Wellington area

[gratto]

Whats some of the better areas around Wellington to move to? Looking for something with lowerish rent, and close to shops and such.

[coastcat]

I've been doing a lot of Wellington research, and might have some ideas if you can narrow down what you're looking for.

Are you going to be solo, with a partner, or with children? Do you want a house with a flat yard, a house with little yard, or an apartment? How close to the CBD do you want to be (or should I say, how long a commute will you tolerate)?

[gratto]

Going solo, no children, not picky for a yard and such. Think I would like a house more then an apartment. Looking for something like flatmates type thing so I can save some cash. SOmeplace close to the pubs and entainment and such. Also somewhat close to the city. 10 min drive to work be good. lol

[coastcat]

Hmm. If I were you I'd stay pretty close to central Wellington (to maximize entertainment options). There seems to be a lot of shared housing near the Victoria and Massey campuses (as one would expect). Neighborhoods like Kelburn, Te Aro, Mt. Cook, and Mt. Victoria are a good bet. You could go a little further out to eastern Wellington and seek out places in Seatoun and Haitaitai.

A few handy sites for you:
Flatfinder
NZ Flatmates
Flathunt

[herseymusic]

Gotta keep the Welly thread moving! Only four posts for this wonderful city? That's why it's the best kept secret!

I love Wellington's South Coast...it's a bit further out, but worth it. Still plenty of shops and pubs right nearby.

Island Bay - seaside village, great views of the south island, inexpensive. 10 mins drive or 20 mins bus to the city center.

Houghton Bay is even better. Secluded, funky cove with a curving sandy beach and rocky headlands. Same distance as Island Bay to town.

Roseneath is closer to town (just above Mt Vic), with large beautiful houses usually holding 4-5 people. Great views, but a little more expensive.

Aro Valley is the young and funky habitat close to town. Quite inexpensive and social. Lots of spontaneous parties, performances and gatherings.

Mt Vic is right near Courtenay Place (nightlife central), but is more expensive. Again, large houses holding many people. It's less bohemian than Aro Valley, but still fairly young and energetic.

Brooklyn is a great neighborhood, close to town but a bit of a walk (up a large hill). Many flatting options, quiet, great views. Eclectic, plus it has a bottle store.

Honestly, you can't go wrong. I've lived in seven different neighborhoods in Welly and they have all been different and wonderful. Though I probably wouldn't live in Newtown or Berhampore, but that's just me.

Enjoy the decision!

[SoCal Gal]

Thank you so much for this behind-the-scenes look at the neighborhoods. We bought a small house on the Kapiti Coast, it was very important for my husband's peace of mind to have a place to 'land' and we have friends there, and the house was solid, blah-blah....but I am hoping to work at Victoria and get us back into town and the other house as a rental ASAP!
Thanks again, I loved every second of my visit to Wellington, and it really must be one of the world's best kept secrets. Ssshhh! :cool

[coastcat]

Oh good! I wondered about the commute from Island Bay. Could we survive there with two working adults but just one car?

Are there any other neighbourhoods that should be avoided? I'd already gathered that Newtown was perhaps not the best part of Welly, but didn't know about Berhampore...

And what the heck is a bottle store?

[herseymusic]

Sorry. It's a liquor store. Usually cheaper than the corner stores ("dairys").

I know plenty of one-car families around town, and I haven't had a vehicle since early 2003. Welly becomes very small with a car, as most of the distances are walkable to begin with. Okay, a long walk in some cases. From Island Bay, it would take about 30-40 minutes to walk into the very center of the city.

Berhampore is between Newtown and Island Bay. Nothing wrong with it, just not quaint and special like many other spots. No views. That said, there are plenty of nice streets in both Newtown and Berhampore.

If you go out of town the other way (north), Wadestown is a great suburb with mostly houses rather than flats. Very wooded, with ponga ferns and streams. 5 mins drive or 10 mins bus to town. I love the Otari native forest reserve nearby...huge, 800 year old Rimu trees and lush, hidden waterfalls. Really, it's very nice.

Further out is Khandallah, with large, modern houses set amongst low forest. There is a commuter train to town as well. By car, 10 mins on back roads into the city - no motorway time required.

Past this you're looking at Tawa and Johnsonville, which are quite inexpensive. New developments springing up on hillsides. This is an actual commute (it's separated from Wellington by a huge gorge).

Public transportation is a great option! Wellington's bus lines go everywhere, but during peak hours it's admittedly kinda slow.

It's a renter's market out here!

[Jodie]

So Hersey, where abouts in Welly are you now then? How long have you been here?

We moved to Johnsonville a few weeks ago and so far, we're quite impressed. It's got a mini-mall, supermarkets, restaurants and bars within walking distance from our house, and the commute to the City is about 10 mins outside of rush hour, about 20 mins during rush hour (although I've yet to try it in rush hour....!!)

I've been working in Island Bay and agree with you that it is a lovely area. And again, agree with you about Newtown/Berhampore. We NEARLY rented a house there before finding this place, and we're so glad we didn't. :eek I don't know what it is, but there's something about the area that just doesn't appeal to us.....

Kandallah looks quite nice and when we look to buy a house in a few months time (hopefully when our PR app goes through!), we're quite keen to look in the area. Although we would love to have a sea view but that may not be in our price range....

Jod
:cool

[coastcat]

Wadestown is definitely on my "check it out" list! A wee bit pricey for purchasing, but it has what we want (small houses with character).

So many neighbourhoods to investigate, so little time on our scouting trip!