It’s that exciting time of the year! 7in7 dates have been announced, and nomads from all over the globe are planning their stays in our beautiful host city of Wellington, New Zealand.
But where to stay?
One of the reasons we picked this city to be our home for Year Four, besides its gorgeous waterfront, incredible foodie culture, and easy access to all NZ has to offer, is because it’s compact. You can walk from one end to the other quite easily and the public transit is wonderful. So no matter where you stay – Airbnb, homestay, hotel, hostel, or van (#vanlife is a THING here) – you’ll be close to all the 7in7 awesomeness.
To help you plan, we’ve put together this great map of Central Wellington.
You’ll see our venue, the National Library, up near the top of our orange boundary (the green home dot). All the other dots are some of our favorite places – restaurants, museums, cafes, walks, and other amazing spots you have to see while you’re here! Plus wifi, obviously.
Everything in the orange boundary is walkable depending on the weather and your shoes. Most 7in7 meetups and all official events will take place in this region.
But even outside this boundary, there are tons of great places to stay! I’m writing this from a beautiful cottage in Wadestown which is a lovely 30-minute walk to our venue through tree-lined streets… or a quick 10-minute bus ride.
NOTE: Wellington is a lot like San Francisco in both weather and topography. That means there are lots of hills! Everything in the orange boundary is pretty flat, but check with your accommodation to see if there’s a steep walk to your door.
Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorite neighborhoods:
Te Aro
Endless restaurants, cafes, record shops, thrift stores, food trucks, and quirky booksellers. This is undoubtedly the coolest neighborhood in all of Wellington. From festivals to street performers, there’s always something happening on Cuba Street. Most meetups will happen here!
Mount Victoria
Much more residential, Mount Vic is nestled between Te Aro and the waterfront, it’s home to the city’s most panoramic landmark, Mount Victoria, and its best
CBD
“CBD” is how people in this part of the world say downtown. High-rise buildings, plentiful shopping, lots of pubs, coffee shops, and quick-lunch spots, as well as a healthy dose of museums! This is also where our venue is!
Thorndon
Right on top of our venue, this neighborhood has some great hidden spots and is super convenient to downtown. In addition to government buildings, there are lots of bed & breakfasts on tree-lined streets, antique shops, and historic buildings.
Kelburn
Right at the top of the cable car, this neighborhood has the beautiful botanic gardens, great views, and lots of students from the university. Be warned that if you don’t want to take the cable car, there are a lot of steps to get up here.
Oriental Bay
Probably one of the prettiest stretches of Wellington, this area is right one the water, with its seafront walks and gorgeous views. On a warm day, pretty much everyone in Wellington will be here!
Newtown
Another close-in suburb with a lot to do and a high street of its own! Flat walk or easy bus ride into the CBD.
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Personally, I recommend staying as close to the action as possible, so you don’t miss a thing! But that’s just my extroversion talking. Wherever you stay, we know the charm of this gorgeous waterfront city will work its magic on you.
See you in October!
