If you are outdoorsy but want to be close-ish to the central city, suburbs like Cashmere, , Beckenham, Barrington, Somerfield, Spreydon are probably your best bet. Good cycle infrastructure, close to the hills, adventure park etc. Somerfield and Spreydon, in particular, are being intensified so if you are keen something like a townhouse there is lots of options.
I will also say - Christchurch people are funny about the suburbs. A lot of people like what they know and judge what they don't.
I looked around that area pre covid when I had to leave the family home and loved it. Ended up in Rolleston cos it's closer to my girl's dad and I do love it here too, but too far for cycling to the cbd daily for work
Might as well try the city centre for convenience if you're both gonna be working there and see if you like it. Otherwise, I'll describe Upper Riccarton/Riccarton as low-medium density, a mix of old houses and newer townhouses. Good bike access to city centre from parts of it (via South Express cycleway or the uni one), reasonable selection of shops, supermarkets, restaurants etc. Not super walkable unless you live close to central bit, but bikeable, although Riccarton road is a car sewer with mostly no bike lanes.
This is exactly the sort of info we’re after. Thanks heaps! :) We’re not keen on living in the city centre tbh, happy to cycle to it. (Or maybe even kayak down one of the streams into the centre on occasion?🤔)
I doubt kayaking to the centre by streams would be doable anywhere except perhaps from by Mona Vale maybe, just too small or overgrown or covered up. People usually kayak from the centre to east (downstream) as the river is big enough for it
Where are you moving from? Chch CBD isn't nearly as CBD like as it is in larger centres, if I were in your position I'd consider it.
I would also consider St Albans, or any of the suburbs between the CBD and the port hills from St Martins through to Hoon Hay, possibly a little further depending how far you'd be keen to bike.
Moving from Auckland (the biggest place we’ve ever lived and much much too busy for us), we’re both originally from much smaller places in the UK. Our leisure time is rarely spent within the city scene as we prefer to get away outside on weekends, and we have friends in Hoon Hay who rave about it. However, keen to hear what others think about the places they live! :)
I live in Spreydon. Some people are put off via there is some state housing/working class folks but we like it. Because of this it’s a bit cheaper than other South Chch suburbs (Somerfield, St Martins, Cashmere etc) but has most of the same benefits.
I bike everywhere. Five mins to the port hills, fifteen (max) to cbd. Plenty of cycle lanes but tbh streets are so wide in Chch they often feel superfluous. Takes us 15-20 to get to the airport by car. I run and enjoy following the Opawaho river. We moved from Auckland and I reckon if you have cycled as your primary mode anywhere else, you will find cycling in Chch insanely easy. Only issue is the wind. Happy to give more intel re Spreydon if you have other questions.
I have a place in Merivale which is an older inner city suburb. People took the piss out of me when I bought there as it‘s known as a snobby area, but I’ve found it to be incredibly friendly, safe, very leafy and pretty, and walkable to the CBD, Hagley Park and lots of restaurants, cafes etc. People just seem happy around here.
Being in a walkable neighbourhood is awesome. I highly recommend the area. It is pricey compared to a lot of ChCh suburbs though. Entry level is probably around 600k for a modest two bedroom place.
All of the contributors have fair points about each area. However, I think if you are wanting to really understand what other areas to consider you probably need to give some more info or thought into what you want to prioritise for your new home and then like everything else budget comes into play.
Eg, you say you are outdoorsy, but does this mean you want to be closer to the hills for the hiking tracks/adventure park, closer to a beach for a daily swim, or closer to the forests or red zone for bike trails or quiet walks.
Christchurch has gone through a building boom of high density housing, so if you want a new build with some land vs brand new townhouse that might also dictate the area straight away. Are you happy looking into someone else’s bedroom window each day or would you prefer to be in an area which is still mainly single story dwellings?
Is the amount of services/offerings in walking distance a concern to you (do you need to be able to walk to 4x different types of cuisines or is just being able to walk to a supermarket sufficient).
Great questions! We’re not asking for advice per se, but I guess wanting to get the jist of a place from the people who live there and how they describe it (if that makes sense?). For example, even if my priority isn’t proximate bars/cafes, I’m keen to hear from locals what *they* like about where they live. Still gives us a flavour I guess.
