Like to be close to the central city and all its bells and whistles, but don’t want to sacrifice lots of green space? Well done: you’ve found the perfect pocket neighbourhood that delivers on both. Bordering the red zone means this area is surrounded by basically a giant park, complete with fruit trees for foraging, and you’ve also got Chesterfields Reserve and Walnut Tree Park nearby with playground equipment for the kids.

The Avon Loop itself is a beautiful, wide and smooth path alongside the river, a dreamy route to cycle into town or take a stroll with the dog. There’s also a kayak launching ramp near the Fitzgerald Ave and Kilmore Street intersection, so you can easily explore from the water as well as on land. The neighbourhood is small but the community feel is strong, and a couple of Christchurch hospitality and organic food institutions in the area will become your dedicated locals if you’re lucky enough to live around the Avon Loop.

A small two-block pocket of the central city’s east side, this little neighbourhood seriously delivers on lifestyle. Chesterfields Reserve is the heart, with a community garden for residents to enjoy and generous green space for play and neighbourhood get-togethers. It lies in close proximity to the Avon Loop and schools such as Christchurch East and Ao Tawhiti are within easy walking distance. Amenities in the neighbourhood include a high-end barber, wholefoods store and local pub.

Backyards don’t get much better than the one out the back of this neighbourhood: Hagley Park, with its tree-lined avenues, wide-open green space, and the netball courts at its south corner. This is a great place for owning a bike – major cycle lanes accessible from Hagley include Quarryman’s Trail, Little River Link and Uni-Cycle, meaning it’s easy and fun to get around sans car. The Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre is currently under construction in the centre, making this the current and future place to be for getting your active on.

This is a growing neighbourhood, with a variety of houses including apartments, units and townhouses attracting a wide range of people. Hagley College is a major fixture here, and with several other schools within walking distance, this area is proving attractive to families, as well as young professionals who enjoy the proximity to the park and the centre of town. Vault over Moorhouse Ave to find yourself in the heart of Addington, with all its funky cafés and slick restaurants, as well as the current home of The Court Theatre.

Cutting through the alt-cool SALT District, High Street has long been a household name in central Christchurch, especially well known for its boutique and designer fashion. Like much of the city centre, it saw a lot of loss post-quakes, but it was also one of the first spots to bring back watering holes and gathering spots in the aftermath. It’s still home to some of the city’s most iconic and well-loved bars and cafés, and the colourful splashes of urban art give this street a distinctly creative feel that is always ahead of the curve.

High fashion still lives here, and you can weave your way in and out of boutiques all the way into Cashel Mall, where even more retail heaven awaits. High Street has now become just as much about the eateries as the shops, and if you make it your mission to try every one of the offerings along its length, you won’t be disappointed.

For those living and working in the central city, Latimer Square is your handy local green space, within easy walking distance from all the key central districts. It spans two blocks between Hereford and Gloucester Street, intersected by pathways for easy cycling through, and framed by mature trees that provide a nice shady spot to chill on your lunch break, meet friends after uni, or run around with the kids. It’s right down the road from Ara, and a mere hop, skip and jump from Cashel Mall and all its retail gold.

Latimer Square has a long history of public recreation and civic events, and was even once used for horse racing, sports events and the A&P Show. It was a key gathering spot immediately following the February 2011 earthquake, and a public artwork, Spires, by Neil Dawson was installed in 2014 to commemorate the loss of Christ Church Cathedral. The temporary Cardboard Cathedral sits to the south of the square.

Many of the surrounding buildings were destroyed in the earthquakes, and lots of new housing developments have gone up in their place, making the central city a thriving place to live as well as work, study, and play. With quality restaurants, hotels and bars on its doorstep, and attractions like the Margaret Mahy Playground and Rauora Park mere minutes away, this is a part of town that absolutely hums with life.

Tracing the meandering line of Ōtākaro Avon River and bordered by the arterial routes of Colombo Street and Bealey Ave, this peaceful inner-city neighbourhood is perfect for families. Streets are small and the vibe is friendly, with a community garden in the local Moa Reserve where you can get your hands dirty and get to know your neighbours.

