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Hot Spot | Addington The mill before Sept 4th Earthquake

Awesome “Definitely spend a few days in the city,” wrote the Lonely Planet of Christchurch. And nope, they weren’t talking about those lazy, hazy days of yesteryear where we still had things like smooth roads and brick buildings this was at the end of last year. Travel writer Brett Atkinson was so impressed with our container-filled Garden City when he updated Lonely Planet’s guide recently, that he told readers “there’s still plenty to do, and you’ll be supporting the new businesses inspiring Christchurch’s renaissance.” What he singled out was SoMo – the area south of Moorhouse Ave where many of our most loved inner city bars and restaurants have relocated. Bridget Gourlay went to Addington to see what’s on offer and to find out why locals think it holds such an appeal.

Dickens Memorial

The Addington Store, inside the Addington Coffee Co-op

Addington By Bridget Gourlay

In the 19th century, Addington was an IrishCatholic working class suburb. The railway line was ringed by factories. Cottages framed the suburban streets. Today, much of that heritage has been retained and the Irish feel is still present - there are Catholic schools, churches and even a monastery.

music. It looks like the mill will add to that experience.” Possibly the best spot in the suburb is the Addington Coffee Co-op, a brick former tool shed that five years ago was turned into a funky café. Owner Anthony Watt says the industrial building was abandoned when he and other locals turned it into a café in 2008.

But while the Irish may have been the first immigrants, many more came after. There’s His business has recently expanded. It now Thai, Chinese and Indian restaurants of course, has a small shop inside, selling locally crafted but also an Afghan one, a Moroccan deli and a or fair trade goods. While the café had always small shop selling goods from the Philippines. considered adding a shop, the earthquake Addington suffered its share of casualties after gave them the platform to do so as it got rid February; many buildings were pulled down. of many speciality retailers in the city centre. But many beautiful ones still remain such as the 19th century jail, constructed in 1874 by one of Christchurch’s most loved architects, Walking Benjamin Mountfort. He’s the genius behind A walk around the winding streets of gems like the Arts Centre and the Provincial Addington is as fun as it is eclectic. There’s Council Chambers. a drinking fountain dedicated to Charles Addington prison closed in 1999 and lay Dickens, and his work to protect the poor. empty until early 2006 when the building was There’s also a memorial to, oddly enough, bought by a local couple, Grant Parrett and sewers and to how they greatly lifted the Kirsty Henderson, who renovated the building standard of living as they got rid of disease. and reopened it as a funky backpackers’ In a grassy square there’s a beautiful century hostel. Parrett says it was the prison that held Addington back. When it was shut down old church framed by trees; and in the nearby cemetery lies the remains of many in 1999 and the land zoning changed, more of the suburb’s first settlers. Among the students and families moved to the area, cracked graves there’s one name of especial which kicked off its renaissance. importance; Katherine Lovell-Smith, known to “Prior to the earthquake there was already a us as Kate Sheppard. move, changing for the better and becoming But more than what Addington is or was, it’s vibe-y,” Parrett says. “Since the earthquake what it’s become. Take two of Christchurch’s the speed has been tenfold. We were adding greatest hotspots; the Dux de Lux and the one cool groovy business a year and now Court Theatre. The funky vegetarian bar and there’s five to ten interesting things on the professional theatre were located within the go.” the Arts Centre complex, but have both Like the Mill Development, where the relocated to Addington. abandoned but architecturally significant Dux de Lux, in true post earthquake spirit, is Woods Mill will be fixed and turned into a entertainment complex similar to what Poplar operating from a revived industrial building called Dux Live and the Court has moved into Lane and Sol Square were like. Parrett says a converted warehouse around the corner. when it opens next year, his nature-fatigued It sounds makeshift and dreary but, much guests will love it. like the Pop Up Mall in Cashel Street, it’s not; “We’ve seen the artist’s impressions and splashes of paint, lively colours and a vibe of we’re very excited. That’s what our visitors enthusiasm makes them come alive. want, New Zealand is largely a national park, With the huge diaspora of CBD workers and so sometimes you want a break from the businesses, Addington has certainly changed. trees so therefore what our travellers want is Coffee co-op owner Anthony Watt fears the good coffee a good place to have a beer, live eccentric character of Addington may change too as the place becomes more mainstream.

Dickens Memorial & Jail

“Post-earthquake, the concern is some of the guys who can’t afford a lot of rent will get moved out for franchises and chain stores to move in. And that would be a shame, so we want to protect the character of Addington. It is a wee village. It is our neighbourhood not a business district – we live here. That’s the big thing, is that going to change too much?”

Addington hot spots Dux Live – The Dux de Lux’s new home. Live music, vegetarian food, good beer – it’s the Dux we all know and love. Simo’s Moroccan Deli and Takeaway – A taste of the Mediterranean in Lincoln Road. Truly delicious, and singled out in Lonely Planet.

The Court Theatre – Back with a vengeance in a converted warehouse, the Court has a fabulous line-up for 2012.

Addington Coffee Co-op – Arguably the home of the best coffee in Christchurch.

New York Deli – Another CBD icon that’s settled in on Lincoln Road.

The Painted Room – The most eclectic of shops, once found on now-destroyed Colombo Street, is back with a great collection. Cargo Bar – Lime Bar, like any selfrespecting post-2011 drinking spot, operates from a container. It’s near the Hagley Park end of Lincoln Road. Addington Books – Any secondhand bookshop aficionado knows the more dire the shop looks, the better the selection. Addington Books is testament to that fact. It may promote its amazing sci-fi section but its overall collection is just as good.