I partly asked this in the Intros forum, but figured this would be the place to learn more about Dunedin.
I'm a pediatrician and my wife is a history professor- so on the surface Dunedin sounds like a good fit given it's large university and medical school. There is a job that I am applying for in Dunedin, but no opening listed for my wife's field at Otaga. But if we can line up jobs, we are still a bit unsure about whether Dunedin is the right fit for us.
The general region sounds beautiful. Lots of prime outdoor destinations within a short drive and a decent regional airport to explore further afield. But we are not sure Dunedin is the right city for us. We are in our late 30's and have no children. We want a city that is lively, with a good number of cafes and cultural activities- but ones where we will not feel out of place in our early 40's.
We have lived in a University town before (Ann Arbor, Michigan) and appreciated all of the culture and activity that such a town can provide. But there are defined parts of town that are dominated by the students. Fortunately, there are other parts that have both young professionals and older students where we felt more at home. Not sure if Dunedin is similar in that regard
Our main worry that most of the cafes will be dominated by students, and that the professionals closer to our age might all live out in suburbs- that tend not to be great socially for couples without children. We have been drawn to Welly, since you can live within a short walk to town and it seems to have a ton of young professionals in there 30's and 40's who take advantage of the downtown. But we don't want to miss a great opportunity at Dunedin if it is the right fit.
I don't want to close the door on Dunedin, having never been there. So I was hoping some of you might help provide us with a better feel for the town- particular as related to our current situation.