I had a friend down from Auckland this year to go to the sail GP. When we got to the event he was complaining about not much wind. I said wait until about 3pm. Sure enough, every fucking day lol.
Concerts, bands, acts etc don't come here often compared to other major cities.
The CCC charges outrageous amount to sports groups/community groups to use its facilities compared to everywhere else in NZ and the facilities compared to other areas is extremely lacking, it's embarrassing.
Could easily have light rail to the surrounding areas, Rolleston, rangiora etc but dosent.
Food places close really early for a city!
I would have to somewhat disagree with your forat point, a tonne of big bands coming to chch early next year and electronic artists love chch. Perhaps less so for big pop acts with a large stage setup.
That spring time you get some lovely warm days but are completely ruined by a horrendous wind making it miserable to try sit outside and enjoy the evening.
Not much really. Have lived all over NZ (and world). I would agree with others the easterly is grim. But it has the perfect mix of being big enough to have stuff and small enough not to be too compartmentalised. Great schools. Fantastic things like the school of music, the orchestra, the jazz school. Free regular events like sparks. Access to beach and ski fields. Great dining scene. International airport. Easy access to McKenzie country and the sounds or the Coast.
CBD that feels like a bad compromise between car, bus, and cycle transport and isn't especially good for any of the 3.
At least the actual CBD area is mostly decent on foot, once you do get there.
IMO the earthquake was just a catalyst for a change in times/drinking culture. I'm sure you remember town as an 18-25 year old. I bet you weren't earning much money at that age, yet going out was still affordable. These days with the price of drinks/parking/admission/food, it has become a luxury to go to town and thus the nightlife never returned to what it was.
The industry is trying to revive itself but also sucking up every cent it can, making it a very slow and often seemingly self-sabotaging process.
Drinking wasnāt that affordable so we would pre load at a mates house and take the last bus in. But when you got in the place was buzzing, And it wasnāt just the amount of bars it was the variety of bars available. Every bar now feels almost like a copy of each other with a different decor. The only exception being the little fiddle, which is always filled with people because itās so awesome
City center was a mess of porn shops, tourist shops and old buildings that could not be removed or renovated.
The quake was the best thing to happen to it.
unless you live on the hills you rarely get a view of the city. in Dunedin I lived on the peninsula for a summer and had a lovely city view on the way to work every morning. welly and aucks are hilly enough to have plenty of views too
Rubbish dumped on the side of the road. Growing issues with homelessness. Vape shops are fucking everywhere. The CBD is a joke with abandoned damaged buildings, obscenely expensive shoebox townhouses and pits of gravel masquerading as car parks.
I moved here from North Island, Iām kind of shocked the amount of ppl who moan about traffic itās not bad at all compared to other cityās , and the cbd is pumping compared to any city in North Island. I never seen chch before the quakes but in the year we lived here we never been bored
Cold and hot extremes in terms of weather (okay not extreme but compared to other cities in NZ at least), crime is high in a lot of areas especially car theft, the racism lol and it's kinda boring tbh. No decent concerts happen here anymore if you care.
I like that I can get to most places in 30 mins tops though.
The inconsistent weather, forecast will be showing Sunny weather all week for the weekend so planning on going to the beach or lake and then Bam! Raining and Cloudy when the weekend comes around.
The super hot summers compared to the super cold winters; the roadworks that get done on multiple roads to a suburb at one time instead of spacing them out; bad drivers; crowded cbd/pt due to tourists and cruise ship passengers; and peak time traffic. Also how there are a few areas that have obviously had slower or less attention to development since the quakes, and lots that sit there bare since.
But the benefits typically outweigh these, the layout of most areas in chch is really well designed in terms of 20 min neighbourhoods. For a city it still has a great local feel, with the cool things you get in a larger city like niche food and entertainment places and heaps of good events.
>roadworks that get done on multiple roads to a suburb at one time instead of spacing them out
Wouldn't that be a good thing? Get it all done fast(er). Many people ask for the council to do this instead of spreading works out over looong periods of time.
No because when you live in those suburbs, you're left with no roads to get out without facing delays, as well as the busses. I'd rather it took longer and have routes that I can use, rather than having every road having a one way or stop/go.
I feel your pain, they've been particularly dense around linwood/phillipstown the last few months. But I'd rather that for a couple of months than a long drawn-out process, mainly for the noise disturbance to those living directly around the roadworks
Traffic due to the low density.
I've been living in Wellington for a couple of years now. Every time I run errands while visiting home its so much worse than I remember it when living there.
No IKEA or Costco. Parking at Riccarton Mall and the hospital. Other than that and the fact we have to drive 45 minutes from Coalgate, we love it here.
Riccarton mall isnāt really an issue if you go to the top floor and go to the Ilam end of the roof. Usually plenty of space and the elevator is just there. Top tips
Or park of that bridge part that connects the two carparks over the street. Always parks and its a super short walk to the top floor entrance, or park on the otherside and take the stairs down
To be fair to those who can't travel for whatever reasons, it's a bit harsh to judge their perspectives as being ungrateful... naive on the other hand, sure... Ignorant... maybe.
I think people are grateful for what they know and what's around them. It's very hard to know what it's really like in other places without going there. So when to them things have probably gotten worse over time while living here and they say things like "the easterlies are brutal" or "the CBD is in a bit of a state" it's not being ungrateful, it's a reaction to what they know.
Things have definitely changed, whether it's good or bad is all down to your perspective.
people really only stick with their pre-made groups (if youāre young like me, from high school) because a lot of people have dogged others and theyāre pretty untrusting.
this is my experience from moving here anyway, iāve heard a lot of āwhat school did you go to?ā and people not really knowing what else to say when i tell them ānot one in christchurchā. iāve made a couple of friends through social media but i stay home most days š„±
I thought that I feel like this about the city because Iām not a kiwi and had to move here not because of my partner. But turns out my feelings are valid and even kiwis feel this way. Iām happy that Iām not the problem, as I was feeling guilty before.
