The Strand Arcade

The Strand Arcade is actually one of the oldest in the city. It dates right back to 1910 and still boasts some of these heritage features that make architecture from this late Edwardian/​Victorian period so distinctive and of great historical import to us now.
It’s currently listed as a category 1 on the Historic Places Trust register.
It’s a lovely little passageway between the junctures of Queen Street and Elliott Street.
Which makes it so annoying that they have filled it with stores of no particular substance. It’s mostly all Asian junk stores, that all look the same. Then there’s the Jay Jays and Dotti on the Queen Street end which are so pedestrian as to make you almost miss the architectural awesomeness of this arcade altogether.
Don’t get me started on that food court down below, it looks like a place where murders happen.

Arcades offer a different type of shopping experience, usually small boutique stores that make a welcome change from the usual chain stores that are everywhere. This arcade however is devoid of anything really decent with the exception of the mini mart at the end and the hair salon. These are all small businesses, clothing and skin care mostly with a café and a sushi place thrown in for good measure.
There is also a food court below ground. Don’t go down there. It is in the bowels of the earth because if there is a hell, that would be their food court. It is horrible. A friend of mine took me down here a few years back. The memory still haunts me. It is dirty, I saw cockroaches. If you cannot see the ratings, there is a reason. I saw a few D’s, so I am not exaggerating about the state of this hole. I felt like I had to disinfect my coke zero can before drinking from it. Very unpleasant, I can’t believe my friend ate from down there, did she have a death wish? You have been warned, unless you want a side of a trip to Auckland hospital, do not go to this food court.

It is nice to have these few arcades, which are lined with independently owned businesses, to break up the monotony of chain stores that make up the large majority of Queen Street. Most of the stores in this arcade are the brain children of Asian entrepreneurs who have taken a chance out on their own. You will find a hair dresser, a tattooist, and other kinds of fashion stores. There is also a basement food court, the entrance to the stairs being just by the Queen Street entrance. One of the ugliest food courts you may ever set your eyes upon, but do not be discouraged, there is some amazing food down there. I personally recommend the Brazilian place on account of its gracious host. A very well natured man who will always greet you with a handshake. The food is good too, delicious chargrilled meat with a variety of side dishes to choose from.

A neat little nook on Queen Street with a variety of stores and eating options. I like how it has classy establishments like The Strand Arcade Café and independent stores of interesting Asian fashions and a food court hiding downstairs. I don’t like how it has chain stores like Jay Jays. But that’s just me, maybe someone else would appreciate that combo. If you love shopping (which I don’t particularly, but on occasion I have been known to enjoy a bit of a browse) and you’re a girl or like girly things, then there’s a couple of cool fashion stores like Twinkle Jewellery and Enat that have an interesting selection of clothes, shoes and accessories. I especially enjoyed the bedazzled hangers in Twinkle. Ridiculous, but amazing. In any case it’s a cool corridor to wander through from Queen Street to Elliot Street on a day out in town.

The Strand Arcade is a very thin corridor of shops that has a nice kind of Victorian feel to it, with hanging signs and the odd ornate decoration. This classiness ends with the stairs leading down to the foodcourt however, which is a Spartan white-​tiled affair. It’s not a bad food court though, and a good option if you work in town and want a quick, tasty lunch. Of special mention is the South American /​Middle Eastern place, which not only has delicious food — burritos, kebabs, lots of variations on steak — and massive portions, but also has one of the nicest guys behind the counter that I’ve encountered in a long time. Not only was he really friendly and welcoming, but he was also helpful in a way that seemed genuine rather than sales-​technique. My girlfriend ordered a vegetarian enchilada and he suggested she get a burrito instead — he reckoned for a vegetarian it was heaps more food for the same price. It’s that sort of helpful friendliness that loyalty gets built on. We’ll be coming back to him again.