North Shore, New Zealand
From Open Encyclopedia
| North Shore | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image:North Shore Territorial Authority.png | ||
| Territorial Authority | Name | North Shore City |
| Population | 209,300 | |
| Extent | ||
| Regional Council | Name | Auckland |
Image:NZ-NorthShoreCity.pngNorth Shore City (usually informally just the North Shore, or sometimes The Shore, North Harbour or North Auckland) in New Zealand is one of several officially recognised cities in the Auckland metropolitan area, and the fourth largest city by area in the country, though the Auckland conurbation is usually thought of as being a single city by its residents, but North Shore residents are the least likely to accept this.
North Shore is bounded by the Waitemata Harbour to the south and the Rangitoto Channel of the Hauraki Gulf to the east. The Auckland Harbour Bridge connects it to Auckland City on the south side of the Waitemata Harbour. Devonport is home to the main base of the Royal New Zealand Navy and Albany is home to Massey University's Auckland campus.
The seat of the North Shore City Council is in Takapuna. The city is divided into three wards, Harbour, Northern and Central, and each ward is further divided into two community boards. Inner suburbs include *Milford, Takapuna, Belmont, Devonport, Bayswater, Northcote, Birkenhead, Highbury, Hillcrest, Glenfield, Wairau Valley, Westlake and Forrest Hill. Outer suburbs include Birkdale, Beach Haven, North Harbour, Albany, Long Bay*, Torbay*, Waiake*, Browns Bay*, Rothesay Bay*, Murrays Bay*, Mairangi Bay*, Campbells Bay* and Castor Bay. Those with an asterisk, along with several other minor beaches on the Hauraki Gulf coast, are collectively known as East Coast Bays.
The East Coast Bays boasts some of the most expensive real estate in New Zealand. Running North from Takapuna Beach to Milford, the stretch of coast is often referred to as "the million dollar mile" and many properties there have sold for several million dollars (NZ$) particularly because of the fine beaches, popular schools and shopping centres.
Commuting within the North Shore itself can be done relatively easily, but those who commute to Auckland City and need to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge face severe traffic congestion. The alternative route through western suburbs is also prone to nose-to-tail traffic at peak times. As with the greater Auckland area, there has been discussion regarding the problem at both national and local government levels.
The last five years have seen tremendous growth in the Albany area. This once quiet rural suburb has become the commercial centre of the North Shore. A number of retailers have built "super stores" in the area, anticipating ongoing commercial growth and expansion. The area has also experienced the construction of intense cheaper housing, and thousands of acres of farmland has been turned into mini-suburbs comprising hundreds of houses all of a similar design. As such, the Albany area has attracted hundreds of millions of investment dollars.
The North Shore continues to expand northwards. The township of Orewa, 25 kilometres north of Takapuna, was once something of a holiday resort. It is now linked by the Northern Motorway and will eventually be swallowed up in the North Shore's northward expansion.
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