It’s just gone 100 days since 180,000 fellow citizens chose me as mayor and I have been busy firstly dealing with an unwanted budget deficit of $295m left for me by the new High Commissioner to UK, but also doing my best to implement my five policies of: ‘stop wasting money; finish the big projects like CRL before starting new ones; take back control of CCOs; speeding up AT; and getting the harbour-side back from the port.
In the midst of all these challenges, it’s easy to forget the great things about living here, particularly in Ponsonby and its surrounds, so I thought I’d list the things I love about our hood so well covered by the Ponsonby News.
My last four Auckland abodes have all been within your readership area, starting with an apartment in Blake Street, then in Hopetoun, then a bungalow in Tuarangi to our current apartment in Hereford.
In all cases my wife and I love that we can walk to so many things from leafy Western Park to all the cafes, bars and restaurants in K Road and down Ponsonby Road, including the fact that I can walk to work to the council in 14 minutes rather than take the bus or car in 23 minutes.
I’ll list some of my favourites. Among the many restaurants we love are Coco’s Cuchina and Carmen’s on K Road, Azabu, Prego and everything in and around Ponsonby Central. For cafes Forte Green, La Noisette, Little Algerian and Djamal’s neighbours on K Road and Dizengoff and their neighbours on Ponsonby Road. And what better place for an afternoon beer than at Chapel. That’s just scratching the surface or our wonderful hospo offerings and I’ve missed plenty more all with their appeal.
We live among a wonderfully eclectic collection of people and there is way less agro than on our main Queen Street. I can look out my window and see my local MP and friend Chlöe’s apartment and we boast delightfully odd, but intensely committed local activists, like Gael Baldock and Lisa Prager.
We are indeed blessed here, but we need to protect and maintain the character of our area currently under attack from ill-advised Wellington planning regulations and other pressures. I miss some things that have gone due to various pressures such as Siostra from West Lynn and of course the greatest loss being the Alhambra, banished by a foolish landlord. We have a great culture of musicians, but sadly, as Truda Chadwick noted, one of our iconic singers Larry Morris of Larry’s Rebels passed away recently.
I hope to get back to readers with progress on ‘fixing the council’ to give us a better city in future editions. (Wayne Brown)
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