Inner-city drawcard
A DESIRE for a five-minute commute drew Jamie Watt to an apartment on the Wellington waterfront.
The IT support worker lives in the Queens Wharf Apartments, a short walk from his workplace, Xero, in Market Lane.
He was one of the extra 3600 people to move into the CBD since the last census was taken in 2006. The 28-year-old shifted from Hamilton in 2010, and chose to rent in the inner city with two flatmates after a brief stay in the Hutt Valley. ‘‘Having to get up so early in the mornings for the big commute – I was getting up at about 5.30 in the morning – that was a bit annoying.’’
Hassles with public transport led him to look within walking distance of work. ‘‘Living where I do now, it just makes things a billion times easier.’’
He found he now spent far more time out with friends. ‘‘I eat out a lot more now, and do a lot more socialising. It’s just so easy.’’
While he saw inner-city living as a great option for single people in their 20s, he was one of the youngest in his apartment building. ‘‘They’re older couples, probably 50-plus, who own their apartments, I imagine.’’
The downsides were the cost, the lack of private outdoor space, and noise from close neighbours, he said. ‘‘Come a time I want to buy a house, I’ll probably look elsewhere, out in the suburbs . . . I’m going to want a house, some land.’’