Part of a Cityscape series presenting the opinions of real people who live in Christchurch's central city: Simone Rewa Pearson.

Which central city neighbourhood do you live in? The Chester East community.

How would you describe the vibe there? Beautiful tree lined neighbourhood, friendly.

Your neighbours are… I consider anyone living in the four ave’s my neighbour. We’ve lived in central city for about 18 years, 15 years in our current home with our two kids. We’ve had a strong connection with many of the people in the neighbourhood for many years that was fostered when we got to know one another after the earthquakes. Plus there are many new friendly faces with all the new apartments being built.

Read more of Cityscape's central city living coverage here

Why do you choose to live in the four aves? It’s never boring. Always life and activity close by, with easy access to where we work, live and play.

Biggest drawcard? The safe and easy distance to everything we need as a family. We all walk, bike or scooter to get where we need to go and love using the City Promenade by the river to get across town. We have one car which I prefer not to use in the four aves. The city is constantly changing and getting better as more facilities open. Hagley Park is a wonderful asset for the city, I run around the park regularly, Joe plays golf at the Hagley Park Golf Club and the Botanic Garden is beautiful.

Biggest drawback? Intensification of housing, combined with the desire for maintenance-free accommodation, has resulted in the removal of trees that have taken many decades or hundreds of years to grow.

Fave local coffee? Table at Monks.

Food? Little High and Riverside Market, or Amaterrace Teppanyaki at The Terrace.

Entertainment? Issac Theatre Royal, The Piano and the splendid Town Hall – we’re spoilt for choice. I can’t wait for the Court Theatre to be back in the ‘hood. The Metro pool will be amazing too.

Retail? City Mall and South City.

How do you get around? Biking and walking.

What’s your occupation? Business developement manager of a New Zealand-owned IT company.

Is work handy to home? 15 minutes by bike.

Can you describe the Christchurch of the future in once sentence? Modern and safe, with a thriving central city.

Why should other people move here now? There’s a growing economy with interesting jobs across many sectors, sense of space, close proximity to nature and outdoor recreation.