Suburb Spotlight: Henderson & Swanson

Stephen Hart is the author of ‘WHERE TO LIVE IN AUCKLAND’ which has sold over 70,000 copies. He also runs AUCKLAND HOMEFINDERS and HOMETOPIA.CO.NZ

Stephen has selected for us six Auckland suburbs that first home buyers should give consideration when searching for their first home.  Below are the first two suburb excerpts from his book ‘Where To Live In Auckland’ with links to a downloadable PDF for more information.  Keep an eye out for future Suburb Spotlights over the coming months.

Henderson

Progress on many fronts make Henderson the envy of other city suburbs. There’s a new civic centre and a “Baby Britomart” transport centre underway. The overhauled Waitakere Hospital, on Lincoln Rd, has been named one of this country’s most advanced “green” buildings. There’s a Henderson Vineyards Business Campus planned for central Lincoln, and ex-Mayor Bob Harvey’s plans to make Henderson the Hollywood of the South Pacific appear to be bearing fruit.

The old apple coolstore which was converted to a film facility is pretty well booked solid for film and TV productions and was used for major films including In My Father’s Den and The Chronicles of Narnia. However, despite the positive outlook, some streets remain doggedly unrenovated.  Read Henderson’s ‘Where To Live In Auckland’ extract

Swanson

Swanson’s environs straddle the boundary between urban streets, rolling pasture and the bush-clad foothills of the Waitakere Ranges. This means that the suburban areas benefit from the close proximity of wide open and wild spaces, and those nestled in the country have easy access to urban amenities. A ride through Ranui shows wonderful splashes of colour: the beautiful Summerland Primary School or a green mural on the inside of a railway overpass.

Waitakere township has all the charm of a country town. Massey North folk like to call their area Westgate, an area which is considered to be more modern, upmarket and urban than plain old Massey. More young adults are flocking to “sleepytown” Swanson now, attracted by affordability, good schools, and the sense that it’s the gateway to the Waitakere Ranges and the western beaches.  Read Swanson’s ‘Where To Live In Auckland’ extract

About ‘Where To Live In Auckland’:

WTLIA’s 288 pages are crammed with information on all of the 200+ suburbs and neighbourhoods of Auckland and reports on who lives where, best streets, reviews of amenities, leisure facilities, schools and their zones and real estate trends.

It was rated “Excellent,” by the New Zealand Herald and is a must-have if you’re looking to buy in Auckland.

The book sells at retail for $44.95, but we’ve negotiated a super special price of just $34.50 (+$6.25 postage) to anywhere in New Zealand, while stocks last.

To order your copy at this special price follow this link and when prompted enter the promo code ‘FHBC’.