Auckland suburb help

[ColeyNZ]

I know this topic has probably been posted many times before and I have looked through the posts but here is my question anyway.

Some friends of ours from the US have decided to move here from Philadelphia and they need some help trying to locate a good area to raise a family of 2 (8 & 13) while being in a community. They like Coatesville and Paramoremo but unfortunately they cannot afford it here nor did they really like being in such a rural area. They really liked East Auckland (please be gentle, I'm not the greatest with areas and maps), ie Mission Bay and Kohimarama as well as Howick. My question is really are these nice areas to raise a family in? And if so what areas are the nicest ones?

Any help would be really welcomed. They have work lined up in the CBD and their budget is around $600,000 once they sell their home in Upper Merion, Penna. They are going to be staying with us until they get everything settled so its no real rush but I still wanted to reach out to everyone on the board and see what their thoughts were.

Thank you,

Nikki

[ColeyNZ]

Oh and they would like to be near the water but not on the water. They would love to have a nice view of Waiheke island (we took them over to Oneroa and that sealed the deal). Eventually they plan on having a nice little bach there but one step at a time so to speak.

[whiskythedog]

hi-i like the eastern suburbs as well-been here nearly 4 years-i assume the 600,000 is in NZD and not USD-if NZD then will struggle to get a sea view for anything less than $1m in that area-15 minutes walk to beaches/reserve though is in this price range(just) (3 bedroom townhouse) in glendowie (next suburb along ) which has some great schools i hear-st heliers primary/glendowie college-lots of families in this area.Kohimarama is a great place to live but quite expensive especially tamaki drive in the summer-make sure they have a drive a long there

[dharder]

We live in Glendowie (well, technically Glen Innes, but zones for Glendowie schools). Don't know anything about Howick, but think it is quite a different area from Kohimarama/St Heliers and Mission Bay. Seaview with that budget will be a bit of a stretch in the Eastern suburbs if you are in the 'right' school zones as well.

Except for Mission Bay, the Eastern Suburbs are very quiet, lots of schools all somewhat the same. Not sure about Glendowie College, we're not there yet.

Advantage of this area, why I would always pick it over the North Shore, is that I am not dependent on my car to get into town/to work. I cycle or take the bus.

I'd say have a look around, get a feel for the area, look at schools. As far as secondary schools go here, there's Glendowie College and Selwyn College, but I know a lot of people in the area decide to go private after primary (for intermediate and secondary).

Good luck,

Daniela

[Familyofmonkeys]

Advantage of this area, why I would always pick it over the North Shore, is that I am not dependent on my car to get into town/to work. I cycle or take the bus.

I would like to add that a very considerble number of us on the North Shore are also not dependent on a car to get to work. There is an excellent bus link into town (and around the North Shore too), which is pretty cheap, very regular from very early in the morning until the wee hours. Even in peak traffic from right at the top of North Shore (Albany) it only takes 25 minutes and as little as 15 minutes off peak. There is a bus every 4 minutes during rush hour.

[dharder]

I would like to add that a very considerble number of us on the North Shore are also not dependent on a car to get to work. .

Alright, I'll give you the bus. But I raise by a bike or by foot

Daniela

[Janey]

you can certainly get a good house for that budget with seas views up the North shore schools are good too and of course the beaches, we live in torbay and walk reguarly to 3 beaches shops etc, I do drive as I work the other side of the city but OH catche the bus and has no problems, the area is teeming with familes and dogs etc schools do sailing as art of the ciriculum
not bad!

[Dell]

Why not Warkworth? It's about 40 miles north of Auckland and is now part of the 'supercity'. It's a great town (where I grew up). Unless, of course, he will be working in AKL and has to commute. Some of the prettiest bays & beaches are just east of Warkworth.

[whiskythedog]

hi again-i cant speak for north shore-can only base it my own experiences
i used to work on queen st,cbd and lived in st heliers (part of same eastern suburbs area)-no car but had the best commute into work every morning along tamaki drive-too fast!-we got taken around a number of suburbs in out first week but once we had coffee at beachside kohi cafe that was it for me-get me a place round here was the emphatic cry!-there is no substitute for viewing the areas themselves-all i can say that is nz's(and australia) richest man lives in glendowie-cant be that bad...

[BrightonBrowns]

We have just moved to Beachlands which is further away than Howick and there is the ferry from Pine harbour which takes 35 mins. $600,000 will get you a 3 bed house here, on a 1000m plot within a 5 - 10 min walk of the beach but def not sea views, glimpses yes, but view no.

i am guessing that schools will be key as well as access to the CBD, so best advice must be to go & look at the good schools in a couple of these areas, work out the route to the CBD and houses prices and then go from there - its always going to be a compromise. For us, we have traded on house for community and lifestyle, OH does a 1 hr commute, but the kids cycle everywhere, I run along the sea each morning, and we have a lovely community.

I wish them every luck, its such a hard one - we are renting for 1 year just to make sure its for us (but I think it is!)