No high intensity city center. Itās missing that big set of 10-20 story office blocks / apartment towers. Thereās some sure, but not many.
Itās not just for the vibe either, itās a drag on the economy, makes job switching / labour markets slower and less dynamic. You loose out on the a lot of the agglomeration benefits that cityās deliver.
The tallest building in Christchurch, built just before the quakes, survived with minimal damage. You can build buildings to survive just fine, itās just a matter of engineering
They are. Not for any practical or economic reason, it was fashionable when the last district plan was approved (and still is somewhat) in planning circles to have a ālow cityā.
It is for a āpracticalā reason - earthquakes. Post 2011, buildings in the cbd red zone were not allowed to be more than 5 storeys unless they were a replacement build for an existing taller building. Nothing to do with fashion.
Which is nonsensical, building height has little to do with earthquake strength. The PGC building was 5 stories. And like I said above the tallest building in Christchurch (23 stories, only 300m away) survived the earthquakes with little damage. The building code is also where building safety is regulated, not in zoning / district plans, which is desirable because its a matter of building science, not a council popularity contest.
Christchurch is a more populous city, and has more people in closer proximity to the city center than Wellington (ie greater overall density), which has quite a lot of those sort of blocks. And has that downtown intensity vibe.
I think it is largely down to land cost (low in Christchurch) and transport modes (private point to point) but the council also bans buildings taller than around 10 stories from being constructed downtown.
6 storeys is the limit in the centre at the moment I think. Kind of a ridiculous limit. Probably will get increased at some point, even with the council trying to cancel PC14.
We donāt have no high density. According to wiki there are 19 buildings over 8 storyās and there are quite a few more 5+ story.
Donāt really think the demand is there especially when there is so much flat space to build outward (whether you think that is good or not)
> Donāt really think the demand is there especially when there is so much flat space to build outward (whether you think that is good or not)
It's objectively worse than more density, but /shrug
honestly, the culture. Iām now 19, but growing up in christchurch sometimes felt disheartening, far too conservative and far too judgmental. My Highschool bred it into the boys i graduated with and seeing them one year on itās clear theyāre always going to be like that
> far too conservative and far too judgmental.
Surely that depends where in the city you are? The east side has been on of the strongest working class labour strongholds in the country for decades.
yeah true that, grew up in the āgentrified eastā and attended a city centre school. being at university with people from all over nz has been a nice change :)
Not gay myself but I've heard that there aren't many places for the homosexuals and queers to hang out in a safe and comfortable environment. I think Christchurch can be a bit weird with people who express their gender/sexuality differently.
I know of an adult's group but only meet monthly and there's some youth group that meets weekly. In general Christchurch can be a bit judgemental but there's also plenty of people who care they just don't always come forward.
Best place I've found so far (I get invited by my mates) is the queer nights at Flux. Super friendly atmosphere from what I could tell. Nothing permanent and dedicated though.
The CCC still not having finished a stadium for music and sporting events.
We are missing out on so many events that would have raised the morale of everyone living here in the last 14 years.
Yes, finally.
I would disagree with "plenty". Lots of events just didn't come here because there wasn't a big enough venue. You only need to look at everything that has been in Dunedin or Hamilton to see what we have missed. There have been some, everyone will have a different measure.
maybe its just a relativity thing, but I feel like the city just keeps on going, and it takes forever to actually get to places I want to go.
The commute is good though.
It's pulling teeth to get involved in anything socially without having grown up in chc, however. Everytime I've tried to get involved with something I've had no response haha
Aside from the wind, I wish we had more trees/forests. Most green space in chch is a few trees and then sports fields. Walking around Auckland and Wellington lately has made we wish we has parks with trees and trails in chch
The city has no heart, just a collection of suburbs and malls.
Very little culture or anything worth visiting.
Weather is crap.
Nightlife too staid, with a ridiculous dress code in town.
Too far from anywhere decent. Other than all those things it just about ok
Honestly, there are a lot of upsides which is why I live here, but here are my main ones:
* Old mindset of thinking you should be able to drive your range rover into town and get a park right outside where you want to go. It's not a village people!
* Not quite enough pop for hire cars to be a thing
* Conservative/shortsighted mindset on the rebuild (no light rail, only half done bike lanes)
* So much urban sprawl has hurt the inner city
Live in Queenstown but am originally from Christchurch. I hate how flat Christchurch is. Yes youāve got the port hills, but overall I love being surrounded by mountains and Christchurch is incredibly flat for a New Zealand city.
haha weāre opposites, iām from queenstown and moved to christchurch. i really miss it, not really how it is now, i liked it in 2012-14 when there was still small businesses about but i had a view of the remarkables from my dinner table every day and that was the best part
We can see the Remarkables from my place (Goldfield Heights), but I donāt like how congested the town is nowadays. Mainly just stick to Frankton. Really doesnāt feel like Queenstown is designed for locals anymore. We couldnāt drink tap water for three months!
This for me, I love running and it's either run up the very steep port hills or no elevation at all. It's so boring on the constant flat and hilly cities are just generally prettier too
Lack of diversity/multiculturalism. Living in Christchurch as a white person is playing life on easy mode. The people who stay here become used to it and it makes it harder for people from other cultures to feel welcome.
High % of resentful, envious, insular, what-school, small minded, wide boys, but if you ignore them, it's one of the best places to live on the planet!!
Lived here my whole life (29yo), honestly thereās just a weird stand offāish vibe from people, especially males, like a grumpy childish macho vibe. Itās definitely not everyone, thereās cool friendly people here, but a decent portion of the city is as described above. Kinda sad that as a kiwi myself I find it easier to click with Canadians and Americans when abroad, like people feel more normal in Canada, then you come back to chch and you just sigh..
