Your office deserves interesting company
Encompassing some of the city’s most historic areas - including Eden Terrace and parts of Grafton and Newton – the Uptown precinct is a vibrant exciting part of semi-central Auckland, that often flies under the radar when considering commercial leasing. Yet there are compelling reasons to add Uptown to your office location options.
Uptown is just outside the city centre, close to the motorway ramps in all directions. It’s expected to become even busier and even more connected when the long-awaited Mount Eden - Maungawhau City Rail Link station opens in 2026. It’s a place that staff and customers can easily access… and that’s only going to improve in the future.
Even though it’s close to the CBD, Uptown has a neighbourhood vibe with an eclectic mix of old and new buildings. Handsome churches from the 1880’s dot the neighbourhood, along with cottages, warehouses and retail showrooms. Beyond the focal points of Symonds Street, New North Rd, Khyber Pass and Mt Eden Rd, side streets are populated with interesting spaces that architects, marketing and design businesses have found as a home.
Start your property search
In recent years Uptown has seen the advent of large-scale apartment living – which has appeared in both new and repurposed buildings and seen Aucklanders from a variety of demographics embracing city-fringe living and the many advantages it brings. Some of these buildings also feature attractive commercial office spaces.
Symonds Street at night. Photo/Blink
The mix of heritage and things new make the precinct an interesting place to work and play. There’s a plethora of cool shops and edgy cafes. The Bloc, on the corner of Normanby Road and Enfield Street is a well-known community of furniture and design experts while upmarket lighting store ECC in Nugent Street has been delighting lovers of stylish innovation for a number of years.
Meanwhile, iconic Sabato, with gourmet groceries sourced globally, has been a magnet to dedicated foodies at its Normanby Road location for three decades.
The Uptown Business Association is encouraging people establishing or planning to establish new businesses or looking to move their office to a livelier and more eclectic neighbourhood to get in now if they possibly can, joining an array of entrepreneurs who’ve already identified this happening precinct as a best place to thrive.
Here you can step out of your office to be inspired by one of a kind spaces and the people that make them happen.
Starkwhite dealer gallery at Newton Road is a great example, with three floors devoted to displaying and selling the work of some of the country’s finest artists.
“The Corner Store” on Mount Eden Rd. Photo/Supplied
Tribe Home in New North Road specialises in handmade modern rugs from India and traditional Persian rugs from Iran while prestigious Webbs Auction House has recently moved into Normanby Road.
On Mount Eden Road, Emma Sparks and her family have owned their cute and intimate The Corner Store cocktail and wine bar since 2004 and next-door café, twenty three, since 2009.
Emma is Uptown Business Chair and has a huge affection for the precinct, describing it as a great place for people to collaborate, in a relaxed, friendly neighbourhood setting.
Across the road, Galbraith’s Ale House, formerly the Grafton Public Library, is another favourite gathering point while the popular Horse and Trap is a landmark on Enfield Street.
Much of the land around the new station - in fact, an impressive 100,000 square metres has been earmarked for new commercial, retail and residential spaces to be developed by Eke Panuku. Development will soon start at the completion of the station.
With the cool and contemporary buildings currently being proposed for the huge site it’s likely the area will become one of Auckland’s most vital addresses with many thousands of commuters passing through every day, keeping local shops and hospitality establishments buzzing.
Emma Sparks says that at the moment there’s still quite a lot of available capacity and it’s much more affordable than in Central Auckland or other neighbourhoods nearby. There’s something to fit with every aesthetic.
Deciding on an office space involves more than considering the four walls it operates within. The context of the space plays a critical part, it’s sense of place, environment and then of course the value it represents. That’s why more business owners are discovering Uptown is on the rise.
