Karangahape Road (K Road)
Karangahape Road (K Road)
Karangahape Road (K Road)
3.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Karangahape Road (K Road) and nearby attractions
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,869 within 3 miles
Attractions
234 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
138 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
34
Average
47
Poor
21
Terrible
8
Silvia Brognaro
48 contributions
Bar, restaurant, clubs, cash machine Chinese market... Is a alternative road and peculiar!!! Hahahaha.
Written March 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BikerSteveNZ
Auckland, New Zealand4 contributions
Mar 2014 • Friends
K Road was New Zealand's Premier shopping street. Due to clearances of so called "slum' properties to make way for a number of motorways and the relocation of prostitutes from the lower part of Freemans Bay to K Road, The shopping area went into a significant decline. The remaining 'slum' properties are now among Auckland's most expensive properties, by cost per square metre.
There remains some good quality shops but not many. Though due to the decline there remains a number of interesting buildings on the road, as property developers have generally ignored the area.
However, there are a number of good bars cafes and restaurants, Coco's Cantina being the best and most popular restaurant on the road. At one end there is the Langham, a good 5 star hotel with its SPE bar and restaurant, at the other Paradish an upmarket Chinese restaurant. There is a range of other cafes and restaurants from bad to good, but generally inexpensive.
Yes there is prostitution in the area. It is not clear why the prostitutes moved from their old location around Victoria Park ( the site of an old US Barracks) but it did occur when the motorway was being built and may be linked to encouraging "respectable" people from the area and to reduce the compensation payable for businesses and residents. The move to K Road was unusual as the area contains a Girls school and number of churches however as the school and churches are seen as Polynesian that may be an influence. Needless to say if the 'girls' moved on to operate next to Epson Girls Grammar or the Diocesan Grammar school there would have been major complaints.
K Road has more than its share of 'characters" as does Queen St. A number can be easily recognised as 'out patients' from the local mental health unit. "Care in the community" can be easily confused with lack of care. Most are harmless, but one should always have ones wits about you for when they have had too many drugs legal or otherwise.
The bars and clubs chop and change with the latest 'fashion', as it is close to a lot of student accommodation a number of clubs cater for students like most similar university cities.
There are a number of gay bars as well.
There are a number of new apartment developments on or just off K road, these should bring more life to the area when the developments have been completed.
As a local resident I have no issues walking the street during the day or night.
There remains some good quality shops but not many. Though due to the decline there remains a number of interesting buildings on the road, as property developers have generally ignored the area.
However, there are a number of good bars cafes and restaurants, Coco's Cantina being the best and most popular restaurant on the road. At one end there is the Langham, a good 5 star hotel with its SPE bar and restaurant, at the other Paradish an upmarket Chinese restaurant. There is a range of other cafes and restaurants from bad to good, but generally inexpensive.
Yes there is prostitution in the area. It is not clear why the prostitutes moved from their old location around Victoria Park ( the site of an old US Barracks) but it did occur when the motorway was being built and may be linked to encouraging "respectable" people from the area and to reduce the compensation payable for businesses and residents. The move to K Road was unusual as the area contains a Girls school and number of churches however as the school and churches are seen as Polynesian that may be an influence. Needless to say if the 'girls' moved on to operate next to Epson Girls Grammar or the Diocesan Grammar school there would have been major complaints.
K Road has more than its share of 'characters" as does Queen St. A number can be easily recognised as 'out patients' from the local mental health unit. "Care in the community" can be easily confused with lack of care. Most are harmless, but one should always have ones wits about you for when they have had too many drugs legal or otherwise.
The bars and clubs chop and change with the latest 'fashion', as it is close to a lot of student accommodation a number of clubs cater for students like most similar university cities.
There are a number of gay bars as well.
There are a number of new apartment developments on or just off K road, these should bring more life to the area when the developments have been completed.
As a local resident I have no issues walking the street during the day or night.