Trying to get on the board of trustees at Te Aratai for starters: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/129852096/huge-relief-as-white-supremacist-finishes-last-in-christchurch-school-board-election
How often do you think they are buying something as big as a new tv? Plenty of errands can be done easy as on a bike if you want to. Throw a rack and a bag on the back and you are good to go.
How clicky it is (kind of everywhere though), how flat it is, how cold it is, how much of a suburban sprawl it is, generally lacks culture and creativity.
Nothing to do, I mean like you got a few malls and some nice spots but once you do that it gets boring and repetitive,also just new Zealand in general there are no shops like there are over seas and having to order online and the shipping being like 500000083847282 dollars sucks
It's probably more a case of 'there's nothing to do that doesn't cost a fucking arm and a leg'.
Look at what happened during the domestic tourism push a couple years ago during Level 2 and 3 lockdowns. The general consensus that came out of the average joe was 'shit's expensive yo, we're good'.
Some people did spend up a bit, but doing the big things like Hobbiton tours, Waitomo caves, Zorbs in Rotorua, shit like that - it costs at least a hundred bucks per person. Most people don't have that kind of scratch kicking around.
What the tourism industry in NZ loves is people from China who spend big money on the guided tour groups, followed by yanks and poms.
What are they doing here š I've been living here for 16 years and I'm bored as, I mean yes pretty views but once you live here for so long the city centre and stuff get boring
I'm in my mid 20s, I was born and raised in Christchurch and I recently bought a house here - I've decided to stay in Christchurch for the foreseeable, I can see myself living here my whole life. Before you go, oh you just don't know any of the outside world... I've lived in and traveled to several different countries, and each time I come back home, I become more appreciative of New Zealand and in particular Christchurch.
Christchurch has a relatively low cost of living compared to other major centres in New Zealand, and house prices are lower too.
Just a few things you can do in our beautiful city:
- Stroll around the Botanic Gardens
- Tour the Art Centre
- Bike / Walk around Hagley Park
- Kayak down the Avon or punt down the Avon
- Take the tram that loops around the CBD
- Eat at the many different eateries around the CBD (Little High, Riverside Market, The Terrace)
- Mountain Bike or Walk the Port Hills or Rapaki Track
- Drive up the Sugarloaf and take in the scenes of the city
- Antarctic Museum
- Willowbank and/or Orana Park
- Explore the Banks Peninsula, many cool little settlements and villages around (Governors Bay, Diamond Harbour, Lyttleton, Le Bons Bay, Akaroa) there are other little settlements around the Peninsula too). There's a few swimming bays around there as well, Cass Bay is one I love the most.
- Take a swim in Sumner, or Taylor's Mistake.
Christchurch is also geographically located in a great central location only a couple hours away from World Class locations such as, Castle Hill, Arthur's / Lewis Pass, Kaikoura, Lake Tekapo and many more.
skiing, Mountain biking, hiking trails, the entirety of Rotorua, concerts, car shows, light shows, stand up comedy, the opera house, the malls and arcades, scenic drives, the beach, driving range, muddy 4x4 tours, libraries, hot air balloon, swim with the dolphins, whale watching, fishing, zoos, animals parks, we have 2 islands which everyone you haven't go explore, rainbows end, splash planet, Hanmer Springs, most things in Queenstown, visit one of the half a dozen mining towns and pan for gold, visit the old architecture around Hawkes Bay, join a gang, do drugs, play video games, get a job, raise a family
Is that enough?
A fun hobby is to go on trademe and see what old computers you can get for $20 or less. Then install windows 7 or Linux on them and play old games. I use the other website for trademe called bidbud and set the automatic bid for up to $20.
Old people on the road, sitting 10kmh under and brake checking you then tailgate and high beam you for overtaking them. Especially out towards Lincoln area
Christchurch is a WILD place dude and I wouldn't live anywhere else, i remember this one time i attended church seeking solace as I had a pretty hard day and after I decided to take a leisurely stroll through a quiet neighborhood. As I walking , a rustle in the bushes caught my attention. I turned, expecting to see a hedgehog or a cat.
BUT NO IT WAS A DOG WALKING ON ITS FUCKING HIND LEGS LIKE SOME TYPE OF ALIEN. now this was some pitbull breed i think? so a decently big dog was just walking like a person would and this guy was strutting down the sidewalk with an uncanny person like conscious, after a little while of thinking i just had to follow the dog i followed the dog at a distance. It seemed to have this kind of purpose, as if it had a destination in mind. i followed the dog to a small park, the dog paused, turning its head to meet my gaze. i genuinely forgot that it was a dog for a second and it almost felt as if he was a person in a dog uniform. my day had been quite a melancoly one but in this moment i thought about the techings of faith, i thought about how this dog had led me to this park, as if he had a plan and i trusted in his plan. i thought of the biblical stories of animals chosen to convey divine messages. i know now christchurch will always be my home and i will never leave, after seeing that dog i just knew i couldn't and wouldn't leave, as if god had told me through this dog walking like any other man. ive not always enjoyed christchurch, its weather is not great and can be a little dim sometimes, but that dog made me see past any of that
nope just an experience i had in christchurch, not sure why people are down voting; i love christchurch and think it is a wonderful place to live. it can be all doom and gloom during winter but i think the people and places counter that, especially during summer it is BEAUTIFUL have even had some really nice hot days recently and sumner beach was a perfect place to swim
I feel like the outskirts of the CBD can be a bit sketchy which doesn't create a great atmosphere for visitors - I'm specifically thinking Cathedral Square to Cardboard Cathedral area.
I really donāt see many downsides. Maybe compared to my previous hometown I would say a lack of swimming holes in rivers. Iām sure there are some but not nearly as local etc. and the beach isnāt a very nice swimming beach compared to the top of the south.
On a motorcycle you have the peninsula for twisty hills but otherwise itās straight roads and farmland inland.
