Rashida and Adarsh Patel could not be happier living in Newmarket. Rashida works five minutes up the road at Mercy Ascot Hospital and Adarsh works on Broadway at his finance company, ASAP. They tell Alexia Santamaria why they like their own little city within Auckland.
We love Newmarket. It's got every material convenience we could ever need, but is not shy on natural beauty either. It's only a couple of minutes up the road to Mt Hobson where you can get an amazing view of the city and the kids can play in the grass. We often see rabbits and we think a farmer grazes his cows up there, so the girls think it's paradise for an afternoon walk. And obviously there's the Domain so close too. We live in an apartment but never feel lost for green space as it seems to be all around us.
Of course green space is not the first thing you think of when you say Newmarket. The shopping is ridiculously good and there is something for every budget. We love Menon for men's clothes and the fact that for women there's everything from Allanah Hill to the Glassons Flagship store. Only thing is that it's all a bit dangerous on your credit card!
Food offerings are also excellent. There are a million good takeout options but our favourite is Silk Thai in the food court in Kent St -especially their sizzling chicken with cashew nuts. For great sushi our favourites are Fuku Sushi in the Rialto food court and Mt Fuji towards the end of Broadway. The couple who run it are so sweet. Pearl Garden is well known for its amazing yum char and anyone who has tasted the laksa at Selera will go back for more, despite its less-than-glamorous interior.
We are never short on good places for coffee: Kuzhina on Nuffield St, Cafe Monet and Poppi Cafe on Remuera Rd and Altezano Espresso on Kent St and for sweet treats to go with it, Petal Cupcakes on Teed St can't be beaten. Our "local" is the Mac's Brew Bar on Nuffield St and it's nice that we can still go for a beer or a wine on a Sunday afternoon, even with the kids.
The biggest thing for us with two young children is that life is easy. We never have to drive through traffic to get anything we need because Newmarket has everything in a fairly concentrated area. And of course it's only five or 10 minutes to get to the beaches, Cornwall Park or into the city if we feel like it. We can even walk to the museum.
We've been here six years and have now bought a place. It would take something fairly major to make us leave anytime soon.
Rashida and Adarsh's Picks
Mt Hobson, Bassett Rd, Newmarket
Mt Fuji (Japanese Food), Rialto Centre, 88 Broadway, Newmarket Auckland, (09) 522 663. Only a small space for dine-in but you can take out almost anything. Daytime dining only.
Pearl Garden, 1 Teed St, Newmarket, (09) 523 3696. The dumplings are to die for but make sure you book as it's extremely popular.
Selera (Malaysian Food), 487 Khyber Pass Rd, Newmarket. Go there for the excellent cheap food, not the décor.
Auckland Museum, Domain Drive, (09) 309 0443. Great for rainy days with little kids. Don't miss the Weird 'n Wonderful Discovery centre.
