Move to Auckland or Wellington?
 

If you had a choice, which would you move to: Auckland or Wellington? Why? What are the good points and bad points to each city?

TIA!

well i am an aucklander but i have visited wellington many time. i'll try and remain unbiased in my appraisal (others will tell you an unbiased aucklander is an impossibility but they lie). If i was under 40 (which i am) and immune to the cold (which i am not) i would live in wellington in a second. Central wellington is a reasonably compact place with a great couple of main streets lined with cafes and bars and a decent nightlife. It has a real sense of culture and arty-ness about it. Also, it is only a three hour boat trip to the top of the South Island and all the great things to see there. House prices are somewhat cheaper than Auckland. But... and trust me, its a big but... the weather is awful. i have yet to spend time in wellington where there arent gale force winds. The coldness i can handle - i can wear more clothes but there is no clothing remedy for gusty winds ALL THE TIME. In summer its like the city has a giant hairdrier focused on it - in winter, like an evil snow machine or something. That is the one and only reason i couldnt live there.
Auckland is more spread out and so has less of a city feel to it. With over 1 million people it is larger and busier. Public transport is improving but can be a real bitch. Auckland has a much greater ethnic mix which brings benefits and troubles. House prices are higher than anywhere else in the country. The weather is better. About two hours away is beautiful countryside and beaches. Thats about all i can think of for now. i'll watch with interest what others have to say.

I'm a New Zealander but until two years ago I'd lived abroad for ten years. I had the same dilemma when I returned - where to live. I ended up opting for Auckland because of job prospects and because I thought it'd be warmer than Wellington. And I'm pleased with the choice I made. It did take some getting used to after living in places like London and Toronto but it is such a beautiful city.
Whenever I think the city lacks the edge and the cultural vibe of other places I just remind myself of how lucky I am to be living in a place surrounded by beatiful water and so much natural beauty.

do you care to share why you are asking? i ask because i see you have a small baby, which means that one day he'/she will be a larger child and perhaps you want answers about school systems, etc.

from a weather standpoint, unquestionably auckland. if you are studying to be a museum scientist or a student of maori culture or government, of course,wellington.

you've provided very few parameters. with more from you, you will get more from "us."

Thank you very much for the responses! I had no idea that Wellington was so cold! I didn't provide any parameters because I didn't want to bias anyone - I just wanted to hear what people said off the cuff.

Yes, we have a small child and we love natural beauty. Auckland seems better for job prospects but we are not fans of huge urban areas. It sounds like Auckland has less of a big city feel to it since it is so spread out - that would be a plus for us.

Any other comments would be most welcome!

Auckland...think Los Angeles with a lot more water.

Wellington, think San Francisco.

UGH. Really? Auckland is like LA? LA is a pit, with tons of traffic and highways snaking everywhere. It's extremely ugly. Please don't tell me that Auckland is like LA!

I think you might like Wellington better, based on that comment.

Auckland is a sprawling city with highways and traffic, lots of it.
Like LA, you can live at the edges, along the beaches, in the hills, etc, but might have a horrible commute.

It sounds like you have never been there? Is it not possible to go for a visit first?

Oh, and Auckland is quite a bit more humid and uncomfortable in summer than Los Angeles.

The LA / San Fran comment I think refers to the feel of the place, the 'vibe' if you like, rather than any physicality. LA is approximately a million times bigger than Auckland and far grubbier. Auckland has beautiful parts of the city and because so much of it is surrounded by water then many suburbs have lovely views / beaches nearby. There is also a lot of native bush to live near. A lot of this depends on finances. The pretty suburbs you’d need a good NZ$750,000+ for a decent family home. That would buy you a house within walking distance of a beach. And if you lived in the Eastern Suburbs then it’s a leisurely drive, albeit with traffic, along a beautiful waterfront to the city centre.

Hey - Wellington is not that cold!! Sure it doesn't have "great" weather and when it is windy it really blows BUT they do say You Can't Beat Wellington on a Good Day!

It never gets to freezing but never gets really hot either.


I live in Wellington and it is a compact and funky city. As I don't drive I could never live in Auckland - but I think that once you have lived in places like London - Auckland also seems small and friendly.

Go visit both places and decide. They are both quite nice in their own way.

My thoughts.
Auckland is like a normal world large city but with bad public transport and bad traffic. It does have great things like the harbour and the many great places that are North to visit.
Wellington is more like a mini San Francisco. With the old houses, cool hill suburbs and a great cafe life.
It does get windy in Wellington but it rains a lot in Auckland.

Its a tough decision, but I would pick Wellington.
Enjoy
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