AAYUSH TRIPATHI was born in the Punjabi city of Pathankot and moved to Auckland’s central city in 2015. Now he’s living in an apartment in Nelson Street with his wife and their two children – and pondering a move to the suburbs.
JEREMY HANSEN Thanks for meeting me today Aayush and Aarav. Would you like to start by introducing yourselves?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI My name is Aayush Tripathi. I’ve been living in the central city for the last nine years, ever since I came to New Zealand as a student in 2015. At the moment me, my wife, Aarav and our new baby are living in an apartment building on Nelson Street.
JEREMY HANSEN Where were you living before you moved to Auckland?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI I was in the northern part of India, a Punjabi city named Pathankot.
JEREMY HANSEN What made you want to come to New Zealand to study?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI New Zealand is such a lovely place to live. It’s so beautiful, and the people are so lovely. After studying, I had the opportunity to apply for residency. It was a bit of a tough ride with a change in immigration policy and Covid, so we were apart as a family for a while. But now we’re residents and living here. And I knew this would be a good place to bring up kids.
JEREMY HANSEN What are you doing for a job now?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI I’m a cafe manager in Grey Lynn.
JEREMY HANSEN Aarav, you’re 11, and you’ve been living here for a year. What’s that change been like for you, shifting from India to Auckland?
AARAV TRIPATHI It’s a little bit tough. I didn’t know how to speak English.
JEREMY HANSEN You go to Freemans Bay School, right? How has that been?
AARAV TRIPATHI They’re so helpful. They helping for my English.
JEREMY HANSEN Do you walk to school?
AARAV TRIPATHI Yes. It takes only 15 minutes.
JEREMY HANSEN Aayush, you’ve lived in the central city for a long time now. What has changed, for better and for worse, since you first moved to Auckland?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI From 2015 to 2018, I think that city was so happening, so good. There were lots of businesses around, lots of jobs and opportunities, lots of people coming for shopping and all this stuff. But I will say that after Covid, it’s got really, really hard. Metrolanes [in the now-closed SkyWorld centre on Aotea Square] was a really good place with great food but now that’s all gone. When I was researching where to study, Queen Street was the most popular street in New Zealand, I think. But I don’t think so anymore. I feel sorry for the people who have to sleep on the street, but sometimes they can be aggressive when you’re just walking past, which is a bad example for the kids. The other day I got shoved by a woman on K Road who also said some racist things. I just walked away. It’s OK, I can handle it, but it’s also not acceptable. Safety is a big concern at the moment. It’s a bit scary for the kids when they’re walking past. Sometimes people take things from the convenience stores and just run away, and as they’re doing that they can bump into people and hurt them. There’s abusive language and fighting. I know this can happen in the suburbs too. Our apartment building is safe because you need access to get in. But it can be a bit scary for people like us.
JEREMY HANSEN How about you Aarav? Do you feel safe when you’re walking around? Can you walk around by yourself or do you have to be with your parents?
AARAV TRIPATHI I can walk to school myself. But other places I usually just go with my mum and dad.
JEREMY HANSEN What do you do in your leisure time as a family?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI Sometimes we go shopping. We also read and play the PlayStation together. When the baby is a bit older we’ll go to Victoria Park. There are some advantages to being in the city – everything is pretty much in walking distance, and when you’re walking you see so many people. With all the nationalities here, you learn new cultures and make new friends easily. When you need somebody or something, there’s usually someone in the building who can help. Sometimes we look after each other’s kids. Great schools like Freemans Bay primary are close by – the school is another place where lots of friendships start happening. It’s just a matter of human nature.
JEREMY HANSEN Now you have a second child, would your preference be to move out of the city into the suburbs?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI Yes. There’s more space and more safety – I think it will be a bit more peaceful.
JEREMY HANSEN Is the central city cheaper to live in than the suburbs?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI I think it’s pretty much the same now. The rent is still maybe $30 to $50 cheaper than the suburbs but it’s going up, and the supermarkets in walking distance are more expensive. I’m only just getting my full driving licence so we weren’t able to drive to Pak N Save or places like that. And now we have a car, it’s $70 a week for a car park.
JEREMY HANSEN What is the city missing that you wish it had?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI It’d be good if there were regular night markets where you can take the kids and show them there’s different cultures and different foods here. It’d also be good if there wasn’t so much construction. It’s good for the future that it’s all happening, but there’s been so much for the last few years. Another thing is that people are scared to bring the cars in the city – Queen Street is really narrow for cars now, and people worry they’re going to get tickets when they park somewhere. My friends from the suburbs don’t want to come to the city by car.
JEREMY HANSEN How would you say Auckland’s reputation matches the reality?
AAYUSH TRIPATHI I think it’s changed a lot last four or five years, so there’s a gap now. People always used to want to come to the city in the weekends to go out, to get food, to chill and relax, but now they feel it’s going to be scary. During the week, after Covid, people aren’t coming into their offices as much.
JEREMY HANSEN What about you Aarav? What would you like to change?
AARAV TRIPATHI [Whispers to his Dad]
AAYUSH TRIPATHI He’s saying there are so many hills, it’s so up and down. [To Aarav] But that makes you fit as well!
BUILDING A BETTER CITY
AAYUSH TRIPATHI’S SUGGESTIONS
1. Cheaper supermarkets that don’t require a car to get to.
2. Regular night markets where families and friends can gather, eat and connect.
3. A better sense of safety and security.
The next interview in the series is with Auckland creative, Reina Sutton. Click here to read it.