Written March 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
milliesmum2016
Christchurch, New Zealand1,770 contributions
Jun 2018 • Solo
K Road has traditionally been the seedy, louche side of Auckland for decades. I can remember my mum telling how, as a young woman during the War, a policeman approached her on K Rd one night and advised her to leave due to the dangers on K Rd! La plus ca change, la plus le meme chose, I guess! I love K Rd. If you're wanting grubby omniuim gatherum nightclubs then this is the strip for you. If you just want a fun, quirky day out in an Auckland with a point of difference, then this is also the place for you. There is everything quirky and odd ball you could possibly think of, with lots of amazing eateries of every style and price point. It's also a good hub for retro and vintage shopping.
It's really easy to get to from Auckland Centra. because it's on the red circle bus line which doesa city loop and costs a dollar. Bargain!
It's really easy to get to from Auckland Centra. because it's on the red circle bus line which doesa city loop and costs a dollar. Bargain!
Written June 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JVA22
Locust Grove, VA67 contributions
Nov 2013 • Couples
Multiple guide books, etc. mentioned this street as a cool place to visit. Since it was just south of our hotel, we checked it out, but only saw really shady sex shops and dumpy convenience stores, the one we stopped in tried to rip me off. I then avoided this street the rest of our trip, you should do the same.
Written January 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelreiser
Auckland13 contributions
Nov 2012
I have to travel through "K" Road often on my way to and from work. Used to be pretty funky, now its a hang out for sex industry workers, late night and lousy bars. Avoid it like the plague
Written November 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jools
Auckland Central, New Zealand442 contributions
Aug 2012
Seriously, it's sleezy, at most times of the day or night. Not unsafe, interesting in it's own right, but let's not pretend it's got anything glamorous or exciting going for it. Unless you're into prostitutes, gay bars and crowds of "left of centre" people.
Written October 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toni C
Auckland, New Zealand12 contributions
Jun 2012
Absolutely disgusting place to be at night, clubs are creepy. workers are creepy just a creepy place needs security the whole way
Written June 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iamthebrowncow
Auckland Central, New Zealand3 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
K-Road is looking more disheveled these days, I can't understand why because it's in a great spot at the top of Auckland, and could have been on the tourists' "must do" list.
We went as a couple on a Sunday morning, to St Kevins Arcade. However half the shops were closed.
We decided to have brunch instead. Firstly we followed a sign to the toilets downstairs - good luck finding them! The only door looking like a toilet (standing open to reveal the usual black & white tiled floors), turned out to be the home of a large Pacific gent, who objected so strongly to being asked as he came out, whether this was the toilet, that he took the time to aggressively ridicule me, even threatening to come to my house and see if I liked being asked it it is a toilet! - so no hanging around St Kevins Arcade for us, and we won't be back soon.
Recommend you try the Viaduct, Victoria Park Market or Ponsonby Road (which actually do have some charm) instead.
BTW the door when closed has "27" on it, so avoid that one. Or use it as a loo ;)
We went as a couple on a Sunday morning, to St Kevins Arcade. However half the shops were closed.
We decided to have brunch instead. Firstly we followed a sign to the toilets downstairs - good luck finding them! The only door looking like a toilet (standing open to reveal the usual black & white tiled floors), turned out to be the home of a large Pacific gent, who objected so strongly to being asked as he came out, whether this was the toilet, that he took the time to aggressively ridicule me, even threatening to come to my house and see if I liked being asked it it is a toilet! - so no hanging around St Kevins Arcade for us, and we won't be back soon.
Recommend you try the Viaduct, Victoria Park Market or Ponsonby Road (which actually do have some charm) instead.
BTW the door when closed has "27" on it, so avoid that one. Or use it as a loo ;)
Written April 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nzpanz
NZ85 contributions
Sep 2012
I just love the street but for Americans think a low class Westwood :) and for Aussies think an average kings cross.
Written September 22, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adams32
11 contributions
Our hotel was on k road back in July 2014... And my experiance of it is not good.. Homeless people around begging, dirty, very dark especially at night with no lighting and when my partner and I went to experiance the k road we walked past some homeless dude who we thought Could have well been dead wih the smell coming off him!! And locals and police walked in by without butting an eyelid! So to sum up sadly this is an experiance I never want to visit again!
Written August 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing