Welcome to the third and final part of this series, where I am trying to find the best mall in Auckland! This part features all malls on the Auckland Central Isthmus (east of New Lynn), meaning there are 10 malls featured in this part. For Part 1 (North & West) click here, and for Part 2 (South & East) click here. As well as ranking the 10 malls in Central Auckland, there will also be an overall ranking of all malls in Auckland at the end, to see which truly is the best.
To quickly recap, for the purpose of this series, a mall is any enclosed, commercial building or complex with multiple stores and food outlets, a shared parking area, and an anchor tenant. Using this definition means it is fair to compare all malls on the four categories of, Transport, Variety, Atmosphere, and Facilities. For each category a mall is given a score out of 5, which contributes towards its overall score out of 20. Please note that some malls may rank higher than others with higher scores out of 20, as overall comments are weighed higher. Let's get ranking!
Orakei Bay Village (10th)
Transport (3/5) - Orakei Bay Village is not the hardest to get to by public transport, however it is not served by any frequent services. While the Eastern Line train runs past, it only operates every 20 minutes off peak, and the only other service nearby is the 781 bus, which links to Mission Bay, Newmarket and the Museum, however only operates every 30 minutes. It is however not too hard to access the mall from either of these, with stops and the train station being located a short walk from entrances to the mall.
Variety (3/5) - As I was walking around the mall, I couldn't help but think, is this really a mall? While it does in fact have an anchor tenant in the form of Farro (a very expensive supermarket), other than this it is just full of private boutiques, with a few food outlets. It also features a cinema, which also seemed very expensive and fancy.
Atmosphere (4/5) - Inside the mall is quite modern and clean, however it is quite dim throughout, and as mentioned in the Variety section doesn't really feel like a proper mall, more like a collection of local boutiques. It was also quite empty when I visited which didn't help much.
Facilities (4/5) - This mall features a decent amount of parking, with carparks at the top and bottom of the mall, and it had good wifi and very clean toilets.
Overall (14/20) - While it is technically a mall, it certainly doesn't feel much like one, however considering its local area I'm sure that many people enjoy visiting its many boutiques, and make the most of its relatively local location.
Atrium on Elliot (9th)
Transport (5/5) - Atrium on Elliot is very easy to access by public transport, being located very centrally and only minutes away from several frequent bus routes, such as the WX1 and NX2. It is also very close to the Te Waihorotiu train station, which will open later this year and make it easier to get here from places out west and down south.
Variety (3/5) - While it is handy to have a The Warehouse located right in the city, there is not much else at Atrium. There are still a fair few options in the food court, however it seems there are less shops the higher up you go. There is also a Rebel Sport in the mall, and a Number One Shoes.
Atmosphere (3/5) - This mall features a very odd design, with strange design elements all over the mall. It also has a very interesting entrance (probably the most interesting part of the mall), and feels very much like what was thought to be futuristic in the early 2000s.
Facilities (3/5) - The toilets at Atrium weren't too bad, however the mall lacks Wifi, and the carpark above is paid, however it seems that you can get a discount by spending at shops in the mall.
Overall (14/20) - Walking into Atrium on Elliot feels like walking into a time machine. While very outdated, it still has many shops that are useful to have in the city centre, and is a short walk away from many other shops and good transport links, which will get even better once the City Rail Link opens.
Royal Oak Shopping Mall (8th)
Transport (4/5) - Despite being located by one of the worst roundabouts in Auckland, Royal Oak Mall is served by two frequent bus routes, which link to Onehunga, Sylvia Park, Newmarket, Pt Chev and the city, and another less frequent route that serves Epsom, Oranga and Ellerslie. It is however somewhat difficult to get to the mall from the bus stops, with all options requiring a walk through a carpark.
Variety (3/5) - Royal Oak Mall is anchored by Pak n Save, however other than this there is not much in the mall. There are a few food options, and a scattering of other retailers but not a massive variety to choose from. It does also feature a Whitcoulls and many two dollar shops.
Atmosphere (3/5) - Royal Oak Mall has a very strange layout, with part of the mall having a mezzanine level. Some parts of the mall are quite dim, and in general it feels fairly outdated. There are also some closed shops, and it was not very busy when I visited, giving it a slightly ghostly feeling.
Facilities (4/5) - Accessing the toilets at this mall is quite strange, and it has no Wifi however the toilets themselves are good, and there is plenty of parking around and under the mall.
Overall (14/20) - While Royal Oak has an odd layout and in general feels quite old, it isn't too dead compared to other malls, and benefits from its central location being located along two major and very busy roads in the area.