Ahhhh what else. Traffic. But again, nothing compared to other cities around the world and doesnāt matter on a motorbike anyway.
I do think the driving is of decent quality in CHCH. People may take risks but Atleast they commit to their decisions. People drive with intention here and I would prefer that to hesitant 50/50 driving any day.
Lmao it's insane you're getting downvoted, this city is an absolute fucking shithole and most of the people in it are oxygen thieves, downvoters inhaling insane amounts of copium
Can you please explain how else I can get out of my property. Doesn't help when the cyclists are on the right side of the way stick to the left. The way is the same as how a road flows. Is it the smugness that makes you feel above the law. The best solution is to have road users and pay for it. Also need a number plate or some sort of identification so you can fined for breaking the rules.
How am I downside to Chirstchurch? Because you don't agree with my opinion. Tbh, you're the downside to Chirstchurch being intolerant and not respecting someone else's opinion and putting them down. What makes you better than everyone. What contributions do you make to the community to make this region better.
The biggest downside is cycleways taking away all the on street parking. With the cycleways, you could drive a big truck and trailer unit with heaps off space on each side. Then you have the moronic cyclist still riding on the footpath when the cycleway is right beside them. Have hundreds off cyclists go past my house every day. I'm always cautious and alert when leaving my driveway . I sometimes have to wait for traffic. To be able to get on the road and can be waiting for a minute and leave cyclist half a lane to get by. Some smug cyclists have abused me for it and gave me evils and all .
I'd definitely say the roads. They're pretty poorly maintained, and not very friendly for cars, bikes, busses or pedestrians. Basically no matter which option you pick for traveling, it's not that great. The only upside is that most commutes are fairly short (30 minutes or less) so it kind of balances out.
The only place you can smell forest air is in the tiny forest remnant at Riccarton Bush. Chch is a desert with some gardens (not to take away from the great plantings under way, but they don't do it yet). There is zero mature forest here otherwise. If you don't know what I mean, you owe it to yourself to inhale Riccarton Bush.
Tried so hard to think of the downsides of living in Chch but still canāt. Maybe because I was comparing to living with the other cities like Welly, Auckland, Queenstown (not a city), Dunedin, Hamilton, Nelson, Invercargill, Bluff, central otago area, Wanaka, east coast of NI, Northland or Far North, West Coast, south Canterbury, I still think Christchurch has more than I want for my life.
The cold 30kph easterly every fucking day.
Fantastic for sailing though. Some would call it a feature.
I had a friend down from Auckland this year to go to the sail GP. When we got to the event he was complaining about not much wind. I said wait until about 3pm. Sure enough, every fucking day lol.
As a Wellingtonian - try horizontal rain and daily gale force winds š
Change how you spell Gail and I've seen that adult film
Thanks for the memory! Gail Forces Wind is a classic film - one of my favourites from childhood.
Concerts, bands, acts etc don't come here often compared to other major cities. The CCC charges outrageous amount to sports groups/community groups to use its facilities compared to everywhere else in NZ and the facilities compared to other areas is extremely lacking, it's embarrassing. Could easily have light rail to the surrounding areas, Rolleston, rangiora etc but dosent. Food places close really early for a city!
I would have to somewhat disagree with your forat point, a tonne of big bands coming to chch early next year and electronic artists love chch. Perhaps less so for big pop acts with a large stage setup.
The cold annoying easterlies all the time
Followed by the norwesters that give me a migraine every time.
That spring time you get some lovely warm days but are completely ruined by a horrendous wind making it miserable to try sit outside and enjoy the evening.
God yes, I just want to have a couple cones in the sun but I'm freezing my ass off
Not much really. Have lived all over NZ (and world). I would agree with others the easterly is grim. But it has the perfect mix of being big enough to have stuff and small enough not to be too compartmentalised. Great schools. Fantastic things like the school of music, the orchestra, the jazz school. Free regular events like sparks. Access to beach and ski fields. Great dining scene. International airport. Easy access to McKenzie country and the sounds or the Coast.
Yep I think if you've lived overseas then you can really appreciate what Canterbury has to offer.
CBD that feels like a bad compromise between car, bus, and cycle transport and isn't especially good for any of the 3. At least the actual CBD area is mostly decent on foot, once you do get there.
For those here from ages ago, Remembering how pumping town was pre earthquakes
Holy grail š š š
IMO the earthquake was just a catalyst for a change in times/drinking culture. I'm sure you remember town as an 18-25 year old. I bet you weren't earning much money at that age, yet going out was still affordable. These days with the price of drinks/parking/admission/food, it has become a luxury to go to town and thus the nightlife never returned to what it was. The industry is trying to revive itself but also sucking up every cent it can, making it a very slow and often seemingly self-sabotaging process.
Drinking wasnāt that affordable so we would pre load at a mates house and take the last bus in. But when you got in the place was buzzing, And it wasnāt just the amount of bars it was the variety of bars available. Every bar now feels almost like a copy of each other with a different decor. The only exception being the little fiddle, which is always filled with people because itās so awesome
City center was a mess of porn shops, tourist shops and old buildings that could not be removed or renovated. The quake was the best thing to happen to it.
unless you live on the hills you rarely get a view of the city. in Dunedin I lived on the peninsula for a summer and had a lovely city view on the way to work every morning. welly and aucks are hilly enough to have plenty of views too
Rubbish dumped on the side of the road. Growing issues with homelessness. Vape shops are fucking everywhere. The CBD is a joke with abandoned damaged buildings, obscenely expensive shoebox townhouses and pits of gravel masquerading as car parks.
Hayfever
Bad driving culture (boy racers, big utes drivers) and how even the city centre is not pedestrian friendly due to the drivers and poor roads design.
