart with big or dramatic changes (except for the one strip club, which made a public uproar even though, because of our high crime and youth rate, its not like we're as traditional as we appear anyway - toowoomba also a very hypocritical place), and enjoy nice little picnics at a park despite the noisy traffic, gospel/religious-catered events completely family-friendly and appropriate, and can overlook/don't care about all the negatives - you have found your new home.

Toowoomba is a city high in young population, but with the traditionalists in power. Liberals or just someone with a slightly more artistic or progressive mindset in general best avoid this hellhole like the plague.