My lucky lotto shop - I have won over a hundred dollars on two separate occasions. I do the lotto…read morehere every week and the Indian man behind the counter always smiles at me and wishes me good luck. Apart from the lotto, they have a big selection of magazines from around the world. I always browse at the music magazines and occasionally buy a copy of 'Rolling Stone'. Another handy thing they have is an ice cream fridge - it means you don't have to queue up at the tills in Countdown if you want an ice cream at night. I had heard rumours that they are widening the road here at Te Atatu South and that some of the shops were to be demolished - I hope that doesn't happen as this shop is very handy for me and many people in the community.

Great little shop tucked away down an arcaderead more

It's a little disappointing this store is hidden away down a West Auckland arcade. Though come to…read morethink about it, if my girlfriend new there was a book exchange shop she would be more than happy to discard part of my growing home library. While I find it hard to relinquish books, Leisure Time offers to exchange or sell books out-right to it's customers. I hope the gruff greeting I received when I entered the store was just part of my interrupting something. The book selection itself didn't really appeal to me (focusing on romance novels, Dean Koontz and glossy magazines), but any business offering a book exchange or cheap books is going to attract my attention. With some organizing and advertising, which would create a wider selection of books, Leisure Time could be a great store.

There is a great little Crazy Saver $1 and up novelty store located in the same building as this…read morevideo store which provides a source of occupation for children while parents are shopping for videos. If you are after a video for that birthday party get-together for the kids, you can kill two birds with one stone while you collect party treats or gift items from here. United Video New Lynn has a gigantic floor space which displays a huge and diverse range of videos. In an effort to capture the highly competitive video rental market, they've tailored some hard-to-beat deals to get you through the door. Like an everyday bargain of six movies for twenty bucks. One dollar DVDS on not just one weeknight but two, Tuesday and Thursday, and an under four dollar price for new release movies on the same one dollar nights. We have found a couple of times in the past that their DVDs don't work properly, which is a frustration on the night as you either have to make a mad dash back to the video store for a replacement or wait until the next time you go in to rectify the matter. Never a problem with replacements or refunds though and the staff are always keen to set the problem right.

Gone West is quite small for a second hand bookshop, which I guess can be a good thing because then…read morethe thought of where to start browsing is a bit less overwhelming. They have a lot of quite old books, and even had a stack of magazines all from the 1960's to 80's which were pretty interesting to have a nosey through. Most of the smaller books go for around 15 dollars if they aren't damaged, and the larger ones for a bit more. There is also a lot of New Zealand orientated reading material on offer, particularly some new books about the local area, such as 'West' and 'Colin McCahon the Titirangi Years'. The owner, Murray, was quite clued up about all of the books he had on offer and I'm sure if you were after something in particular then he would easily be able to help you out.

This op shop would have to be in my list of top 3! I found out today that they were previously in…read morePonsonby, then K Road, now in Avondale, but looking for new premises again. I hope they don't move too far away where ever they go! The woman behind the counter has always been really friendly, chatty and helpful when I have been in. They have a long rack of children's clothes for those with youngsters, a decent range of men's wear (generally x-large though), lots of women's clothes, books in an organised fashion, some great crockery (I have bought some matching vases) and glassware. The best bit really is that it is the most affordable I have seen in Auckland. Not only do they have a $1 rack out the front with decent enough clothes, but they also have on offer 50C containers of clothes (children's and adults). It offers prices that most of us would expect to pay for second hand. This isn't me being stingy, this is me being practical - these charity second hand shops support the needy and they sell to those of us who struggle to fill a wardrobe with brand new clothes. Keep up the good work guys!

Here are some of the records I have bought from Alien Records:…read more - a Serbian '80s electro pop record - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will by Mogwai - a NZ country music compilation - a recording of Shostakovich's 9th Symphony When people ask "where are all the good record shops?" the answer is: in a warehouse down a driveway in New Lynn, close to the RSA. Alien Records is run by what I can only lovingly describe as music nerds, one of whom will never fail to ask you if you play an instrument. This is endearing the first time but less so after the fifth or sixth. It's full of oddities, hits, classic hits compilations, and lots of top quality new pressings. I'm always slightly amazed they're still in business as it's got to be the most hidden specialty shop in Auckland, but they do know their stuff and it's good fun to spend an hour or so rifling through the bins so unless your ears are made of stone you're bound to find something you want. They also sporadically hold gigs in the room next door.

Henderson is a lovely store that is bright, clean and everything is set out so well. Staff are…read morelovely and are always on hand to help. It appears to have a good array of clothing, furniture etc and parking is handy at the door.

This is a fairly large op shop, with a fair selection of women's, men's and kid's clothing for okay…read moreprices. My husband got a jumper here for $6. They have some furniture, although not much, lots of books, some kitchenware (but no pots or pans, sadly), toys and some other stuff. Prices seemed okay, there were a few odd people hanging about in there but the woman who served us was very friendly!

Far far away in Henderson, a café is hidden somewhere off a cul-de-sac, and down a small road…read morerunning alongside the train track. The café in question here is Coffee Studio, located amidst the character buildings of the Corban Estate Arts Centre. Arriving 2pm, we were just too late to order from the main menu (the usual café options), but we were happy with their counter offerings. The vegetable frittata ($11.50), served with a root vegetable and blue cheese salad, arrived on a bright blue plate but the food itself was also full of colour: golden frittata, and vibrant reds and oranges dominating the salad. Though not outstanding, it was tasty and a satisfying potion. The carrot cake ($4.50) was a great accompaniment to a strong cup of cappuccino ($4). Personally I felt the cake on the dry side but the dollop of cream helped to offset this. The brownie ($4) was the unanimous favourite of the afternoon; a decadent delight that was incredibly chocolatey and slightly moist in the middle. The café's styling is worthy of mention: a small studio building decked out with chic art and retro furnishings inside, and vintage swivel seating outside. I also liked the handwritten chalkboard menu and the fact that all the food was garnished with a sprig of lavender (lavender shrubs everywhere surrounding the café!). Personal touches fully reflective of the bubbly team and the cosy, welcoming atmosphere. The food was solid, though probably not worth a drive halfway across town for. But if you're in the area, Coffee Studio is a nice stop to grab brunch, or a much craved coffee-and-cake energy boost.

This place is trult a hidden gem, who would've thought that such an amazing cafe would exist in…read moreHenderson. One day a friend and I decided we needed to take a walk and catch up on what was happening in our lives. On our walk we walked in the park then decided to walk through Corban Estate. We came to Coffee Studio and I was in love. The cafe had these amazing ceramic vases on the tables. I wanted to borrow the vases for my room but I couldn't. When we decided to walk into the cafe we were taken back to an era that we weren't born in. The place had a rustic feel to it. I ordered the best mango smoothie in Auckland. It was made with an actual mango and fresh ingredients before my eyes.