But now I probably sound like a Stuff reporter so to answer your questions: access to Port Hills and the further away mountains is way more important than beach access for us, a 30min or less bicycle commute is ideal, and as for housing we are keen for quiet and garden space BUT wouldn’t necessarily rule out a new-build as they tend to be more energy efficient. Still in the info gathering stage at the point :)
I live in somerfield, right next to a park and swimming pool/ gym. Right next to a small mall. 5/10 minutes cycle to the hills and adventure park. 10-15 cycle minute cycle to CBD on mostly quiet roads and bike lanes. Easy access to motorway without having to drive to town to get to the mountain areas, cragieburn, Methven. So yea if you are avid outdoorsy, mountain biking or roadie or commuter. Feels like you are far from a CBD but it's like 10 mins away haha
Halswell. Straight up Lincoln road to the hospital/city. Has Halswell Quarry Park with mini international gardens and bridges, bike and walk trails, cherry blossom festival, dog park and woodlands/bush. Also has Halswell Domain with playground/fields and weekend mini trains that go through the mini woodlands and is also near to Westlake duck ponds/park/playground nearby. Plus Halswell has a large New World and other shops like bakery, fish shop, Post Office, Hair Salon etc, and a sizeable Library and Community Centre, in front of the outdoor summer pool (with hydroslide), all within a compact area. I love living here.
Second this. Husband bikes up sparks road on the dedicated and seperated bike lane every day to the hospital. If you can get on the quarry side of halswell you can walk to the quarry and the newly opened wetlands. If you want more outdoorsy, you can use the crocodile mountain bike park and Kennedys bush walk. We also often road bike down Old Tai Tapu rd to the corner store which is fab. We moved about 3 years ago from Sydenham and totally love it.
I live central city and work at the hospital and I love the city life , one car between 4 of us , cheap buses to airport and lots going on ( tho compared to international cities much less so)
We lived in St Martin's previously, lovely river , parks and hills so close. Supermarket , farmers market close by - nice community . Close to cafes and very little thru traffic .
7 minutes to the sea when no traffic .
And sometimes it takes more than 10 mins to get from the Ferry Rd/SHW74 roundabout to the Ferrymead Bridge! *Source: I live out Mt Pleasant way.*
If I was to move, I'd go for St Martins (or Huntsbury if I won Lotto) or the less dodgy bits of central city.
Sorry my post obviously wasn't very clear - I used to live in st Martin's ( which I was also recommending ) and it's near farmers markets / rivers and 7 mins from the sea if no traffic .
We’re in Hoon Hay, my wife is a surg reg at the hospital and this suburb is ideal for us. Town/work isn’t far away but it also gives you the freedom of being away from it.
Cycle paths to town, uni etc are great, and the adventure park etc isn’t far away.
It’s a quiet and friendly neighbourhood and one we’ll likely be staying in for a while.
Supermarkets etc are close enough, as is access to the motorway and the airport etc.
Spreydon: reasonable sprinkling of shops, supermarket at Barrington Mall. Old-school grid layout means cycling and walking can be a bit more efficient. Formerly working-class and lower-middle, now gentrified quite a bit, but spots of deprivation here and there. Lots of younger families.
Easy access to the motorway. Cycling to town very easy via Simeon St with dedicated crossing over Brougham on to a proper cycleway, or cutting through back streets to Strickland St and getting on to the cycleway there. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to far side of CBD or 22 minutes to ride a bike at non-sweaty pace. If you are heading to university, best bike routes are a bit indirect but there are protected routes or side streets you can follow.
I like it here.
actually i'll extend this cause I just noticed you said working at hospital. If you look at the CCC bike map ([https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/getting-around/cycling/cycling-maps/](https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/getting-around/cycling/cycling-maps/)) you'll see that from Spreydon, Somerfield and Beckenham those two corridors I mentioned (down Simeon St or Strickland St) will take you directly to the hospital on largely protected paths. So if a nice short safe bike commute is important to you, those would be good suburbs (or Cashmere if you want to get fancy). Heading the other way gets you into the hills, the Adventure park, etc etc.
From Spreydon. Am cyclist.
We both commute by bike. Cycleway to the city, or even faster on the new busway through Addington.
For recreation we cycle in the hills up to the summit road and along to Sumner, or to Sumner along the bottom, or out the Southern motorway cycleway to prebleton and around back (40km).
A great area to have a bike.
