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I have heard tales recently about a man who refuses to leave Newton. Everything you may want or need is in the vicinity, he says, so why would you leave? Indeed, with all the hip design stores, bars, cafes and galleries in the area, Newton is having a bit of a "moment" - so can you blame him?
Of course, where the area of Newton begins and ends is debatable, but for the sake of simplicity we will call it the area between Symonds St and France St, with St Benedicts and Upper Queen in between. St Benedicts St has been declared "fashionable" before, more than five years ago when Site 3 was built and creative types like Simon James Design moved in. But it seems there is a second wind of interest in the area, with several design, food and fashion related outlets opening in the past year.
The neighbourhood wasn't always so trendy though. Signwriter Trevor Walker (my dad) has worked in the area for nearly 20 years, and has watched the area grow and slowly become gentrified. "The biggest change to me is the street life. It's gone from drunks and ladies and men of the night, to druggies and bums, to not so much other than the younger professional type drunks."
Indeed, I remember hearing scary stories about druggies walking off the street into Dad's workshop. And while on the surface the area may still look a bit rough around the edges - footpaths are ridden with sofas and concrete, walls are grafittied, fences are covered with promo posters of everyone from Zambesi to Leonard Cohen - beyond the grime is a burgeoning arts district with some of Auckland's best new spaces. In 2007, furniture designer Simon James moved his head office and showroom over the road to Upper Queen St, into a two-storey space that was formerly an art gallery. The ground floor showroom now showcases collections from Droog, Established and Songs, David Trubridge, Simon James Design and more.
Architectural firm Jasmax - who have designed everything from the Auckland Civic Centre to Te Papa, the Auckland Town Hall and Bo Concept - are based on Upper Queen St, and a former swingers club (a hint at the area's somewhat seedy past) opposite the Kings Arms is currently being refurbished. Several art galleries are located in the area - although the biggest, SOCA Gallery on France St, is about to close as the owners are relocating to Dubai. And the workroom of fashion label Kingan Jones has been in the area since 2001, with designer Claire Kingan-Jones citing the central location as the biggest attraction.
They open the front of their workroom up on Fridays and Saturdays as an outlet store.
"It's definitely an area that has constantly been improving," she says.
A more recent addition to the neighbourhood is the new Wunderkammer showroom. The space, in the old Roger Williams Gallery on Randolph St, is minimalist and incredible - and rather exclusive. You're recommended to make an appointment to look at the space, and it has limited opening hours. Mark Crane opened the showroom late last year, in addition to his noted Ponsonby Rd Wunderkammer store. The new gallery-like space displays garments and accessories from the likes of Ann Demeulemeester and Comme des Garcons in glass cabinets, with distinctive artwork and museum-like details throughout - and a games room out the back, complete with snooker table and couches.
In complete contrast to Crane's shiny minimalism is The Little Cake Kitchen, just down the road. The cake shop is run by the lovely Maggie Mowbray, who has worked from the space for nearly five years, supplying yummy things to countless Auckland cafes. If you have eaten in a decent Auckland cafe in the past year, you have no doubt eaten her food. She opened a shop front on Upper Queen St last year, complete with mint green walls, black and white checkerboard floor, pretty flowers and light fittings. It sells brioches, sandwiches and cupcakes, and we have it on good authority that the gingerbread slice is pretty much the best ever made: we tried it and almost died (in a good way), and a local describes it as "insanely good".
Also insanely good and nearby is Kohu Road icecream. Established by Greg Hall in 2007, Kohu makes luxe, award-winning icecream with ingredients that are as natural and simple as possible.
As well as making this onsite at their small headquarters on St Benedicts St, they also have a shop at the front with takeaway coffee and icecream tasting. Flavours include vanilla, dark chocolate and espresso, but our favourite is the divine - and genius - Earl Grey-flavoured icecream.
Art dealer Gary Langsford and his partner, Vickie Vuleta, opened Design 55 at 55 Upper Queen St last year, bringing a special modern art/design feel to the area. The pair, who had been looking in the area for some time, were attracted to the area because of its city fringe location.
The newly converted warehouse space, that houses Design 55 on the ground floor and the pair's loft space home above, is a master of design in itself, designed by New York-based architect David Howell.
The store sells an amazing range of specialist 1940s and contemporary furniture and design, all one-off signature pieces for design-conscious people who want something that no one else will have. Think chairs made of soft toys, oversized chandeliers, a lip-shaped sofa and hand-tufted rugs. Down the side of the distinctive concrete building is a very new cafe called Modicum, run by personal chef Jenny Rindermann. The somewhat hidden cafe has an delicious array of food including daily changing salads, toasted puglia bread and a special Friday chocolate ganache cake - all made daily and in-house.
So why is there suddenly renewed interest in the area? Former TV producer Vuleta used to live in St Mary's Bay, but like others we spoke to was attracted to the area for the city fringe location. "Newton still has some interesting buildings that can be developed, small warehouse spaces and commercial buildings. Parking is readily available and the area is easily accessible from the city, Newmarket, Parnell and Ponsonby."
Local resident Murray Bevan, who owns fashion PR agency Showroom 22, also moved into the area from Remuera because of the location.
"I can walk to work on High St in 20 minutes, or ride my bike in five. There are cafes close by, and it's a stroll or short drive to Ponsonby and Parnell, so we're in the hub of where we want to be."
Walker puts it more bluntly. "It's just out of the city, rents and property values are relatively cheap, and council regulations mean that you can do more things."
Of course, all of this leads to the inevitable argument about gentrification - downbeat city fringe areas being overrun by hipsters and yuppies who do up the buildings and up the rents. It remains to be seen whether Newton will go the way of Ponsonby and K Rd. In the meantime, however, locals are welcoming the changes.
"The buildings around us have just needed a little nudge in the right direction; a bit of style and class to make them special," says Bevan.
"They just needed to be discovered!"
Hit list
Wunderkammer, 61 Randolph St, ph (09) 377 3777
Design 55, 55 Upper Queen St, ph (09) 308 9455
The Little Cake Kitchen, 46 Upper Queen St, ph (09) 356 3668
Kohu Road, 16 St Benedicts St, ph (09) 373 5837
Modicum, Cnr Upper Queen St and Dacre St, ph (09) 373 5558
Simon James Design showroom, 61 Upper Queen St, ph (09) 377 5556
Kingan Jones outlet store, 50 Upper Queen St, ph (09) 373 3942
Kings Arms, 59 France St, ph (09) 373 3240
The Retro Scooter Company, 20 Newton Rd, ph (09) 373 5053
Bian Sushi, 183 Symonds St, ph (09) 309 5609
Ruby Waxx, 29 Karaka St, ph (09) 302 1294
Sharondelier, 151 Newton Rd, ph (09) 377 9896
Ariel Secondhand books, 157A Symonds St, ph (09) 369 1414