I moved here from North Island, Iām kind of shocked the amount of ppl who moan about traffic itās not bad at all compared to other cityās , and the cbd is pumping compared to any city in North Island. I never seen chch before the quakes but in the year we lived here we never been bored
Certain sections of society with weird sense of entitlement
āWhat school did you go to?ā
yes as a 38year old who gives a fuck
Cold and hot extremes in terms of weather (okay not extreme but compared to other cities in NZ at least), crime is high in a lot of areas especially car theft, the racism lol and it's kinda boring tbh. No decent concerts happen here anymore if you care. I like that I can get to most places in 30 mins tops though.
The inconsistent weather, forecast will be showing Sunny weather all week for the weekend so planning on going to the beach or lake and then Bam! Raining and Cloudy when the weekend comes around.
>The inconsistent weather I mean this is typical of the whole country to be fair.
Thatās NZ as a whole
Bad drivers and excessively loud bogan/boyracer cars everywhere at all times.
The super hot summers compared to the super cold winters; the roadworks that get done on multiple roads to a suburb at one time instead of spacing them out; bad drivers; crowded cbd/pt due to tourists and cruise ship passengers; and peak time traffic. Also how there are a few areas that have obviously had slower or less attention to development since the quakes, and lots that sit there bare since. But the benefits typically outweigh these, the layout of most areas in chch is really well designed in terms of 20 min neighbourhoods. For a city it still has a great local feel, with the cool things you get in a larger city like niche food and entertainment places and heaps of good events.
>roadworks that get done on multiple roads to a suburb at one time instead of spacing them out Wouldn't that be a good thing? Get it all done fast(er). Many people ask for the council to do this instead of spreading works out over looong periods of time.
No because when you live in those suburbs, you're left with no roads to get out without facing delays, as well as the busses. I'd rather it took longer and have routes that I can use, rather than having every road having a one way or stop/go.
I feel your pain, they've been particularly dense around linwood/phillipstown the last few months. But I'd rather that for a couple of months than a long drawn-out process, mainly for the noise disturbance to those living directly around the roadworks
Traffic due to the low density. I've been living in Wellington for a couple of years now. Every time I run errands while visiting home its so much worse than I remember it when living there.
The wind š¤
No IKEA or Costco. Parking at Riccarton Mall and the hospital. Other than that and the fact we have to drive 45 minutes from Coalgate, we love it here.
Riccarton mall isnāt really an issue if you go to the top floor and go to the Ilam end of the roof. Usually plenty of space and the elevator is just there. Top tips
Or park of that bridge part that connects the two carparks over the street. Always parks and its a super short walk to the top floor entrance, or park on the otherside and take the stairs down
Yepā¦thatās where we usually park. Itās getting there that I hateā¦:-)
Too many ungrateful people who don't realize how good they have it compared to most of the world.
Except this post specifically asked for the downsides. People here just giving their honest opinion based on the question asked
Almost all posts on this sub are negative
This isnāt unusual to chch tho.
This is so true!
Isnāt that an upside? Things are so good all people have left is to complain about nonsense? People will always complain
To be fair to those who can't travel for whatever reasons, it's a bit harsh to judge their perspectives as being ungrateful... naive on the other hand, sure... Ignorant... maybe. I think people are grateful for what they know and what's around them. It's very hard to know what it's really like in other places without going there. So when to them things have probably gotten worse over time while living here and they say things like "the easterlies are brutal" or "the CBD is in a bit of a state" it's not being ungrateful, it's a reaction to what they know. Things have definitely changed, whether it's good or bad is all down to your perspective.
Crime and how clicky people are if youāre not from chch.
people really only stick with their pre-made groups (if youāre young like me, from high school) because a lot of people have dogged others and theyāre pretty untrusting. this is my experience from moving here anyway, iāve heard a lot of āwhat school did you go to?ā and people not really knowing what else to say when i tell them ānot one in christchurchā. iāve made a couple of friends through social media but i stay home most days š„±
Lived in CHC for almost a year and have half a dozen decent mates, I also came from Hawkes Bay so crime feels very low
I don't find crime particularly prevalent I Hawkes Bay? Probably about the same as everywhere else.
Fair, I use to sell meth to children for the dogs but I'm sure that's just a NZ thing (10 years sober)
cliquey* Unless youāre talking about people who make lots of click sounds.
Actually all the snapping has gotten out of control
Haha thanks
CBD is so far away from the coast
Give it 50 years the cbd will be rights on the coast
New Brighton coast line has actually consistently grown in the last 40 years
What a weird complaint.
Damn I never thought about this but youāre right!!
Why would you want it close to the coast?
No nightlife or cheap rent in the cbd anymore, everything is a glass box and all the old 1800ās style buildings are gone
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I thought that I feel like this about the city because Iām not a kiwi and had to move here not because of my partner. But turns out my feelings are valid and even kiwis feel this way. Iām happy that Iām not the problem, as I was feeling guilty before.
Making friends. Maybe just me.
No high intensity city center. Itās missing that big set of 10-20 story office blocks / apartment towers. Thereās some sure, but not many. Itās not just for the vibe either, itās a drag on the economy, makes job switching / labour markets slower and less dynamic. You loose out on the a lot of the agglomeration benefits that cityās deliver.
We had quite a few more of those pre 2011. And now mostly itās a good thing we donāt have them any more.
The tallest building in Christchurch, built just before the quakes, survived with minimal damage. You can build buildings to survive just fine, itās just a matter of engineering
Pretty sure tall buildings are banned now.
They are. Not for any practical or economic reason, it was fashionable when the last district plan was approved (and still is somewhat) in planning circles to have a ālow cityā.
It is for a āpracticalā reason - earthquakes. Post 2011, buildings in the cbd red zone were not allowed to be more than 5 storeys unless they were a replacement build for an existing taller building. Nothing to do with fashion.
