Essex Reserve

I love this little green patch of Mt Eden! Ok it may only be some grass, some park benches, a playground, and some cool public art, but… it is very nicely placed, close to the main drag but removed enough to give you some space.
I have enjoyed coming to a few festivities held in Mt Eden’s village and although festivals go hand and hand with bustles of people I recall using this spot (with a small crowd of others!) to take my lunch, and my company, to sit and relax and eat, (and to be able to talk without raising our voices),.
It is also the gem for many other people, a very well utilised space by local workers, friends meeting, families using the parks playground bit and locals mid shop.

I only discovered this reserve while looking for parking. Mt Eden village has many cafes and food places, Mt Eden has a reputation for being a good café district. Quite often though, the more popular places will be cram packed with people, so if you wanted to get your food and go someplace a bit more quiet then this is a good spot. There are park benches and tables closer to the playground or you could sit on the grass.
In a space closer to the parking lot there are a lot of benches surrounding a circular area. Whenever I have over 15 minutes to wait for a bus, I’ll go and sit here. Especially on a sunny day this is a nice place to sit and relax.

Essex Reserve is a lovely wee park right in Mt Eden village but tucked behind so it’s off the main drag. It has a good little playground, some nice big shady trees and a cool sculpture by Richard Wedekind called Bystanders.
What I love most about this reserve is its community events; I’ve been to a Halloween event here that had witches with cauldrons, face painters, lucky dips for the kids and lots more. The annual Artists in Eden event is also held here (and in fact is coming up very shortly), which is a really great day out for the whole family as well as the chance to see well-​known local artists create an entire work in just a few hours.
To me Essex Reserve is an integral part of Mt Eden whether it’s playing host to festivities or simply providing an oasis in the urban hubbub.

Great little spot in the heart of busy bustling Mt Eden. The good thing about this reserve is that it’s quiet which is definitely needed when your in Mt Eden Village, sometimes the cars can just get too much! Often I will grab some lunch or dinner from one of the many cafes or takeaways in Mt Eden and sit at the park bench here. It’s has a carpark right next to it with heaps of spaces so your always going to find one, it’s got a pretty good playground for the kids so they can play whilst you relax and it even has a piece of art to admire! I love this reserve and never take it for granted, more busy shopping districts need reserves so it’s easy to take 15 mins to chillout and recharge!