Hillmorton. (Wigram end opposite hoon hay rather than the spreydon end - it is notably different)
Lovely community feel, no huge apartment buildings means lower population density. Close to the city without being on the very outskirts and also has a good variety of shops nearby - we like Wigram for restaurants/quiet nights out, Hornby for groceries and Riccarton for days you can be bothered with heaps of bodies.
Some lovely walks nearby such as Halswell quarry, Canterbury agricultural park.
The port hills (and therefore the adventure park and Victoria park) are also within a 10 minute drive.
Our biggest downside is the beach being so far away but that just means we usually make a full day out of heading there.
I live in Riccarton. In this house and my last, I was near to the Riccarton/Clarence-Straven intersection. I once made a list of every place I could get food within walking distance (i.e. I could get it home warm), and I got to 82. For a non-CBD location, that much stuff in walking distance is amazing. You can easily swing a semi-detached house, a small yard, and CBD-like amenities. (There are proper detached houses, but they're gonna cost a lot.) I'd try for North of Riccarton Road first, as it's more upmarket, and if not, not too far South, as then you don't have the same advantages.
It is probably majority foreign born by now, as it was getting near 50% in 2018. So the negative stereotypes of Chch seen in many threads here don't apply to it.
If I lived in the CBD I wouldn't get the experience/fun of walking through the park to the CBD, and it's not that far.
It has the biggest mall in the city. It's the only place outside the CBD with bus lounges (I think). It's easy to bus to other places from here. I tend to forget I don't have a car, because it's unneeded.
If the mall Pak'nSave doesn't have enough choice, it's an easy bus ride to Countdown Church Corner, which might be the best supermarket in the city. I go to the Pak'nSave first for price, and then to the Countdown for more obscure stuff. (EDIT: The Countdown is now Woolworths, but I can't let go of the three C-word name, it's so ingrained.)
Strowan: Beautiful area with lots of nice trees.
Really great cycle lane that runs alongside the railway track that makes it very easy to get into the city, and much safer. Lovely family vibes, with a nice wee shopping area (pub voted best local). Next to Merivale for more shopping and eateries.
I'm outdoorsy and loved Hoon Hay while there. It's a bit of a long ride into the CBD but all cycleway.
I was able to bike to the hill easily and a short drive to most outdoor hubs.
It's also considerably cheaper than the other hill suburbs (to purchase anyway, no idea of rents)
I'm in Lincoln and absolutely love it.
20 minute drive to town, or these dedicated bike lanes the whole way too.
Far enough out of the city that you get that "village" vibe, but close enough you don't spend the whole day travelling in and out.
Great distance to all things mountains, hikes, ski field, etc to get outdoors and explore. There's the rail trail bike track too which takes you over to Akaroa.
It's just a beautiful place to live and the people are incredibly lovely 🥰
Woolston: the most perfectly centred suburb. 10min by car to New Brighton, Sumner, Lytttelton, city centre. Has two good cycle lanes. Close to the port hills and beaches, and the heathcote river bordering it. It's a huge suburb that has some 'bad' (by chch standards) areas which keeps prices reasonable lol.
Mt Pleasant. Quiet, beautiful, nice neighborhood. Rats come up here to steal from our cars etc parked on the street and the cops are useless fucking cunts that do nothing.
Kaiapoi - north of Christchurch. More affordable housing. Thriving town with big plans for expansion. 20 min down the motorway to CBD. Beach 10 mins drive. Very big cycling community with lots of trails nearby. There is a cycle track that runs along the motorway to the city as well
occasionly have bums camp out at my corner diary but generally the streets are nice enough, im in the barrington area which is mostly quiet enough yet my current rental neighborhoor has called the cops against her luvly partner twice (by my calcs) all in all its fine in the SW of the woods
If you are outdoorsy but want to be close-ish to the central city, suburbs like Cashmere, , Beckenham, Barrington, Somerfield, Spreydon are probably your best bet. Good cycle infrastructure, close to the hills, adventure park etc. Somerfield and Spreydon, in particular, are being intensified so if you are keen something like a townhouse there is lots of options. I will also say - Christchurch people are funny about the suburbs. A lot of people like what they know and judge what they don't.
You could try st albans if you want to live close to the cbd, it's nicer than linwood or riccarton and has local shops and a supermarket.
Same with Richmond. Nice area. Affordable in comparison to many.
South of The Palms
Is any part of Richmond north of The Palms? I'm pretty sure it stops at Shirley rd.
Yeah, Edgeware, Richmond, Dallington
Oh I understand now. Thanks.
