Newmarket's central location, transport links, shopping variety and the green spaces of Auckland Domain are all part of the suburb's appeal. PHOTOS / HERALD FILES
Newmarket's central location, transport links, shopping variety and the green spaces of Auckland Domain are all part of the suburb's appeal. PHOTOS / HERALD FILES
Newmarket has long been one of Auckland's hotspots for those seeking retail therapy - and that reputation will be further enhanced with major shopping developments planned for the suburb.
The most significant will be the expansion and redevelopment of the Westfield Newmarket mall that will see more shops, cinemas, a gym, and more parking.
A pedestrian overbridge will link the existing mall with the new development across the road.
Further along Broadway, towards the Parnell end, The Warehouse Group plans to turn its existing site and adjacent ones it has acquired into a mixed use development with shops - including the Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery and Noel Leeming - as well as offices and apartment tower blocks.
These developments, along with various apartment projects - some of them high end - and the redevelopment of the old Lion Breweries site into a University of Auckland campus, mean that Newmarket is on the up.
The Nuffield St area, near the train station, has established itself as a trendy spot for bars, eateries and fashion retailers.
Herald Homes General Newmarket. PHOTO / ZOE PUTTICK
Rachel Dovey, of Bayleys, says Newmarket is a central and practical suburb to live in, with its proximity to the city, the Auckland Domain, popular schools and good transport links.
She says families enjoy easy access to a large number of quality local schools such as Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls' Grammar, St Cuthbert's College, St Peter's College and Diocesan School for Girls.
As well as being close to the motorway, residents are well served by public transport.
"The public transport is extremely efficient with the refurbished Newmarket train station and several bus routes easily accessed in the centre of the Newmarket shopping precinct," Dovey says.
New Zealand's biggest yoga class held at the Auckland Domain. Picture / Jason Oxenham
The train takes less than 10 minutes to get into the Britomart station downtown, and the frequency of the service has been increased at peak times.
Residents also have wide open spaces close at hand.
"Those who live in the area enjoy access to some of Auckland's finest green spaces, which include Mt Hobson, the Auckland Domain and the many walkways around Shore Rd.
There are also a number of iconic sports facilities such as the Olympic pools and Remuera Rackets and the addition of Les Mills on Khyber Pass Rd."
During the 1980s, Newmarket was pretty shabby but it has reinvented itself as a fashion destination, a shopper's paradise just minutes away from central Auckland.
It offers a great mix of high street fashion, has a large mall, and designer boutiques tucked backed from the main street.
Also within walking distance for residents are such events as the Anzac Dawn Parade, Christmas in the Park and other events hosted in the Auckland Domain.
There is a range of real estate options with affordable apartments for first homeowners and at the other end of the spectrum penthouse apartments or a scattering of traditional family homes.
Newmarket is a niche market of condensed housing and apartments, but it is also one of Auckland's older suburbs with housing built in the 1900s. Some villas and bungalows remain although townhouses and apartments now dominate the housing stock.
The changing face of Newmarket can be seen in the tale of 14 Sarawia St, a dilapidated villa that Eden Thomson, of Ray White, sold almost three years ago.
The owner had been living there for 71 years before selling to developers interested in purchasing the site because it was zoned for high-density terraced housing. The site now has six terraced houses with sea views about to hit the market.
Newmarket has come a long way since the 1840s when the area was farmland along with other businesses such as breweries and hotels.
The suburb derives its name from the new cattle markets that were established there in 1850. Later on, market gardens were established either side of Khyber Pass Rd.
While many of the suburb's historic buildings have long since gone, some remain such as the historic and charming homestead Highwic, on Gillies Ave, and the odd commercial building or hotel.
