KEY POINTS:
APARTMENT 103,
PHOENIX GARDENS,
131-135 GRAFTON RD,
GRAFTON.
The deck on Claire and Andrew Benton's inner-city apartment is bigger than the indoor space, taking in even bigger views across bushy Grafton Gully to the Sky Tower, up to K'Rd, and across the rooftops of Ponsonby to the waters of Herne Bay.
Inside, the cleverly configured northwest-facing first floor apartment contains everything a single person or couple could require - a big kitchen divided from the spacious living area by a granite work bench; a good-sized bedroom with walk-in wardrobe; large bathroom fitted with twin basins, marble bench top, capacious bath and shower; a separate powder room for guests; self-contained laundry and roomy hot-water cupboard.
It enjoys abundant natural light and sunshine, air-conditioning, heat pumps and its own single car garage. Guests can use the 20 visitor car parks outside.
Residents are welcome to use the small library off the building's foyer, and a short stroll through pleasant landscaped gardens takes you to the Phoenix Gardens recreation complex: a 25m lap pool with wooden sun-loungers, a huge spa pool, netted driving range for golfers and, above an indoor gymnasium, a pavilion furnished with comfortable cane furniture, table-tennis equipment and kitchen facilities which opens on to a barbecue area and tennis court.
The pavilion is for general use but may be booked for special occasions - Claire and Andrew will hold a family pre-Christmas barbecue lunch there - and the whole amenity overlooks the upper storeys of the picturesque old Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design across the road.
The resort-style complex has a full-time building manager and is fully secure, outside and in.
The Bentons have spent 2 1/2 years here, having previously lived in the George Court Building in K'Rd, and Hobson St's H49. They are selling now to build a house on their section in Royal Oak, big enough to contain more Bentons if and when they come along. Claire's business trips are less frequent than they were and the apartment's lock-up and leave advantage is not as important as it used to be.
Andrew works in property development - he will design their new house - and it was the quality of the 1999 building's construction and finishing that sold them on this apartment.
The couple make frequent use of the bars and restaurants in nearby Mt Eden, Newmarket, Parnell and Ponsonby. "The Domain is close too - we do a lot of running through there."