How is Christchurch's nightlife?
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- The Strip, The Grumpy Mole, Sticky Fingers, Boogie Nights - a few of the many hundred cafes, bars and restaurants which were household names in Christchurch prior to February 2011.
The places people went to on a Friday night, where they met friends after work, or partied with the girls on a hens’ night.
Alex Brackstone lost three businesses in the earthquakes - His Lordship’s, Bard on Avon and the Vespa Bar.
Alex still owns the Vespa Bar, in its new High Street location, as well as the Pegasus Arms Restaurant & Bar, and Morrell & Co in Addington.
She says re-opening the Vespa Bar in the central city was “a bit of a fingers up at the earthquakes.”
James Jameson, who first established Le Cafe in the Arts Centre in 1987, entered the central city scene in 2012, opening the St Asaph Street Kitchen & Stray Dog Bar.
It closed it 2015. On reflection, Jameson feels he was “a bit ahead of my time.”
He also believes the central city rebuild was too slow, and played a factor in the demise of his venture.
One of the first bars to open after the earthquake was Johnny Moore’s Smash Palace, originally in Victoria Street, and now cosily ensconced in High Street, close to the new Vodafone building.
“Christchurch has never been so up to date as it is now. I wish them all well, some will survive and some won’t, that’s the nature of it.”, says Moore.
He and Brackstone would like to see more inner-city residents, “if you get the residents the rest takes care of itself.”
So what do they think of the new central city offerings? Alex Brackstone is unsure, “it’s all a little bit clinical, the heart of the place has gone a little bit.”
Certainly, on a chilly mid-winter’s evening there is little sign of life, until our tour reaches the inner city’s newest offering, Little High Eatery.
The place is humming, and there’s a mix of patrons - family groups, couples, young and old.
Little High Eatery, in the new McKenzie & Willis precinct, is a food hall with a variety of eateries and cuisines.
“It feels like people have got a place to be creative here,” says Brackstone.
To watch, join Christchurch Dilemmas on its nightlife tour of the central city www.chchdilemmas.co.nz
Nice to see Micky Finn’s is still open. What about Drexel’s across the street?
This needs an update; The Terrace and The Riverside Market are now finished and they are lively.
christchurch is such a cool city. still has so much character even in the reconstruction era.
In some places, there are less empty lots in parts of the city now than buildings; however, there appears to be little character. The new buildings, for the most part, look cold and clinical.
No - there is no soul in the city!
You're actually only looking at the very commercial aspect of the city life. There is a whole underground nightlife scene, instagram.com/chcnightlife/
Too commercial now :( bring back boogie Nights!!
It wasn't that St Asaph Street Kitchen & Stray Dog Bar was ahead of its time so much that it was in a sucky location IMO. In the centre of town, it might've been a different story.
Just get drunk at home that way you are less likely to get attacked out on the town 👍
Has ChCh changed that bad?
I was in ChCh 5 times from 09 - 14 and (of course prior to the big one in 11) I never experienced anything dangerous downtown.
Want to come back in October and would love to know where there a nice places to go to at night.
you can do that in the usa too
Alex sounds like a reasonable, non pretendery sort of chap. He doesn't mind shooting the shit and telling it like it is. As for pretentious old aunties with him, well thats another story. Jeez that blonde one sounds like the sort of jumped up hag you'd hear on the fowl breeze FM ;D Those two are the reason why christchurch central is all flash and no bang.
boring city ...
It's not boring any more