Hamilton for young couples, no kids

[KerryL]

Does anyone know the best suburbs for young professional couples with no kids in Hamilton? We would like somewhere within walking distance of the city centre to rent, houses with gardens and parking.

[Catz150]

Hi guys, I live in Tauranga about an hour from Hamilton and in the job that I do know Hamilton pretty well.

I would recommend the south part of Hamilton - any area around Hamilton Lake, Hamilton East or the hospital is good - also Dinsdale and Frankton.

Hope that helps

[MLVB]

I'm in a very modern two-bedroom apartment in Frankton. I love it here as its so close and handy for most things. The lake is just at the bottom of Lake Road(!), town is a short walk, supermarkets (Countdown and Pak n Save) are about 800m away and work (Waikato Hospital) is just a 5 minute drive. No garden though!

[KerryL]

Thanks guys! Sorry for the late reply, this website doesn't alert you when you have replies so I didn't know I had any!

[Ansistent]

I wouldn't say any area around Hamilton Lake (in the southern part of town) is good. Bader and Melville, as well as large parts of Frankton and Dinsdale are far from good, not to mention they are too far away to reliably walk to the city centre anyways. The best areas near the city centre would be the Hamilton Central/Hamilton Lake areas, as well as possibly Beerescourt and certain streets in Hamilton East (in particular, the ones by the river). Hamilton tends to get better the further from the CBD and the Frankton industrial area you get (for the most part, with a few exceptions) so the best suburbs tend to have the longest commutes in.

You can get really good houses out in the Rototuna/Huntingdon/Flagstaff/Chedworth/Chartwell/Queenwood areas, with good sized sections (with gardens) and plenty of parks and green space, etc. whilst still being not too far from the CBD (by car, at least) if you need to travel in. Hope this helps

[Hagabel]

I agree with the last poster. I work at Ham hospital and trust me around Melville, Bader etc not where you want to live, nor Fairfield.

[Asteger]

I might end up at the univ in Hamilton next year, but would be with my preschooler and wife, so not a 'young couple' in our case.

Just curious, for the neighbourhoods that aren't 'good' why are they seen that way? Also, how much flexibility would you have in choosing your location if you can only go for low rents? Ie. is it only in some neighbourhoods that lower-cost places can be found?

Can one survive on public transport in Ham?

Thanks for any tips

[Ansistent]

Hi Asteger,

The "bad" suburbs in New Zealand are normally due to socio-economic factors, and housing quality etc. There are areas in Hamilton, Bader and Melville being two of them, that have lower socio-economic status (which means high rankings in socioeconomic deprivation), as well as large state housing areas and high density poor flat-type housing, which generally attracts the type of tenants you would not want as neighbours if you can help it. Gang presence and high crime rates are generally the norm as well, not to mention a more multi-cultural mix of people (in particular, Maori and Pacific Islanders) generally congregate in these areas.

There are multiple websites (http://www.trademe.co.nz/property and http://www.realestate.co.nz/rental/search/districts/237 are some of the most notable) that have a range of rental options and prices around New Zealand to give you an idea of prices in different suburbs etc. Most suburbs in Hamilton do have houses available on a lower budget, but they may be hard to come by in the better suburbs.

To get an idea of public transport in Hamilton. http://www.busit.co.nz/hamilton-routes/ shows the different routes and timetables etc. Buses are the only public transport option in Hamilton, however they seem to be pretty frequent and wide reaching across the city. The city is very easy to drive around in a car as well if that's your thing too.

If you need any more help or have any questions, feel free to ask. We're happy to help.
Ansistent

[Elliana]

I agree with Ansistent re: the distribution of good/bad neighbourhoods. The neighbourhoods that aren't good aren't just 'seen that way', they actually have a higher rate of street crime. If you hang around for a few hours, you'll see gangs and other questionable characters around.

Kerry: If you're still looking, the only decent areas within walking distance of the city centre (besides the city centre itself) is Beerescourt and part of Hamilton East. The city centre itself isn't too bad to live in if you have no kids and know which streets to go for (towards the northeast is better). Most houses in Hamilton come with parking, I have yet to encounter one that does not.

That being said... honestly, it may be counterintuitive but the 'city centre' of Hamilton is not like the 'centre' of other cities. It's rather small, and there are many abandoned shop lots. Some people actually prefer Te Awa (The Base) shopping mall for entertainment/shopping, which is in Te Rapa to the north.

[Elliana]

Ie. is it only in some neighbourhoods that lower-cost places can be found?

Unfortunately yes, unless you have a lot of time to follow the listings and snatch up a bargain.

Can one survive on public transport in Ham?

Depends on where you live and where you need to get to. Buses are 15-30 minutes apart in most central locations (less frequent the further you get from the centre), and there are no 'Orbiters' like in Auckland or Chch so if you're north of the city and need to go east, you'll need to take 2 buses.