Little guys think big

“Historic inner-city suburb” Freemans Bay in Auckland is one of “five great city districts” included in Monocle’s December 2010/January 2011 issue as part of the magazine’s “annual global guide to the little guys with the big ideas and bigger businesses” supplement. “The distinct community feel and density of services convinced Doug Rikard-Bell to build Rhubarb Lane — six buildings with live/work spaces, cementing the area’s reputation as Auckland’s creative hub.” It is included alongside Kødbyen, Copenhagen; Central Eastside Industrial District, Portland; Yanaka, Tokyo; and Barracas, Buenos Aires. Gabrielle Simmons and Greg Collinge’s Hawkes Bay vineyard &Co features also as one of five “dream businesses”. “In 2010, Simmons, 33, and Collinge, 41, launched a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that has already won prizes and a place on tables of some of the best European and American restaurants.” Also, in the issue’s “Travel Top 50”, Air New Zealand is at number five for “Best long-haul premium economy.”