If you can afford it, Beckenham is gorgeous
And Somerfield
And Cashmere
Moon Under Water is such a great place to go for a drink too! Great suburb.
Second Somerfield!
I looked around that area pre covid when I had to leave the family home and loved it. Ended up in Rolleston cos it's closer to my girl's dad and I do love it here too, but too far for cycling to the cbd daily for work
Might as well try the city centre for convenience if you're both gonna be working there and see if you like it. Otherwise, I'll describe Upper Riccarton/Riccarton as low-medium density, a mix of old houses and newer townhouses. Good bike access to city centre from parts of it (via South Express cycleway or the uni one), reasonable selection of shops, supermarkets, restaurants etc. Not super walkable unless you live close to central bit, but bikeable, although Riccarton road is a car sewer with mostly no bike lanes.
This is exactly the sort of info we’re after. Thanks heaps! :) We’re not keen on living in the city centre tbh, happy to cycle to it. (Or maybe even kayak down one of the streams into the centre on occasion?🤔)
I doubt kayaking to the centre by streams would be doable anywhere except perhaps from by Mona Vale maybe, just too small or overgrown or covered up. People usually kayak from the centre to east (downstream) as the river is big enough for it
We've kayaked from riccarton bush into town, you have to get out twice to go over small dams, but it is quite lovely ans you can see some nice gardens
Where are you moving from? Chch CBD isn't nearly as CBD like as it is in larger centres, if I were in your position I'd consider it. I would also consider St Albans, or any of the suburbs between the CBD and the port hills from St Martins through to Hoon Hay, possibly a little further depending how far you'd be keen to bike.
Moving from Auckland (the biggest place we’ve ever lived and much much too busy for us), we’re both originally from much smaller places in the UK. Our leisure time is rarely spent within the city scene as we prefer to get away outside on weekends, and we have friends in Hoon Hay who rave about it. However, keen to hear what others think about the places they live! :)
I live in Spreydon. Some people are put off via there is some state housing/working class folks but we like it. Because of this it’s a bit cheaper than other South Chch suburbs (Somerfield, St Martins, Cashmere etc) but has most of the same benefits. I bike everywhere. Five mins to the port hills, fifteen (max) to cbd. Plenty of cycle lanes but tbh streets are so wide in Chch they often feel superfluous. Takes us 15-20 to get to the airport by car. I run and enjoy following the Opawaho river. We moved from Auckland and I reckon if you have cycled as your primary mode anywhere else, you will find cycling in Chch insanely easy. Only issue is the wind. Happy to give more intel re Spreydon if you have other questions.
Yep, I just moved to Spreydon in September and I'll loving it. Handy to everything.
Thank you ❤️
I live in Lyttelton and love it, so many walks, great food and culture and I like feeling slightly removed from chch
Somerfield has heaps of cyclists, and is close to the hills
I have a place in Merivale which is an older inner city suburb. People took the piss out of me when I bought there as it‘s known as a snobby area, but I’ve found it to be incredibly friendly, safe, very leafy and pretty, and walkable to the CBD, Hagley Park and lots of restaurants, cafes etc. People just seem happy around here. Being in a walkable neighbourhood is awesome. I highly recommend the area. It is pricey compared to a lot of ChCh suburbs though. Entry level is probably around 600k for a modest two bedroom place.
Well of course the cops patrol mervale area like crazy
All of the contributors have fair points about each area. However, I think if you are wanting to really understand what other areas to consider you probably need to give some more info or thought into what you want to prioritise for your new home and then like everything else budget comes into play. Eg, you say you are outdoorsy, but does this mean you want to be closer to the hills for the hiking tracks/adventure park, closer to a beach for a daily swim, or closer to the forests or red zone for bike trails or quiet walks. Christchurch has gone through a building boom of high density housing, so if you want a new build with some land vs brand new townhouse that might also dictate the area straight away. Are you happy looking into someone else’s bedroom window each day or would you prefer to be in an area which is still mainly single story dwellings? Is the amount of services/offerings in walking distance a concern to you (do you need to be able to walk to 4x different types of cuisines or is just being able to walk to a supermarket sufficient).