Meadowbank Shopping Centre (7th)
Transport (4/5) - Meadowbank Shopping Centre is served by the frequent 65 and 75 routes, which connect it to Glen Innes, Remuera, the City and beyond. It is also served by an hourly bus that travels to Mission Bay, Ellerslie and Sylvia Park. Heading westbound the bus stop is just outside on St Johns Rd, however heading eastbound the mall is located in between stops, with the nearest being a few minutes walk away. The service towards Sylvia Park and Mission Bay also has stops on Gerard Way.
Variety (3/5) - While there are not many shops in this mall, it is anchored by the local Woolworths supermarket, and seems to be relatively well used by the locals. It does also feature a small food court, with a large dome in the middle that had a net below it when I visited.
Atmosphere (3/5) - Some parts of the mall are quite dim, and the empty shops certainly don't help. It is somewhat modern inside, with a nice pattern on the floor tiles, however there is also a slightly odd system with ramps and stairs, with some ramps taking quite convoluted routes.
Facilities (5/5) - Meadowbank has lots of parking around the mall, and has a quick Wifi network. The toilets were also very modern and clean, and seemed to be taken good care of.
Overall (15/20) - Meadowbank is a good local mall, and despite its main use being the Woolworths, it seems well used by the local community, and has all that is needed when just grabbing a few things.
Eastridge Shopping Centre (6th)
Transport (4/5) - Despite only being served by one frequent route, Eastridge is well connected to the local area. The frequent 76 travels to Glen Innes and the City, and there are other routes serving Mission Bay, Glendowie, Meadowbank and Orakei, with bus stops being located conveniently outside on Kepa Rd.
Variety (3/5) - While there are very few chains present here, there is still a decent variety of food options, clothing and other services, with a large medical centre being located in the mall. It also features banks, and a New World supermarket.
Atmosphere (5/5) - Inside, Eastridge is very modern and calm, with good natural lighting throughout the entire mall, several nice plants through it, and a nice pattern on the floor. There are few if any empty shops, and it was somewhat busy when I visited, but not unbearable.
Facilities (5/5) - Eastridge features lots of parking around the mall, and has a good wifi network and clean toilets, all you really need in a small local mall like this.
Overall (17/20) - Despite having an overall higher score than the next mall on this list, Eastridge is unfortunately let down by its smaller variety of shops, however it still serves the local community well, and has all you need when you can't be bothered to go very far,
Dress Smart Onehunga (5th)
Transport (4/5) - Dress Smart is located near the Onehunga Transport Centre, which has buses to many places in Central and South Auckland, however it is still roughly a 5 minute walk away, and the train station is a fair bit further than that. There are however bus stops outside the mall on Church St, which help bring the buses closer to the mall.
Variety (4/5) - Despite not having an anchor tenant, this mall essentially functions like a smaller Manawa Bay, with a large selection of outlet brands inside the mall. It does however lack food options, with only a few being located in various points around the mall, rather than one large food court.
Atmosphere (4/5) - While Dress Smart has decent lighting throughout, and has a modern feeling, it only has one large window in the entire mall. It is however helped by various plants around the mall, and was not very busy when I visited, which definitely helped based on my previous experiences here.
Facilities (4/5) - While Dress Smart has lots of parking and good toilets, it doesn't have any Wifi network, however many stores have their own (with passwords) for staff to use.
Overall (16/20) - While Dress Smart technically isn't a mall as it has no anchor tenant, it must be included if Manawa Bay is, and both certainly feel like malls inside. Dress Smart has improved in the last years, and seems to have a plan for an expansion as the Onehunga Town Centre is improved.
Westfield St Lukes (4th)
Transport (5/5) - St Lukes is well served by public transport, with several frequent routes passing by. There are stops on Morningside Drive and St Lukes Rd, however accessing some of these can be difficult when the roads are busy. There are services to many places in Central Auckland, including the City, Pt Chev, Newmarket and New Lynn.
Variety (5/5) - There is a wide variety at St Lukes, with many anchor tenants and retailers being located throughout the mall. The food court also has many options, and there are even more food outlets spread across the mall.
Atmosphere (4/5) - Inside the mall is relatively modern and bright, however some parts are a bit dim, and others feel slightly outdated. It could also do with more natural lighting, and potentially some plants to brighten up the place a bit.
Facilities (4/5) - There is plenty of parking at St Lukes, and the Wifi worked well. There are also several toilets located through the mall, and the ones I visited by the cinemas weren't too bad.