Moa does very well for itself when it comes to the great outdoors: as well as Moa Reserve, the banks of the Avon River are a beautiful drawcard for walks, a quiet spot to sit and read, and watching birdlife through the seasons. The Margaret Mahy Family Playground is within a few minutes’ walk from anywhere in the neighbourhood, and you’re also close to all the eateries and attractions of New Regent Street and the Performing Arts Precinct.

What better place to start exploring the central city than with Christchurch’s prettiest little walking street? Bridging the gap between the cultural hubs of the Isaac Theatre Royal and The Piano, New Regent Street thrums with personality and life at all times of the day. It’s also easy walking distance from the Town Hall, and it’s not an unusual sight to see folks in their finery trotting down the street in search of a post-show tipple.

During the day, this little street is fairytale-kingdom picturesque, with the famous pastel-coloured Spanish Mission-style frontages running the length on each side. Take your pick of excellent cafés and bars, all with outdoor seating where you can wave as the tram goes by, and browse a smorgasbord of delightful independent boutiques, guaranteed to satisfy your appetite for jewellery, art, records and other fun bits and pieces. You’re also perfectly positioned to explore nearby attractions like the Margaret Mahy Playground, Tūranga, and must-see urban art.

When the sun goes down, the real fun starts. Some of the city’s best little eateries and specialist bars are right here for those who love a whisky, rum or gin. This small central city block has become a precinct in its own right, and it acts like it; culture vultures and inner-city dwellers alike have made this a late night hotspot, and the lively, welcoming atmosphere keeps you coming back for more.

One of the keystones of Christchurch’s thriving new central city, this permanent covered market sits pretty alongside the tranquil Ōtākaro Avon River and nightlife hotspot The Terrace, drawing in locals and visitors with its siren call of fabulous eateries, boutique shopping, and an absolutely humming atmosphere that wouldn’t feel out of place in any big city around the world.

In the market itself, a few laps are necessary to take in the full breadth of deliciousness on offer, admiring the awesome architecture and historical easter eggs while you’re at it – spot the original clocks taken from the old Moorhouse Avenue train station. Once you’re salivating good and proper, you’re faced with the Herculean task of choosing what to eat. Spoiled for choice doesn’t even begin to cover it, and just when you thought you had it narrowed down, head upstairs to the mezzanine, where you’ll find restaurants and bars complete with sun-soaked outdoor seating from which to admire the view of the river and the busy pedestrian street below.

The laneways around the market are the sort to happily lose yourself in, filled with yummy little eateries and independent boutiques. Wander this network of narrow walking streets to discover a dreamy range of gifts, homewares, plants, fashion, jewellery and more. Iconic department store Ballantynes is just a few steps down Cashel Mall – a definite must-visit for the very best in fine goods.

A little way along the river from Riverside Market is The Terrace – the new and improved Strip with a drop to suit everyone’s taste buds and vibe. It’s well known for popping off after dark, but is also home to some of the best brunch spots in Christchurch. Spanning the length of this hub from one end of The Terrace to the other end of Riverside Market, concrete terraces on the riverbank provide the perfect spot to sit and soak in the scenery of the Ōtākaro Avon River or feed the ducks. On the other side of the river, in between the corporate towers sit some truly spectacular cafés and restaurants.

It’s the seasoning on your social calendar, the grit in your gastronomic experience: SALT District is a slice of the central city that certainly brings the flavour. Startup tech bros bump elbows with besuited corporates in some of the inner city’s coolest and quirkiest eateries and bars as well as fashion cornerstones, entertainment venues, painfully cool barbers, hairdressers, and more.

The SALT name comes from the streets that intersect it: Saint Asaph, Lichfield and Tuam. Touching corners with the Ara Institute of Canterbury campus, SALT district has no shortage of students, artists and creatives floating around, giving the whole scene a young and fun feel. A network of alleys and lanes reach out in every direction from the main roads of this area, leading you on a scavenger hunt of hip restaurants, interesting businesses, and nightlife spots you may never have known existed.

The district is bisected by the rebelliously diagonal line of High Street, home to high-end (pun intended) fashion stores that any self-respecting trendsetter wants to be seen in, cosied up next to some of post-quake Christchurch’s most iconic bars and cafés. One of the first areas of Christchurch Central to sprout back to life after the shakedown, there’s a distinct air of unapologetic individuality here among the art studios, murals, tattoo parlours and local legends. Hop aboard a scooter, skateboard or simply explore on foot to discover the creative corners of this alty stomping ground.