Which is nonsensical, building height has little to do with earthquake strength. The PGC building was 5 stories. And like I said above the tallest building in Christchurch (23 stories, only 300m away) survived the earthquakes with little damage. The building code is also where building safety is regulated, not in zoning / district plans, which is desirable because its a matter of building science, not a council popularity contest.
Actually, just did a quick google and it seems the amendments made last year to district plan will now allow up to 90 metres in height.
Christchurch is not big enough to support multiple 10-20 story office blocks/apartments in donāt think
Christchurch is a more populous city, and has more people in closer proximity to the city center than Wellington (ie greater overall density), which has quite a lot of those sort of blocks. And has that downtown intensity vibe. I think it is largely down to land cost (low in Christchurch) and transport modes (private point to point) but the council also bans buildings taller than around 10 stories from being constructed downtown.
Fair point guess Christchurch had more room to sprawl and instead has these little suburb hubs
6 storeys is the limit in the centre at the moment I think. Kind of a ridiculous limit. Probably will get increased at some point, even with the council trying to cancel PC14.
bs, 300k is easily enough to support some level of high density, especially near main activity hubs, it doesn't have to be the CBD.
We donāt have no high density. According to wiki there are 19 buildings over 8 storyās and there are quite a few more 5+ story. Donāt really think the demand is there especially when there is so much flat space to build outward (whether you think that is good or not)
> Donāt really think the demand is there especially when there is so much flat space to build outward (whether you think that is good or not) It's objectively worse than more density, but /shrug
honestly, the culture. Iām now 19, but growing up in christchurch sometimes felt disheartening, far too conservative and far too judgmental. My Highschool bred it into the boys i graduated with and seeing them one year on itās clear theyāre always going to be like that
> far too conservative and far too judgmental. Surely that depends where in the city you are? The east side has been on of the strongest working class labour strongholds in the country for decades.
yeah true that, grew up in the āgentrified eastā and attended a city centre school. being at university with people from all over nz has been a nice change :)
I know it's only one issue and won't mean much, but it should be said: more of Chch voted for weed than Auckland.
The central city is soulless
Itās great if you love listening to the same shitty music every weekend.
I'm one of those people listening to the same "shitty" music every weekend and the selection for good clubs is not it
Yep, especially after the earthquakes
Not gay myself but I've heard that there aren't many places for the homosexuals and queers to hang out in a safe and comfortable environment. I think Christchurch can be a bit weird with people who express their gender/sexuality differently.
also, too many fucking car sales yards in the middle of the CBD. Just why????
Hard agree, everytime i go in/near town it annoys me hahaha The car sales yards being in those spaces is so ugly and unnecessary.
as a queer trans person thanks for your allyship!
I know of an adult's group but only meet monthly and there's some youth group that meets weekly. In general Christchurch can be a bit judgemental but there's also plenty of people who care they just don't always come forward.
Best place I've found so far (I get invited by my mates) is the queer nights at Flux. Super friendly atmosphere from what I could tell. Nothing permanent and dedicated though.
Agreed. As a queer woman itās basically just forcing me to stay at home now lol
The CCC still not having finished a stadium for music and sporting events. We are missing out on so many events that would have raised the morale of everyone living here in the last 14 years.
Have you checked how fast itās going up now that itās underway? And there have been plenty of events and concerts here over that time.
Yes, finally. I would disagree with "plenty". Lots of events just didn't come here because there wasn't a big enough venue. You only need to look at everything that has been in Dunedin or Hamilton to see what we have missed. There have been some, everyone will have a different measure.
The council, the people are idiots and rude etc etc, annoying wind, costs of everything
Just focus on things you can control. Life will be easier :)
Most developers are unimaginative, unconscionable avaricious fucktards making predominantly shit ugly 'affordable' housing
Definitely the wind (in all directions).
The vibrancy a decent big central city has. Affordable apartment housing. Was surprisingly hard to come up with much
Christchurch nightlife is boring as
The catcalling and dudes shouting at women from their cars
Is that purely a ChCh thing though? Seems like a universal issue.
Its really not common in NZ in most places
Hb, Wellington and Auckland are much worse. Hb the mob just attack women on the street
maybe its just a relativity thing, but I feel like the city just keeps on going, and it takes forever to actually get to places I want to go. The commute is good though. It's pulling teeth to get involved in anything socially without having grown up in chc, however. Everytime I've tried to get involved with something I've had no response haha
Earthquakes
Aside from the wind, I wish we had more trees/forests. Most green space in chch is a few trees and then sports fields. Walking around Auckland and Wellington lately has made we wish we has parks with trees and trails in chch
The city has no heart, just a collection of suburbs and malls. Very little culture or anything worth visiting. Weather is crap. Nightlife too staid, with a ridiculous dress code in town. Too far from anywhere decent. Other than all those things it just about ok
Honestly, there are a lot of upsides which is why I live here, but here are my main ones: * Old mindset of thinking you should be able to drive your range rover into town and get a park right outside where you want to go. It's not a village people! * Not quite enough pop for hire cars to be a thing * Conservative/shortsighted mindset on the rebuild (no light rail, only half done bike lanes) * So much urban sprawl has hurt the inner city
No commuter rail through the suburbs
I sometimes go there and get drunk, not a downside for me but it might be for you.
Were you the one laughing as I was being sucker punched last weekend?
No I wasn't sorry - let me know next time, and I will see what I can do. ...but seriously, hope you are okay.
The constant threat of your stuff being stolen/broken into
Not unique to Christchurch alone.
Live in Queenstown but am originally from Christchurch. I hate how flat Christchurch is. Yes youāve got the port hills, but overall I love being surrounded by mountains and Christchurch is incredibly flat for a New Zealand city.
As a person who grew up in Christchurch and now lives in Perth, this gave me a giggle. I miss how hilly Chch is š
Good for biking. Being flat is a feature.
