Mt Eden

By CHARLOTTE COSSAR

If you ask local residents what they think the best thing about Mt Eden is they will say its village.

And it is impressive. Although it's not the biggest suburban block of shops, it's not short of atmosphere. Cafes and restaurants are hustling for space and shoppers are bargaining for car parks. And it doesn't stop when the sun goes down.

At night, the village becomes a haven for many locals in need of a quick dinner or other Aucklanders wanting to experience a quaint ambience while dining.

However, there is more to Mt Eden than its popular centre. At the city end of the suburb there are many restored villas and transitional villas, some quite large, on half-size and full sections. If you are in the market to buy one of these mostly restored homes, you can expect to pay anywhere from $450,000, with many properties on the market for more than $600,000.

Moving away from the city and across Balmoral Rd, the sections tend to be a bit bigger and the houses large bungalows. This area is popular with young families moving there to be in the Maungawhau Primary and Auckland Normal Intermediate school zones. The bungalows for sale in these roads, which straddle Mt Eden and Dominion Rd, generally sell for about $400,000 plus, with the top-end of the market reaching $600,000.

Most of the suburb is zoned 6A residential so there are many full-size sections that are able to be subdivided. Although, the nature of the area and the popularity of it with young families mean the good old Kiwi lawn is still found.

If you like the idea of living in Mt Eden but would prefer a newer home, there are some modern townhouses tucked down right-of-ways, lots of brick and tile one- and two-bedroom units and the odd high-rise apartment block.

Mt Eden residents are very proud of the area and the trendy reputation it has. A bit of a transient suburb, many families move east to Epsom or Remuera when their children reach secondary school age. Having said this, however, there are still some hardy locals, some of whom are artists, who will never leave, giving the suburb a Bohemian flavour.

In the past couple of years Eden Quarter has revitalised the shops at the city-end of Dominion Rd. A new supermarket and speciality shops have brought residents back to shop locally. Also, the area is no longer dry and you can now buy more than just boutique wine without leaving the suburb's limits. You are also a stone's throw from St Lukes shopping centre and Newmarket.

Bordered by a prison, a famous sports ground, the city and Mt Roskill, Mt Eden is a long, narrow suburb in a prime position. From most parts of the area it is only a 10-minute drive to the city, or a quick 20-minute journey on public transport. Handy and trendy - what more could you want?