Avondale

For many 30-somethings (and older - maybe even a few younger), Avondale's claim to fame rests in memories of the Hollywood Cinema, and its showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night for years. For many others, it is the large hairy spiders that the suburb lends its name to. For whatever reason one remembers it, Avondale is an established suburb close to the city and very popular with its discerning residents.

As the demand for inner-city dwellings has increased over recent years, Avondale has become very fashionable in modern times for its affordability, motorway access and easy reach of the airport and West Auckland.

It is one of the city's oldest suburbs, with the first European settlement as early as 1843. Originally part of the Whau District (an area reaching from near Mt Roskill to Henderson), the area was called Avondale in 1882 and became exemplified by its brick yards and market gardens.

Surrounded by more exclusive areas, including Pt Chevalier, Blockhouse Bay and Waterview, Avondale is popular with first-home buyers and immigrants, who choose the area for its good schools, job opportunities and lively community spirit. Recently, however, young professionals have also moved into the suburb for the opportunity to purchase character houses - many of which have been tastefully renovated.

The suburb is famed for its race course and jockey club in Ash St, other sporting clubs, including bowls, reserves and a nearby beach.

For those who enjoy shopping, there are established shops and cafes in the main street and further developments of shops and apartments. Also, Lynnmall shopping centre and St Lukes are very close at hand.

Every Sunday, the local market - popular with many from outside the area - at the race course sells local produce, arts, crafts, foods and second-hand goods.

Avondale College, in Victor St, is a major drawcard for potential purchasers. It's a community school with a variety of facilities (the performing arts centre, all-weather hockey turf and the pavilion and stadium) and services, including evening adult education classes.

The other schools in the area are Avondale Primary School in Grayford St, Rosebank Primary in Rosebank Rd and Avondale Intermediate in Holly St. For toddlers, there is Avondale Kindergarten and Avondale Community Pre-school, both in Rosebank Rd.

Houses in the area suit all tastes and range from apartments, bungalows and villas to units, ex-state and townhouses. There are also new brick or plaster and tile enclaves. For townhouses and the older homes on half sites, buyers can expect to pay anywhere from the late $300,000s into the mid-$600,000s, while bungalows, villas and brick and tile houses vary in price according to condition, presentation and location.

Generally, you can expect to pay from $250,000 for a two-bedroom unit or townhouse, about $180,000 to $250,000 for a two-bedroom home and anything upwards of $320,000 for a three-bedroom house. Modern four-bedroom homes and larger, character abodes tend to fetch upwards of $450,000. Properties around Rosebank Rd tend to be slightly cheaper than the elevated properties above Great North Rd towards New Windsor.