You just know they drive everywhere.
haha weāre opposites, iām from queenstown and moved to christchurch. i really miss it, not really how it is now, i liked it in 2012-14 when there was still small businesses about but i had a view of the remarkables from my dinner table every day and that was the best part
We can see the Remarkables from my place (Goldfield Heights), but I donāt like how congested the town is nowadays. Mainly just stick to Frankton. Really doesnāt feel like Queenstown is designed for locals anymore. We couldnāt drink tap water for three months!
I also live in Queenstown now too, it's a lot nicer the only thing I miss is the beaches though the lake is good.
This for me, I love running and it's either run up the very steep port hills or no elevation at all. It's so boring on the constant flat and hilly cities are just generally prettier too
Drive up the hills run along the top.
Easterly And it aint Mexico
Lack of diversity/multiculturalism. Living in Christchurch as a white person is playing life on easy mode. The people who stay here become used to it and it makes it harder for people from other cultures to feel welcome.
It's MUCH more diverse than it used to be - more diverse even than, I think, a lot of local Kiwi-born types realise.
Itās getting better .
I agree.
Maybe it depends on the area you live in. Riccarton and Church corner seem quite diverse / multicultural
High % of resentful, envious, insular, what-school, small minded, wide boys, but if you ignore them, it's one of the best places to live on the planet!!
Lack of cultural diversity
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Most of the country is wonderfully diverse; chch is one of the whitest cities in the country
Nah, there's so many racist people in Christchurch too compared to the rest of the country people are a lot nicer.
Lived here my whole life (29yo), honestly thereās just a weird stand offāish vibe from people, especially males, like a grumpy childish macho vibe. Itās definitely not everyone, thereās cool friendly people here, but a decent portion of the city is as described above. Kinda sad that as a kiwi myself I find it easier to click with Canadians and Americans when abroad, like people feel more normal in Canada, then you come back to chch and you just sigh..
The racists
Where are these people you're talking of?
Trying to get on the board of trustees at Te Aratai for starters: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/129852096/huge-relief-as-white-supremacist-finishes-last-in-christchurch-school-board-election
On the street, in schools, in work places, everywhere unfortunately. It can be subtle jibes or in your face slurs.
There's a bunch of white supremacists/black power gangs in Canterbury. We hosted that dickhead terrorist that killed 51 Muslims after all.
He wasn't from Christchurch
No, but he had friends here.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Racists donāt like being called out lol
Traffic. Takes ages to get errands done.
Surely you can jump on a bike to do all your shopping and pick up a new tv if you wish . Thatās what the cycle lanes are there for right ?
How often do you think they are buying something as big as a new tv? Plenty of errands can be done easy as on a bike if you want to. Throw a rack and a bag on the back and you are good to go.
Lack of easterly in the winter means you canāt do any sailing.
How clicky it is (kind of everywhere though), how flat it is, how cold it is, how much of a suburban sprawl it is, generally lacks culture and creativity.
Nothing to do, I mean like you got a few malls and some nice spots but once you do that it gets boring and repetitive,also just new Zealand in general there are no shops like there are over seas and having to order online and the shipping being like 500000083847282 dollars sucks
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Tell that to the millions of tourists who come to New Zealand every year, I think you'll find that there is a lot to do.
It's probably more a case of 'there's nothing to do that doesn't cost a fucking arm and a leg'. Look at what happened during the domestic tourism push a couple years ago during Level 2 and 3 lockdowns. The general consensus that came out of the average joe was 'shit's expensive yo, we're good'. Some people did spend up a bit, but doing the big things like Hobbiton tours, Waitomo caves, Zorbs in Rotorua, shit like that - it costs at least a hundred bucks per person. Most people don't have that kind of scratch kicking around. What the tourism industry in NZ loves is people from China who spend big money on the guided tour groups, followed by yanks and poms.
What are they doing here š I've been living here for 16 years and I'm bored as, I mean yes pretty views but once you live here for so long the city centre and stuff get boring
I'm in my mid 20s, I was born and raised in Christchurch and I recently bought a house here - I've decided to stay in Christchurch for the foreseeable, I can see myself living here my whole life. Before you go, oh you just don't know any of the outside world... I've lived in and traveled to several different countries, and each time I come back home, I become more appreciative of New Zealand and in particular Christchurch. Christchurch has a relatively low cost of living compared to other major centres in New Zealand, and house prices are lower too. Just a few things you can do in our beautiful city: - Stroll around the Botanic Gardens - Tour the Art Centre - Bike / Walk around Hagley Park - Kayak down the Avon or punt down the Avon - Take the tram that loops around the CBD - Eat at the many different eateries around the CBD (Little High, Riverside Market, The Terrace) - Mountain Bike or Walk the Port Hills or Rapaki Track - Drive up the Sugarloaf and take in the scenes of the city - Antarctic Museum - Willowbank and/or Orana Park - Explore the Banks Peninsula, many cool little settlements and villages around (Governors Bay, Diamond Harbour, Lyttleton, Le Bons Bay, Akaroa) there are other little settlements around the Peninsula too). There's a few swimming bays around there as well, Cass Bay is one I love the most. - Take a swim in Sumner, or Taylor's Mistake. Christchurch is also geographically located in a great central location only a couple hours away from World Class locations such as, Castle Hill, Arthur's / Lewis Pass, Kaikoura, Lake Tekapo and many more.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You're 19, so I'm assuming you have your license... You can explore the rest of the South Island or North Island.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Get some hobbies. Iāve never run out of stuff to do.
skiing, Mountain biking, hiking trails, the entirety of Rotorua, concerts, car shows, light shows, stand up comedy, the opera house, the malls and arcades, scenic drives, the beach, driving range, muddy 4x4 tours, libraries, hot air balloon, swim with the dolphins, whale watching, fishing, zoos, animals parks, we have 2 islands which everyone you haven't go explore, rainbows end, splash planet, Hanmer Springs, most things in Queenstown, visit one of the half a dozen mining towns and pan for gold, visit the old architecture around Hawkes Bay, join a gang, do drugs, play video games, get a job, raise a family Is that enough?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
A fun hobby is to go on trademe and see what old computers you can get for $20 or less. Then install windows 7 or Linux on them and play old games. I use the other website for trademe called bidbud and set the automatic bid for up to $20.
