Tight-knit community

As Tauranga has experienced rapid growth, the little village of Greerton, which was once quite separate, has become one of its biggest and most popular suburbs, located just 7km from the busy CBD.

Named after Colonel Henry Greer, who commanded British soldiers in Tauranga in the battle of Te Ranga in 1864, locals say much of Greerton's attraction lies in the fact the village-like atmosphere has been retained and the community is tight-knit.

At its heart is the tree-lined main street, with shops, cafes, restaurants, salons and spas. It's a popular destination for people from all over Tauranga, and on a Saturday it's positively buzzing.

Regular events are held in the town, including the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in spring, a popular vintage and retro "fayre" in summer and Pasifika Festival in October.

Christmas is always lots of fun with entertainment and activities.

Lately Greerton has become well-known for yarn bombing. In winter, when the main street trees are bare, knitters decorate them with brightly coloured knitted sleeves to raise awareness of local charities and community groups, and each year the designs get wilder and more colourful.

Locals vote for their favourite and the charity to which the winning tree is dedicated gets a cash donation.

Sally Benning is Greerton Village Mainstreet manager. She says the community is diverse, as well as being artistic and creative.

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"There are a lot of older people who've lived around here all of their lives, but while house prices in Greerton have gone up, homes are still much more affordable than central Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, so there are plenty of young families too."

Those families are well catered for with excellent schools, early childhood centres, sporting facilities, parks, playgrounds and the Greerton Aquatic Leisure Centre.

QV median house price statistics for the first quarter of 2018 had Greerton at $503,600, up from $491,450 and a 2.5 per cent annual increase. In Tauranga as a whole, median values rose by almost 4 per cent in the year to March 31.

Geoff Smith of Crockford Real Estate says that having prices slow down or even plateau is a good thing — especially for first home buyers.

"We have a wide range of stock here. Some of the oldest houses were built around the 1920s but Greerton has continued to grow and there are lots more recent ones too."

Smith says most are typical three-bedroom, one-bathroom dwellings on 600sq m sections that have potential to renovate, extend, or otherwise add value.

There are some more upmarket houses here too.

Smith says that in the past 30 years or so, many tidy units and townhouses have been constructed and they're popular with retirees who appreciate the short flat walk to the village and other amenities.

"Greerton's great value, it's a pleasant place to live and there's something suitable for everyone," he says.