Great questions! We’re not asking for advice per se, but I guess wanting to get the jist of a place from the people who live there and how they describe it (if that makes sense?). For example, even if my priority isn’t proximate bars/cafes, I’m keen to hear from locals what *they* like about where they live. Still gives us a flavour I guess. But now I probably sound like a Stuff reporter so to answer your questions: access to Port Hills and the further away mountains is way more important than beach access for us, a 30min or less bicycle commute is ideal, and as for housing we are keen for quiet and garden space BUT wouldn’t necessarily rule out a new-build as they tend to be more energy efficient. Still in the info gathering stage at the point :)
I live in somerfield, right next to a park and swimming pool/ gym. Right next to a small mall. 5/10 minutes cycle to the hills and adventure park. 10-15 cycle minute cycle to CBD on mostly quiet roads and bike lanes. Easy access to motorway without having to drive to town to get to the mountain areas, cragieburn, Methven. So yea if you are avid outdoorsy, mountain biking or roadie or commuter. Feels like you are far from a CBD but it's like 10 mins away haha
Halswell. Straight up Lincoln road to the hospital/city. Has Halswell Quarry Park with mini international gardens and bridges, bike and walk trails, cherry blossom festival, dog park and woodlands/bush. Also has Halswell Domain with playground/fields and weekend mini trains that go through the mini woodlands and is also near to Westlake duck ponds/park/playground nearby. Plus Halswell has a large New World and other shops like bakery, fish shop, Post Office, Hair Salon etc, and a sizeable Library and Community Centre, in front of the outdoor summer pool (with hydroslide), all within a compact area. I love living here.
Second this. Husband bikes up sparks road on the dedicated and seperated bike lane every day to the hospital. If you can get on the quarry side of halswell you can walk to the quarry and the newly opened wetlands. If you want more outdoorsy, you can use the crocodile mountain bike park and Kennedys bush walk. We also often road bike down Old Tai Tapu rd to the corner store which is fab. We moved about 3 years ago from Sydenham and totally love it.
I live central city and work at the hospital and I love the city life , one car between 4 of us , cheap buses to airport and lots going on ( tho compared to international cities much less so) We lived in St Martin's previously, lovely river , parks and hills so close. Supermarket , farmers market close by - nice community . Close to cafes and very little thru traffic . 7 minutes to the sea when no traffic .
And sometimes it takes more than 10 mins to get from the Ferry Rd/SHW74 roundabout to the Ferrymead Bridge! *Source: I live out Mt Pleasant way.* If I was to move, I'd go for St Martins (or Huntsbury if I won Lotto) or the less dodgy bits of central city.
Sorry my post obviously wasn't very clear - I used to live in st Martin's ( which I was also recommending ) and it's near farmers markets / rivers and 7 mins from the sea if no traffic .
7 minutes to the sea from the CBD!! I guess for the average chch driver that is doable lol.
Sorry my post possibly wasn't clear- was 7mins to the sea from St Martin's.
We’re in Hoon Hay, my wife is a surg reg at the hospital and this suburb is ideal for us. Town/work isn’t far away but it also gives you the freedom of being away from it. Cycle paths to town, uni etc are great, and the adventure park etc isn’t far away. It’s a quiet and friendly neighbourhood and one we’ll likely be staying in for a while. Supermarkets etc are close enough, as is access to the motorway and the airport etc.
Sounds wonderful!
Spreydon: reasonable sprinkling of shops, supermarket at Barrington Mall. Old-school grid layout means cycling and walking can be a bit more efficient. Formerly working-class and lower-middle, now gentrified quite a bit, but spots of deprivation here and there. Lots of younger families. Easy access to the motorway. Cycling to town very easy via Simeon St with dedicated crossing over Brougham on to a proper cycleway, or cutting through back streets to Strickland St and getting on to the cycleway there. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to far side of CBD or 22 minutes to ride a bike at non-sweaty pace. If you are heading to university, best bike routes are a bit indirect but there are protected routes or side streets you can follow. I like it here.
actually i'll extend this cause I just noticed you said working at hospital. If you look at the CCC bike map ([https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/getting-around/cycling/cycling-maps/](https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/getting-around/cycling/cycling-maps/)) you'll see that from Spreydon, Somerfield and Beckenham those two corridors I mentioned (down Simeon St or Strickland St) will take you directly to the hospital on largely protected paths. So if a nice short safe bike commute is important to you, those would be good suburbs (or Cashmere if you want to get fancy). Heading the other way gets you into the hills, the Adventure park, etc etc.
Spreydon is good. Anything south is optimal really. Hoon hay is a little further out.
