YOUNG AT HEART
Bungalow brings out your party spirit, writes Sandra Goodwin
See Ponsonby late night at the weekends and you’d swear it was turf only for young ‘uns, queuing for clubs dressed in outfits defying the weather.
But retirees Patricia and Alastair Wright moved from Parnell to this polished Freemans Bay bungalow just three years ago and the locale’s liveliness, friendliness and convenience has made them dedicated converts.
Patricia says: “We love this area and we love this house which had been gorgeous to live in – you can’t fault it.”
Alastair says: “We liked Parnell but had lots of friends who really enjoyed living around here and now we do too.
“There’s a lot going on and everything’s so convenient that sometimes the car stays put for a week.”
Patricia says: “It’s an easy walk to Ponsonby Road for coffee at Bambina or lunch at Prego and New World is at the bottom of our street.
“And it’s so easy to jump on a Link bus into town and not have to worry about parking to go to something like the Film Festival.”
The couple, who have two adult daughters, appreciate their street’s heritage atmosphere.
This elegantly easy 1910 weatherboard bungalow they bought in 2016 had been extensively renovated in 2013. The Wright’s have added radiator-style central heating, in-built lounge shelving, wardrobing in a front bedroom, some skylight blinds, raised vegetable beds and guttering leaf guards countering the street’s plane tree leaves.
They’re about 200 metres down Franklin Road. A shared driveway between them and friendly neighbours accesses their gated rear with underdeck single carport plus additional off-street park.
Alastair says: “When we moved here you could hear when big trucks drove over the bumps on Franklin Road but the recent upgrade has made it smooth and much quieter, as well as undergrounding the power and upgrading the