Living the city high life

This home is at the city’s hub, or rather looking down on it, writes Donna McIntyre

When work commitments brought Richard Lauder to Auckland from the South Island in 2006, he didn’t want to rush out and buy just any apartment. Instead he accessed what was available, staying in a selection managed by hotels around the city. One in particular stood out. “I just found the quality of the fixtures and the whole fit- out of the building and the apartments at the Metropolis so much more superior to anything else available at that time,” says Richard.

“I lived there for three years when I was commuting to Auckland out of Christchurch. I really loved living in the Metropolis building, it was a great central location. I was working out in Manukau so it was counter to the normal traffic flows. And the Metropolis was a great place to end up at the end of the day.

“You could walk to the Viaduct, all the restaurants there, to High St or up Queen St to the cinemas, they are all accessible.”

He also opted to buy up high, on the eastern side.

“I found that being on the 25th floor, the views and looking down on Albert Park is an attractive outlook and then views out to Waiheke Island over the top of the buildings. It was great to be that high in the building.

“I know others preferred northerly facing because of the afternoon sun aspect but I liked the morning sun and that easterly- facing aspect because of the gardens [ in Albert Park], it was nice positioning.”

Also the Metropolis’ facilities — the gym, the pool and the sauna — appealed.

“I think living there on my own, it was something to do at night, to go to the gym,” he says.

When he finished his work commitment, Richard rented out the freehold apartment. For the past six years it has been rented to the same tenant.

“I guess it is a tribute to the quality and location of the place.”

Now he is selling. “I am about to build a house. It is about taking equity out of a property in Auckland I don’t use and putting it into a build in Queenstown.

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2510/ 1 COURTHOUSE LANE, AUCKLAND CENTRAL SIZE: PRICE GUIDE: BODY CORP: AUCTION: INSPECT:

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“We have painted some walls and put some new carpet in but that’s all it needed because it was a high- quality apartment to start with.”

It has the kitchen, galley- style, on the left as you come in, with the marble benchtop, small oven and DishDrawer. Fridge- freezer, microwave and washing machine and dryer are integrated in cupboards flanking the bench.

On the right is the bathroom with separate shower and bath.

Past the kitchen is the living/ dining and then sliding doors open to or separate living from bedroom. The bedroom has glass doors that open to the view.

“I always thought it was a really good design,” says Richard. “It’s a good use of space and then the separation of the lounge from the bedroom area made it feel a bit bigger, and then the ability to open up the sliding doors and let the outside in — that was also a nice feature.”

He thinks it would be a great entry- level apartment for a young professional working in the city.

“Apartment living is the way the most of the rest of the world lives, and being central in a highquality building is a great lifestyle choice. I certainly enjoyed it.”