Remuera

By CHARLOTTE COSSAR.

Undoubtedly one of New Zealand's best-known suburbs, Remuera is no longer characterised by homesteads on large pieces of land.

Over the past decade, contemporary, minimalist designer homes and luxury high-rise apartments have taken pride of place on the suburb's characteristic north-facing slopes. This, combined with the area's renovated character villas and bungalows, makes Remuera an attractive area.

Bordered by Newmarket, Orakei, Meadowbank and Epsom, Remuera is home to a golf course, private hospitals and medical specialists, and numerous parks and reserves. Proudly poised overlooking its residents is Mt Hobson. Its walking tracks offer a hardy workout and if you have children, a good buggy and dogs (on leads, of course), enjoy this healthy excursion.

Remuera's popular strip is dominated by banks, antique shops, real estate agents, boutique clothes stores and cafes. A great place for the locals to catch up, it is regularly humming despite being so close to thriving Newmarket.

Further down the road is Remuera village, where there are door-to-door restaurants. This part of Remuera, which slopes down to Orakei Basin, is a popular destination for caffeine addicts on the weekends.

The area attracts many young families who want to be within walking distance of private and public schools and, if the right address is picked, in the grammar zones. Schools located in Remuera include St Kentigerns, Remuera Primary, Victoria Ave Primary, St Michaels, St Thomas's, Remuera Intermediate, Baradene School for Girls, King's Preparatory and Corran. Just down the road are Auckland Boys Grammar, Epsom Girls Grammar, Dilworth, St Cuthberts College and Diocesan School for Girls.

This undulating area of Auckland means that views of the city, the Hauraki Gulf and One Tree Hill are common, and the suburb has a mix of new and old architecture making the most of this extraordinary outlook. Nearly every pocket of land has been filled, with many of the older-style homes being relocated to make way for new developments. However, this has not detracted from the area; it has enhanced it, offering people a variety of residences to suit their needs.

Of course, premier locations will always demand premium prices and the real estate values in Remuera will not be diminishing in a hurry. Buyers must fork out anything from $350,000 to over $5.5 million, depending on what they are looking for. The grammar zone carrot will always add value and even modest one- to two-bedroom units in the zone will not last long on the market but still command prices in the high $300,000s.

This is not to say, however, that reasonable houses requiring some renovation cannot be discovered for between $450,000 and $600,000. Many of these tend to be on the outskirts of the suburb.

The comfortable mix of traditional and contemporary is testament to the changing face of Remuera. This suburb is not going to be left behind; it will continue to be a destination of choice for many for years to come.