This month we talked with Patrick McAteer, sales & marketing director at Ray White Wynyard Quarter.
How long have you lived in the Greater Ponsonby Area? I’ve lived in and around the Ponsonby area since 1995 and have loved every bit of it, from buying my first home to raising a family. I may be a Southern lad, but I LOVE Auckland.
Five favourite people, places from the past?
1. Pride Parade: The scale and eventfulness of the 1990s era of the parade was just amazing. It was a community affair that connected us all together for one night and beyond.
2. Taking my “little” kids to Ley’s institute on a Saturday for story reading. When they were older they went back there for gymnastics.
3. Lime & Sponge bar - late nights singing retro songs.
4. PREGO with a very young Brandon running a tight ship.
5. Getting a park anywhere and it not costing a fortune.
Best places to walk the dog or the kids?
Wynyard Quarter and Westhaven loop through Point Erin Park! Great for teenagers and fur children.
What are you hopes for the area?
Urban design and planning needs to play a major role in how we optimise our neighbourhoods. We need to retain something from the past in terms of our heritage, green spaces and community, as well as preparing for the future.
Connecting locals to the shorelines is important, as is providing a mix of office and residential living and alternative urban transport choices with less emphasis on vehicle use, such as cycling and walking lanes. We need a vibrant city centre that gives people a reason to bring their kids back in for a walk, to see old buildings, art, music and food. And it has to be for every Aucklander, not just those of us who have the privilege of being able to afford living here.
How do you chose who you sponsor or support as a corporate entity?
I believe we have to look after our neighbours. There’s no denying that it makes sense to communicate with our target audience as we try and balance out how we contribute to our communities. This ranges from support for the local tennis club to getting right in behind city wide initiatives that support people in real need, such as Pink Ribbon and Punuku Harbour clean up.
What is great locally right now?
Wynyard Quarter and the Precinct connect the harbour suburbs with the Waitemat-a, and this is where Punuku have just opened -Urunga Plaza to the public. Wrapped around the Park Hyatt, this is an amazing space that showcases the vibrancy of this area. Cleaning up the water quality in the inner harbour will be fantastic and will expand the usage for everyone. Bike lanes are making it safer for inner-city commuters.
What’s happening in Real Estate right now?
There is plenty of dialogue and many predictions are being made across New Zealand. However, being specialists in residential inner-city suburbs and apartments, the largest shifts we have noticed are in the number of people wanting to buy an investment property and those wanting to buy a bigger home! Both outweigh the properties available.
Want to know more? Call Patrick on 021 664 859 or email patrick.mcateer@raywhite.com
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