Inner city living with a sense of community and green spaces to enjoy. Keith Shackleton tells Donna McIntyre why his young family love Arch Hill.
We came to New Zealand five years ago when our daughter Sylvie was 10 months old. Living in a small house in Brighton, England with a new baby and completely over commuting to London on a regular basis, we wanted to make a change, and made one that was 12,000 miles away.
In truth it was a fairly simple decision - Anne was born in Kohimarama and already had a house here in Arch Hill. On a previous visit to New Zealand we enjoyed a trip up Northland's east coast to Cape Reinga, and harboured some hopes of finding a rural idyll.
After we'd settled in to city life, however, those plans were definitely put on hold.
We've got quick access to live music and the best bars and restaurants in town, because we're a stone's throw from Eden Terrace, Kingsland, Morningside, Grey Lynn and Ponsonby. It's an easy stroll or short bus ride to K Rd and the CBD and Anne can walk to her job as a business analyst at UniServices in Symonds St.
There are plenty of wide open spaces: perhaps the biggest surprise for someone who doesn't know the Hill would be the "green corridor" running from Western Springs to Newton Gully, along what used to be the upper reaches of the Wai-a-te-ao river. Inner city mountain bikers will appreciate newly laid trails in the Arch Hill Scenic Reserve, and we like to walk the tracks to get to our local library. Sylvie loves to wake up to the birdsong in the trees around us.
We're fortunate to be zoned for "the best little school in New Zealand". Sylvie goes to Newton Central Primary, which is a vibrant multicultural school - safe, stimulating and tremendous fun. The school teaches much about caring for the environment, with vegetable gardens, sustainable forest and beehives - the kids taste honey made in the heart of Auckland city.
If we're pressed for time or need a treat, we don't have to travel too far to pick up some excellent food.
As an internet specialist who works from home, Philippe's Chocolate on Great North Rd expertly satisfies my coffee and pastry needs in the morning. On the way home from the CBD, we can pick up a curry from Satya - if you're a curry fan and have never tasted their dahi puri, don't delay - or excellent takeout from the Newton Fish & Chippery.
Our house shares a driveway with seven others, and our neighbours aren't just "the folks next door". We're a tightly-knit collection of professional people and families who get on really well, looking out for one another and contributing to make our neighbourhood a pleasant place to live. Our annual driveway clear-up party is legendary.
There's a great sense of community in Arch Hill, in keeping with its working class history, and the Hill isn't just "the place between Grey Lynn and the motorway" - it has a unique character all of its own. It's a great place to live."
Keith's picks
* Arch Hill Scenic Reserve
Access from Bond, Cooper and Tay streets
* Philippe's Chocolate
293/295 Great North Rd, ph (09) 376 1754
* Newton Fish & Chippery
270 Great North Rd, ph (09) 376 4516
* Satya
17 Great North Rd, ph (09) 361 3612
