Grenada Village
Affordable first homes, blessed with sunshine
Overview
Grenada Village is situated just south of its namesake, Grenada North. Amazingly, the two suburbs are not linked. The village has fared much better over the years, linked by road to neighbouring Newlands, and its good base of amenities and schools. Recently linked directly to State Highway One, the village has seen an explosion in residential building. The area is now the thrust for Wellington City Council’s planned urban growth. The suburb receives excellent sunlight and has some attractive reserves, while housing remains affordable. There is a strong community spirit too.
Best Suited To
First home buyers, those wanting an easy link onto State Highway One.
Population Profile
Grenada Village has four times as many households as Grenada North. The population has grown by almost 27% since the 2006 census. Most of this growth will have occurred in the northern part of the suburb, where many new homes have been erected. The area is very popular with young families. It’s also culturally diverse, having a higher than average number of non-Europeans, but in particular, Asian families.
The unemployment rate is quite low, although the number of people with university degrees is significantly lower than the Wellington average. This suggests that residents are likely to be employed in non-professional roles. Statistics confirm this, showing that clerical workers, and those working in trade and technical roles, are above average.
Typical Homes
Grenada Village was developed from the late 1970s with most housing erected in the period up to 1985. Older homes here are single or two level, typically of lower cost construction using products such as cement weatherboards and chipped tile roofing.
There are some larger, architecturally designed homes, but these are not the norm. It is obvious that there is a high level of ownership pride in the suburb, as houses and sites are nearly always tidy and well presented.
The late 2000s saw a flurry of new building activity at the top of Mark Avenue, when the link to State Highway One was created. These new or near-new homes are single or two level, mostly of weatherboard construction, double glazed, and often with built-in garaging.
Amenities
There are no shops within Grenada Village itself. There is a large shopping mall in Johnsonville, five to ten minutes’ drive to the southwest. The neighbouring suburb of Paparangi has some small, convenience type shopping. A Countdown supermarket situated off the Tawa exit from State Highway One can be easily accessed in five minutes by vehicle.
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There are no schools in Grenada Village. The nearest primary school is located in Paparangi, a short drive to the south or about 15 minutes’ walk away. The nearest secondary schools are Newlands College or Onslow College to the southwest.
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Seton Rossiter Park is a popular outdoor recreation area for locals, situated at the entry to Grenada Village. This park is set in a gully that includes a stream, flat grass areas, picnic tables and walking tracks. Mandeville Crescent contains a small community park that includes a children’s playground, tennis courts, and a community hall. There are larger, level playing fields at Mark Avenue Park.
Real Estate Trends
There are two distinct property markets in Grenada Village. Original homes from the 1970s and 1980s typically sell between $650,000 and $900,000 depending on their size and condition. Newer homes to the north of the suburb tend to sell in the $1 million to $1.3 million range, again depending on their size and quality of fitout.
Best Streets
Arima Place contains a few larger, older homes on bigger sections. The street is a short cul-de-sac with no passing traffic, well orientated for all day sun.
House Prices
Older three bed house, from $650,000.
Newer three bed house, from $1 million
Older four bed house, from $800,000.
Newer four bed house, from $1.2 million
Travel Times
Central city – driving 12 minutes non-peak, 25 minutes peak.
Airport – driving 25 minutes non-peak.
Hutt Valley – driving 15-20 minutes via Ngauranga Gorge.
Weather
Grenada Village faces west and is a great spot for all day sunlight. On a good day it’s hard to beat. However, being a hilltop suburb, those houses exposed to the north will suffer when the wind blows.