Parnell Village

Safe, friendly, and full of character, Parnell Village is a very pleasant place to enjoy a coffee or do a little bit of shopping. It amazes me that Parnell Village can exist so close to downtown without being brought down by weirdos. Just one kilometer down the road is like New Zealand’s hub of weirdo anonymity, weird faces from weird places — maybe it is the hill that leads up to Parnell from downtown which deters them. Parnell Village’s punter population is for the most part well dressed, well groomed, with smiles on their faces. The majority of the stores are independently owned, and a lot of the clothing places boutique. It can be kind of difficult to find a park on Parnell Rise but if you search the side streets you usually get lucky.

Parnell is dubbed the ‘Creative Quarter’ and it’s easy to see why. There are several shops selling original art and high end ceramic shops like Galtons. The ‘village’ is that picturesque bit towards the top end of Parnell Road with beautiful old houses that look like something from a village in Cape Cod. It’s a lovely place to stop for a coffee or perhaps a hot chocolate and watch all the posh types going about their business. I can’t recall the name of the café but we came here once and got ‘churros con chocolate’ for breakfast. This is a Spanish speciality where you dip these doughnut things in hot chocolate. Not very healthy but delicious. There are lots of treasures to be found if you walk down the lanes — charming shops, cafes and restaurants. There’s an excellent souvenir shop called ‘The Elephant House’ down here too which is great for gifts. Problem is it’s off the beaten track so I reckon a lot of tourists miss it.

If I was shooting a movie about the Victorian era, I’d be scouting this place. Filled with independently owned shops, big antique doorways, cobblestones, beautiful music floating in the air, iron winding stairwells and lovely sweet smells from the Chocolate Shop, it’s a nice place to explore. There’s Highwic, an old historical house to visit (it has odd hours, so be sure to find out in advance), beautiful churches, nice restaurants (check out Shanghai Lils and Strawberry Alarmclock) and lots of roses. Antique stores, gift shops and extremely expensive clothing boutiques if you’re in a spendy mood!
Here they also have the Li Cigale French market every Saturday morning if you’re looking for some European treats.

Parnell village is a cute little shopping centre on the main Parnell rise, with renovated historic buildings housing modern businesses such as cafes, art galleries and nail boutiques. Its cobbled courtyards and hanging vines add character and definite cute factor.
Some of Parnell’s best-​known shops and restaurants are located in the historic village; Antoine’s, the Chocolate Boutique and Thai Friends. I’ve also seen a number of people use it as a location for their wedding photos.
Many of the original and beautiful buildings have been kept along the main Parnell Rd, making it a great place to explore on a sunny weekend, along with the many great cafes/​restaurants to try out.