Gonzo

Hi All

I've recently arrived in New Zealand after gaining residency on the coat-tails of my girlfriend, Jess, who is a teacher. We're both in our early-mid 30's, no kids. We've rented a flat in CBD but it doesn't have a car park. But it does have amazing views of the harbour and there is everything that comes with living in the city centre also. Car parking around here costs about $70/week, which stretches our budget too far.

We moved here to enjoy a life-style change which would allow us to do things after work and weekends. Our dilemma at the moment is stay central and use public transport or move out to the suburbs and get a car.

Does anyone have any views on whether living downtown or in the suburbs offers the better lifestyle?

Thanks

Nick

Tooanfrom

Gonzo--CBD has all the bells and whistles all available on foot--if you are working there-GREAT! If you move out to the 'burbs Public Transport will have you slashing your wrists--driving a car into Auckland from any compass point, will get you admitted to a psych ward.

Should you decide to drive you will meet a new phenomena--the New Zealand driver.This is a whole new topic-and would require seventy squillion pages
Ideally you should live in close proximity to job and walk--have car to explore NZ(hire?)-but welcome to Aotearoa anyway

Gonzo

Thanks Tooanfrom

Have tried public transport ... It requires great patience and a lot of spare time. Have also tried driving. Didn't find it too bad but it is true that I haven't experienced rush hour, and I have heard really bad things about it.

My partner works in Glen Eden so she is pushing for moving out to around Titirangi where I have heard the traffic into town is really bad.

I guess my question is, ignoring commuting issues, is the best Auckland has to offer in town, or are the beaches, watersports, outdoor activities, etc outside of Auckland centre such a plus that it makes a car pretty much essential? I have only seen three beaches so far:

Piha - very nice to look at, but not so good if you are not a surfer
Mission Bay - Better for dipping, but small and off a busy road.
Cheltenham Beach (nr Devonport) - Nice enough, but you have to walk 100 yards out to sea to get waist deep in water.

I digress, but ... are there any archetypal beaches in Auckland? I'm thinking golden sand, being able to see the whites of shore-dwellers' eyes whilst being 2m deep in water, maybe even a beach-bar? Those I've seen so far don't even seem to attract very many Aucklanders unless there's some form of water-sport (except swimming) involved. I realise that there is an Ozone issue, so I'm talking about somewhere nice to relax and unwind rather than getting a tan, but so far I've been in NZ for one month (1st half travelling) and the only occasion I've had to take my shirt off was when we were walking in Abel Tasman National Park and it rained so hard that I was forced to wring it dry on a couple of occasions.

mazi

Er...no. Sorry.

Gonzo

Any champions for Auckland Suburbs out there? Going once, going twice ...

Beachcombers

We lived in Devonport for over two years and whilst we had a tough time in Auckland, we loved living there, esp during the summer.

Had a crap day at the office? Go down to the beach with a couple of cold ones and watch the world go buy.

Swimming at low tide can be done at Narrow Neck beach, around the bottom of North Head, St Leonards beach or Takapuna beach.

Easy commute to the CBD, just take the ferry. We had a two bed flat, overlooking the harbour $250/w.

Jude J

Well I guess I'm one, but I'm in a completely different situation to you! I am older (I presume!) and have a family so living in the suburbs suits me just fine and I love it, but if I were single or just the two of us I think maybe I could live in the city.
I have a good friend that has just got himself an appartment in the city after living in the suburbs and he is happy as he can now walk to work.

As for the beaches, well, I go probably once a day with my toddler who loves it. Being a safe beach for kids swimming is a plus for me but if you prefer the deeply shelving shores I dont think you will find them on this part of the coast. After almost drowning in Spain I dont really like being out of my depth but I have found myself panicking a bit when swimming off Rothesay Bay beach when the tide was out as I suddenly couldn't reach the bottom
Have you spent any time looking around the suburbs? Titirangi is lovely but I have only been on a weekend, it is very popular and busy, most times I have had to abandon my ideas to stop for a coffee due to having no-where to park.

I think having a car is essential though for exploring the place.

Tooanfrom

Where we live we have beaches for Africa--no work available(except retail and the building game)
Ferry goes over to CBD from Gulf Harbour--we have a nice village atmosphere,Manly.

House prices have gone from "arm and leg" to "first born child" all in a very short time--we have a house and land that would cost aprox -2 mil British pounds-sea views from front and back of property, so what? If we sell, where do we go ? To old to start chasing the dream again!

Living in the centre of Auckland is like living in London but with water views-personally I came here to get away from the concrete canyons.

All boils down to "What do you want out of Life?"

Personally I will settle for a 18yr old nymphomaniac billionairess who owns a brewery

mazi

Not really...in fact, not at all. Besides, what's the Thames if not water?! (Albeit brown/grey/scary.)

dlmckay

Parking in the CBD varies considerably. I lease a 24/7 secure carpark near K Road for $140 a month...

Commuter hell? Well, it's not so bad I guess. I leave Massey, West Auckland (distance of 17km) at 7.30am after dropping off kids at daycare and expect to be at work on Vincent Street (uptown) by 8.15am. This doesn't happen everyday, in fact, today it took me until 8.45 to arrive due an accident that everyone has to stop and gawk at.

I leave at 4.45pm to be back at the daycentre for 5.30pm when it closes...

I would imagine that a commute between Titirangi and Glen Eden isn't going to be that much of a heart ache.

Beach bars... :ROFL:

JakeG

Kohi (Kohimarama) is 10 minutes walk west out of Mission Bay along Tamaki Drive, St Heliers another 10 minutes walk. Kohi has an nice beach (recently overhauled with lots of new sand - the same things is being done at St Heliers) and a family atmosphere, cafes etc as does St Heliers.

$350/week will see you with a 2 bed flat a few mins walk to the beachin Kohi with Mission Bay just up the road for nightlife but you can leave it behind when you go home. The Stagecoach bus stops on Tamaki Drive just near the shops in Kohi and takes about 20 mins (no traffic) to 40mins+ (bad traffic) to get you into the CBD, normally reliable (if I remember rightly about $2 single into town).

There's always Waiheke Island 35-40 mins on ferry...........

JakeG

.........I've got a new ambition!

jueinnz

Reading your origional post, my question would be...do you want to live in an appartment or an house???
If appartments are ok then stay there, but don't you want a garden? a deck? to entertain outside? and an opportunity to move around the house as the sun moves? Not stuck just on a pocky balcony??? (I am assuming here that you don't rent a $2mill penthouse which may have those benifits!!!)
Don't mean to offend anyone that lives in an appartment... but hey...

Tooanfrom

Of course if you are not that fussy, there is always Lake Pooiponga alongside the motorway at Rosedale

jueinnz

[QUOTE=dlmckay;4377612

I would imagine that a commute between Titirangi and Glen Eden isn't going to be that much of a heart ache.

Beach bars... :ROFL:[/QUOTE]

To commute between Titirangi and the city would be a nightmare!! used to take me an hour to get to St lukes some mornings!! Remeber you have to go though Avondale and New Lynnor Waterview and its slow!!!! Thats one of the reasons we moved!!