From crowded London to villagey Seatoun
Jonathan Manns, an urbanist and real estate development professional for JLL, moved from London to Wellington last year. He lives in Seatoun with his family.
What part of Wellington do you live in, and why?
Seatoun. What appeals most about Seatoun is the fact it’s a quiet seaside community with a villagey feel.
My favourite thing about this part of Wellington is . . .
Despite the fact you’re only five minutes from the international airport and a relatively short drive from the centre of the city, it feels like a local small-scale community.
A hidden gem in my hood is ...
My favourite thing to do is to go to Oruaiti Reserve, with Fort Dorset on the top. It has significance to tangata whenua and iwi because it was a pā site in the 17th century, then from 1908 onwards used as Wellington’s primary sea defence.
You can still see remains of gun [emplacements] looking across the strait towards the South Island. There’s a great view out over Breaker Bay and you can often see pods of dolphins swimming.
If you’re looking for somewhere to eat in Seatoun you can’t go past . . .
Archimboldi. They’ve got a great cabinet selection if you want coffee and cake, but also an incredible market fish of the day. It’s a nice little community cafe.
The most contentious issue on my neighbourhood Facebook page is . . .
Whether and when the Seatoun wharf will reopen to ferries. For the last 12 months it has been refurbished as a heritage wharf and it just recently reopened, but the local gossip is that further testing is required for the latest electric ferries.
Not many people know this about Seatoun but . . .
Before the tunnel was constructed you could only reach Seatoun by boat; for about 30 years until 1907 it was totally cut off.
My guilty pleasure in the city is to go to . . .
Bunnings. I love DIY, it’s my guilty pleasure because I’m always justifying new tools for my garage. I also love a trip to a brewery, like Double Vision in Miramar.
When I need to clear my head, I go to . . .
I love a walk along the bays from Seatoun beach, past Worser Bay, Karaka Bay, up to Scorching Bay.
If I were mayor for a day I would . . .
I’d get everyone as excited as possible about defending Wellington’s mantle as the coolest little capital in the world. Wellington needs a bit of confidence and celebration. The best thing we can do is celebrate how many amazing people, places, businesses and communities we have. The best tonic to ‘‘Wellington is dying’’ is to recognise how fantastic it is.
My nominee for Wellingtonian of the Year would be . . .
Isabella Cawthorn. She’s a community facilitator, consultant, activist who does amazing work promoting Wellington as a great place to live through engagement with local communities, iwi, and campaigns to promote a walkable, cycle-friendly city.