Overall (18/20) - St Lukes is a very handy, central location, and has many retailers inside it. Whether you are looking for clothes or a bite to eat, St Lukes almost always has what you need, and is very useful for the local community and beyond.
Commercial Bay (3rd)
Transport (5/5) - Commercial Bay is probably the easiest mall in this series to access by public transport, being located right by Waitematā train station and the Lower Albert St Bus Interchange, which has many frequent bus services, including the Northern and Western Express. It is also very close to the Downtown Ferry Terminal, making it easy to access even from far away places such as Hobsonville and Beachlands.
Variety (5/5) - While there aren't many large chains, Commercial Bay has many boutiques and fancy stores, as well as some more ordinary ones like Whitcoulls. It also features a very large foodcourt (Harbour Eats), which is a very popular spot in the city at any time of day.
Atmosphere (5/5) - It is very clear that Commercial Bay was built recently, as it feels as if its barely been here any time at all. It is very, very clean and modern, and feels very open, especially in the main thoroughfares in the bottom, with lots of natural lighting and plants on the walls.
Facilities (4/5) - Commercial Bay has very nice toilets, and a good Wifi network, however the closest car parking is the Downtown Carpark, which is set to be demolished. While I personally don't feel this is very bad due to how easy Commercial Bay is to access by public transport, I do have to be fair when comparing the malls.
Overall (19/20) - This is one of the top malls in Auckland, and for good reasons. It is very easy to access, has a large range, good facilities and a very nice atmosphere. While it may not be the place to go for your regular shopping, it has many luxury brands for when you feel like spoiling someone or yourself,
Sylvia Park (2nd)
Transport (5/5) - Sylvia Park is easy to access from many parts of Auckland, being located on the Eastern Line, and being served by many bus routes, with frequent services to Mangere, Onehunga, Pt Chev and more, and less frequent services to Ellerslie, Meadowbank and One Tree Hill. Both transport modes are located conveniently on either side of the mall.
Variety (5/5) - While this seems obvious, Sylvia Park has a very large variety of stores, with all you need in one place. Whether you need the supermarket, the cinemas, the bank, or clothes, Sylvia Park has all that and more, as well as a plethora of food outlets, and of course New Zealand's only IKEA currently.
Atmosphere (5/5) - Despite being very busy all the time, Sylvia Park is built in such a way to cope with it well. It is very clean and modern inside, and has a large open area in the middle. It also has Sylvia Lane, which is an open dining area, with many plants along it.
Facilities (5/5) - Sylvia Park has clean toilets and lots of parking, however the Wifi network can sometimes be a pain to join, requiring you to enter many details. It does work very well once you sign in however.
Overall (20/20) - Sylvia Park is the biggest mall in the country for a reason, it has everything you could need for a day or two of shopping, and has a good location being near many major roads and the motorway, just prepare for heavy traffic and for it to be very busy during sale periods.
Westfield Newmarket (1st)
Transport (5/5) - Westfield Newmarket is at the top end of transport access, with many bus routes being located nearby, with several of them being frequent and going all over many parts of Auckland. It is also close to the Newmarket Train Station, with service on the Southern, Western, and Onehunga Lines, giving it easy access to places as far south as Pukekohe.
Variety (5/5) - Newmarket is a large hub for shopping, and the mall contributes heavily when it comes to variety. The mall features many luxury and regular brands, and also has a very large foodcourt. There are also several restaurants on the rooftop, which are very nice late at night.
Atmosphere (5/5) - Inside the mall is very modern, clean, and bright, with good lighting throughout the mall and a very nice design. It certainly feels very new, and has lots of plants and windows inside. The rooftop area is very nice, with many plants and a children's playground.
Facilities (5/5) - There is a very large, multi level carpark at Westfield Newmarket, and it also has very nice toilets and a fast Wifi network.
Overall (20/20) - Westfield Newmarket is an all round amazing mall, with a massive variety, great atmosphere, and good facilities. While it is the best mall in Central Auckland, how does it stack up compared to all other malls in Auckland? As promised, here is the full rankings of all malls in Auckland!
I do really enjoy Westfield Newmarket but it loses points for the dreadful roading and traffic design around it, where traffic trying to enter the building blocks the exit for those trying to leave and you can easily be stuck for a long time. Would avoid at Boxing Day!
ReplyDeletePersonally never have driven there myself but can imagine it being pretty awful. Avoiding on Boxing Day is a good idea
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