Christchurch’s answer to student town, the South East side is home to several education institutes, including Ara, NASDA, Christchurch School of Music and Marian College. The Ara campus provides a nice helping of green space, and this area is blessed with some truly excellent cafés, so you need never go uncaffeinated.

With three major supermarkets on Moorhouse Ave and several alternate grocery options nearby, residents of the South East have everything they need, whenever they’re not tempting out by the call of the many foodie offerings along Madras Street, in BOXed Quarter, and in nearby SALT District.

This will soon be an even hotter spot to live and work, with the future site of the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena sitting right on its north corner. Restaurants, cafés, bars, retail, and soon live entertainment and sports right on your doorstep.

Bumping up against Sydenham to the south and all the flavours of SALT District to the north, South Town is a little cluster of cool small businesses, cafés, and entertainment spots, with a social vibe to it that makes it feel welcoming to all.

You’ll find all kinds of people going about all kinds of business here, but, like, in a really cool way. Creative entrepreneurs, students at Ara and highschoolers from the central Ao Tawhiti School all vie for the best tables at their local caffeination station, and those lucky enough to live in the new apartments, townhouses and developments that have popped up in recent years have literally everything they could need within walking distance.

The calming central city oasis of The Welder is a keystone of this district, here to meet the food, drink and wellbeing needs of all who walk through its doors. Play street art bingo as you walk through these streets, and take your pick of entertainment for the evening – live comedy, music and a smorgasbord of awesome eateries are all right here. South Town is also right on the edge of the future site of the Canterbury Multi-Use Arena, which will bring even more vibrancy and action to this humming central city corner.

Even old Queen Vicky herself would stop and waggle her little finger excitedly at everything to be found on a trip down Victoria Street. It’s an oddly-angled deviation from the north-south-east-west grid of Christchurch’s central city, and there are excellent foodie stops, outstanding bars, luxe homeware stores and high fashion boutiques practically every few feet along its length.

At just 800 metres from start to finish and with a generous splashing of watering holes along the way, it’s just the sort of street that’s begging for a pub crawl from the casino to the Carlton. Of course, being the sensible and responsible drinkers we are, we don’t condone this sort of behaviour. But we do condone dropping into some of these fantastic eateries and drinkeries to sample the creations of some of Christchurch’s most famous cocktail mixologists, chefs and offbeat establishments. Nightlife gets into full swing down this street, with live music offerings on several nights of the week, and it’s also a destination of choice for continuing a night out after a show at the Town Hall.

Walking these couple of blocks leads you past several upmarket fashion stores, with the hottest trends perfectly placed in the windows to attract the well-dressed and sophisticated bunch. You might also find yourself tempted to makeover your entire house when you venture into some of the luxurious homewares and interiors stores dotted along the street; this stuff is Covetable with a capital C.

Victoria Street has a few pieces of interesting history worth a look, too. The gothic stone and iron clock tower is a heritage-registered structure and damn pretty to boot. On the corner of Salisbury and Montreal Streets (but basically Victoria Street) sits the historic Ironside House, built in 1899. It now houses one of Christchurch’s oldest restaurants, Spagalimis Pizzeria, so you get two doses of history for the price of one.

Inner City West, or West End, as it was once known, is a cultural and historical hub, home to the Christchurch Art Gallery, CoCA, Canterbury Museum, and The Arts Centre. This is one of the few places in the city where examples of Gothic architecture remain, and you can admire it as you explore the unique artisan offerings in the Arts Centre, or on a wander along Rolleston Ave before heading in to the museum.

This part of town seems designed for enjoying at a leisurely pace, and there are plenty of ways to get your relax on in whatever style best suits you. The historic and picturesque Antigua Boatsheds might draw you in for a treat at the café, or a punt ride down the Ōtākaro Avon River. You might like to stop and smell the roses in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, or indulge in fine cuisine before catching a movie at the Arts Centre.

With Cranmer Square in the middle and Hagley Park on its border, you’ve got heaps of options for enjoying the outdoors. On the central city side you need only cross the river to find yourself smack bang in the buzz of Riverside Market and The Terrace. And dotted all around, between office buildings and culture institutions, are enough cute, quality cafés to offer you a different coffee spot for every day of the week.