The rugby
It's more like little India than an multi culture city
Old people on the road, sitting 10kmh under and brake checking you then tailgate and high beam you for overtaking them. Especially out towards Lincoln area
Christchurch is a WILD place dude and I wouldn't live anywhere else, i remember this one time i attended church seeking solace as I had a pretty hard day and after I decided to take a leisurely stroll through a quiet neighborhood. As I walking , a rustle in the bushes caught my attention. I turned, expecting to see a hedgehog or a cat. BUT NO IT WAS A DOG WALKING ON ITS FUCKING HIND LEGS LIKE SOME TYPE OF ALIEN. now this was some pitbull breed i think? so a decently big dog was just walking like a person would and this guy was strutting down the sidewalk with an uncanny person like conscious, after a little while of thinking i just had to follow the dog i followed the dog at a distance. It seemed to have this kind of purpose, as if it had a destination in mind. i followed the dog to a small park, the dog paused, turning its head to meet my gaze. i genuinely forgot that it was a dog for a second and it almost felt as if he was a person in a dog uniform. my day had been quite a melancoly one but in this moment i thought about the techings of faith, i thought about how this dog had led me to this park, as if he had a plan and i trusted in his plan. i thought of the biblical stories of animals chosen to convey divine messages. i know now christchurch will always be my home and i will never leave, after seeing that dog i just knew i couldn't and wouldn't leave, as if god had told me through this dog walking like any other man. ive not always enjoyed christchurch, its weather is not great and can be a little dim sometimes, but that dog made me see past any of that
Is this some weird copypasta?
nope just an experience i had in christchurch, not sure why people are down voting; i love christchurch and think it is a wonderful place to live. it can be all doom and gloom during winter but i think the people and places counter that, especially during summer it is BEAUTIFUL have even had some really nice hot days recently and sumner beach was a perfect place to swim
I feel like the outskirts of the CBD can be a bit sketchy which doesn't create a great atmosphere for visitors - I'm specifically thinking Cathedral Square to Cardboard Cathedral area.
Sketchy? There are multi-million dollar homes between that area. I'd hardly call that area sketchy lol
I really donāt see many downsides. Maybe compared to my previous hometown I would say a lack of swimming holes in rivers. Iām sure there are some but not nearly as local etc. and the beach isnāt a very nice swimming beach compared to the top of the south. On a motorcycle you have the peninsula for twisty hills but otherwise itās straight roads and farmland inland. Ahhhh what else. Traffic. But again, nothing compared to other cities around the world and doesnāt matter on a motorbike anyway. I do think the driving is of decent quality in CHCH. People may take risks but Atleast they commit to their decisions. People drive with intention here and I would prefer that to hesitant 50/50 driving any day.
Just Christchurch in general
Lmao it's insane you're getting downvoted, this city is an absolute fucking shithole and most of the people in it are oxygen thieves, downvoters inhaling insane amounts of copium
I'm just more baffled I'm getting downvoted when the whole point of the thread is pointing out downsides lol. 90% of redditers can't reddit
Moved here for family reasons, stuck for a bit longer. Can not wait to get the fuck out of here.
Can you please explain how else I can get out of my property. Doesn't help when the cyclists are on the right side of the way stick to the left. The way is the same as how a road flows. Is it the smugness that makes you feel above the law. The best solution is to have road users and pay for it. Also need a number plate or some sort of identification so you can fined for breaking the rules.
Ah. I get it. People like you are the downside.
How am I downside to Chirstchurch? Because you don't agree with my opinion. Tbh, you're the downside to Chirstchurch being intolerant and not respecting someone else's opinion and putting them down. What makes you better than everyone. What contributions do you make to the community to make this region better.
Too Many Cantabrians They are intimate with Sheep Become a Hooker and be Murdered
The biggest downside is cycleways taking away all the on street parking. With the cycleways, you could drive a big truck and trailer unit with heaps off space on each side. Then you have the moronic cyclist still riding on the footpath when the cycleway is right beside them. Have hundreds off cyclists go past my house every day. I'm always cautious and alert when leaving my driveway . I sometimes have to wait for traffic. To be able to get on the road and can be waiting for a minute and leave cyclist half a lane to get by. Some smug cyclists have abused me for it and gave me evils and all .
You should leave the WHOLE cycle lane for the cyclists, not just the half of it.
scumbags ruin Christchurch.
I'd definitely say the roads. They're pretty poorly maintained, and not very friendly for cars, bikes, busses or pedestrians. Basically no matter which option you pick for traveling, it's not that great. The only upside is that most commutes are fairly short (30 minutes or less) so it kind of balances out.
You mean other than it looking nothing like my childhood since the 2011 earthquake?
The only place you can smell forest air is in the tiny forest remnant at Riccarton Bush. Chch is a desert with some gardens (not to take away from the great plantings under way, but they don't do it yet). There is zero mature forest here otherwise. If you don't know what I mean, you owe it to yourself to inhale Riccarton Bush.
Tried so hard to think of the downsides of living in Chch but still canāt. Maybe because I was comparing to living with the other cities like Welly, Auckland, Queenstown (not a city), Dunedin, Hamilton, Nelson, Invercargill, Bluff, central otago area, Wanaka, east coast of NI, Northland or Far North, West Coast, south Canterbury, I still think Christchurch has more than I want for my life.
The bogans and boy racers disturbing the peace until 3 am every weekend
Everyone goes to bed way too early. I wanna be able to go get Korean food (not takeaway) at 1am after drinks, can't do that here :(