Grey Lynn

This groovy inner-city pocket attracts a wide variety of people, writes CHARLOTTE COSSAR.

This popular inner-city suburb is always changing. It appeals to many people, including young families, first-home buyers, investors and, more recently, young professionals keen to purchase a villa or bungalow itching to be renovated - and, yes, if you look hard enough there are some still available.

There are also a lot of terraced housing developments, which have been popular with older residents and younger ones who want maintenance-free living.

A suburb with a Bohemian atmosphere, the area is mainly home to villas and bungalows and its residents tend to be a colourful mix, including many artisans and writers.

The Grey Lynn shops, which include many back-to-nature businesses and cosy cafes, have been revitalised into a thriving strip. This could, in part, be due to the influx of residents from the new housing developments.

Being close to the city centre, many residents walk to work, and the suburb tends to have larger pockets of land compared with its popular neighbours, Ponsonby and Freemans Bay. Also, the prices in Grey Lynn tend to be a little easier on the pocket.

Things to do

People choose to live in this area because it is close to everything, including motorway accesses for north, south and west.

Apart from the groovy shops, cafes and health food stores, with great public notice boards offering all sorts of services, you are close to the Auckland Zoo, MOTAT, education facilities (including Auckland University of Technology, Auckland University, Unitec and many private institutes. You can walk into the city and to the Viaduct Harbour and enjoy a festive night at the restaurants, bars and clubs.

Once a year, Auckland comes to play at the Grey Lynn fair, which is always a huge success and worth a day in the sun, weather permitting.

Other amenities include two supermarkets and great parks.

Homes

Properties on good-sized sections, about 500sq m to 650sq m, tend to sell for between $370,000 to $500,000.

You could expect to pay between $300,000 and $400,000 for a two- or three-bedroom home and between $450,000 and $550,000 for a three- to four-bedroom home.

If you are looking for a villa or bungalow do-up on a decent section, the prices don't tend to drop much - expect to pay anything from mid $300,000s.

Who is buying in the area?

A lot of people are moving from rental accommodation, usually locally, into their first homes, while other residents sick of commuting are also finding Grey Lynn an attractive destination. The area also attracts people relocating from outside of Auckland. They find Grey Lynn an easy area to navigate in terms of its central location and friendly atmosphere.