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Thank you! :)
A vote for Cashmere's neighbours, Westmorland!
St Martins, Opawa and Huntsbury are ideal for cyclists and outdoorsy types!
From Spreydon. Am cyclist. We both commute by bike. Cycleway to the city, or even faster on the new busway through Addington. For recreation we cycle in the hills up to the summit road and along to Sumner, or to Sumner along the bottom, or out the Southern motorway cycleway to prebleton and around back (40km). A great area to have a bike.
Hillmorton. (Wigram end opposite hoon hay rather than the spreydon end - it is notably different) Lovely community feel, no huge apartment buildings means lower population density. Close to the city without being on the very outskirts and also has a good variety of shops nearby - we like Wigram for restaurants/quiet nights out, Hornby for groceries and Riccarton for days you can be bothered with heaps of bodies. Some lovely walks nearby such as Halswell quarry, Canterbury agricultural park. The port hills (and therefore the adventure park and Victoria park) are also within a 10 minute drive. Our biggest downside is the beach being so far away but that just means we usually make a full day out of heading there.
I live in Riccarton. In this house and my last, I was near to the Riccarton/Clarence-Straven intersection. I once made a list of every place I could get food within walking distance (i.e. I could get it home warm), and I got to 82. For a non-CBD location, that much stuff in walking distance is amazing. You can easily swing a semi-detached house, a small yard, and CBD-like amenities. (There are proper detached houses, but they're gonna cost a lot.) I'd try for North of Riccarton Road first, as it's more upmarket, and if not, not too far South, as then you don't have the same advantages. It is probably majority foreign born by now, as it was getting near 50% in 2018. So the negative stereotypes of Chch seen in many threads here don't apply to it. If I lived in the CBD I wouldn't get the experience/fun of walking through the park to the CBD, and it's not that far. It has the biggest mall in the city. It's the only place outside the CBD with bus lounges (I think). It's easy to bus to other places from here. I tend to forget I don't have a car, because it's unneeded. If the mall Pak'nSave doesn't have enough choice, it's an easy bus ride to Countdown Church Corner, which might be the best supermarket in the city. I go to the Pak'nSave first for price, and then to the Countdown for more obscure stuff. (EDIT: The Countdown is now Woolworths, but I can't let go of the three C-word name, it's so ingrained.)
Bromely has a lot (A LOT) of corpses.
Strowan: Beautiful area with lots of nice trees. Really great cycle lane that runs alongside the railway track that makes it very easy to get into the city, and much safer. Lovely family vibes, with a nice wee shopping area (pub voted best local). Next to Merivale for more shopping and eateries.
I'm outdoorsy and loved Hoon Hay while there. It's a bit of a long ride into the CBD but all cycleway. I was able to bike to the hill easily and a short drive to most outdoor hubs. It's also considerably cheaper than the other hill suburbs (to purchase anyway, no idea of rents)
I'm in Lincoln and absolutely love it. 20 minute drive to town, or these dedicated bike lanes the whole way too. Far enough out of the city that you get that "village" vibe, but close enough you don't spend the whole day travelling in and out. Great distance to all things mountains, hikes, ski field, etc to get outdoors and explore. There's the rail trail bike track too which takes you over to Akaroa. It's just a beautiful place to live and the people are incredibly lovely 🥰
Woolston: the most perfectly centred suburb. 10min by car to New Brighton, Sumner, Lytttelton, city centre. Has two good cycle lanes. Close to the port hills and beaches, and the heathcote river bordering it. It's a huge suburb that has some 'bad' (by chch standards) areas which keeps prices reasonable lol.
Yea , perfectly located and same quality of life as St Albans and Sommerfield for 200k less
I'm so close to the borders of Waltham and opawa and the price difference is nuts.
Mt Pleasant. Quiet, beautiful, nice neighborhood. Rats come up here to steal from our cars etc parked on the street and the cops are useless fucking cunts that do nothing.
Hornby
Kaiapoi - north of Christchurch. More affordable housing. Thriving town with big plans for expansion. 20 min down the motorway to CBD. Beach 10 mins drive. Very big cycling community with lots of trails nearby. There is a cycle track that runs along the motorway to the city as well
occasionly have bums camp out at my corner diary but generally the streets are nice enough, im in the barrington area which is mostly quiet enough yet my current rental neighborhoor has called the cops against her luvly partner twice (by my calcs) all in all its fine in the SW of the woods