A Tale of Two Art Deco Capitals

Napier, New Zealand calls itself the “Art Deco Capital” of the world. It’s a title that the South Florida-girl in me takes immediate issue with; I mean, doesn’t that title rightfully belong to Miami Beach? After all, Miami Beach is bigger, brighter and well, just more recognizable than Napier. However, after I visited this small, beach-front city, I can now say it has a decent, if not somewhat convincing argument. First, a little history: Unlike Miami Beach, Napier was actually mostly built-up prior to the Art Deco style’s hey-day in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The only reason it has this style of architecture is that the city was razed following the deadly 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake and had to be rebuilt. This means Napier’s construction of art deco was built for an already existing community and, therefore, has a bit of a different feel to it than its United States counterpart, which admittingly, was mainly driven by consumerism and developers hoping to make a buck from wealthy tourists.

 

I think it is this community-driven development that makes Napier feel almost like its stranded in time. Not only does the architecture take you back to what many refer to as a “simpler” time, so does the city itself. Napier’s downtown is lined with both attractions for tourists, as well as the necessities local need for their daily lives. Unlike the streets of Miami Beach, which are lined predominantly with hotels clubs, restaurants, and car parks, Napier has a mix of cute boutiques, locally-owned cafes, grocery stores and pedestrian-only roads. Its a walkable, locally-driven economy, fueled by a rather tiny population (There are less than 70,000 people living in Napier.)

 

It’s a set-up that’s by all accounts impossible to replicate in a major, global city like Miami. For starters, Miami Beach has 23,000 more people living in it and attracts even more by way of tourists. Furthermore, this U.S. city is just too expensive for any mom-and-pop shop to really thrive there the way they can in Napier.

This money-driven culture that fuels Miami Beach is something Napier and really New Zealand (apart from maybe Auckland) just can’t compete with – most of the time. There are no massive clubs or luxurious spas for you to enjoy in Napier, but there are world-class restaurants. In fact, its Napier and not Auckland that currently houses the country’s “restaurant of the year,” Pacifica. I have not had the pleasure of tasting Pacifica’s dishes, but after a quick look at their prices and reviews, I can only assume they are fantastic: their prices rival those of restaurants in Miami Beach, the playground of the rich and the famous. But the thing is because it’s not Miami Beach, the restaurants in Napier aren’t paying exorbitant rent to be there, and that means: good food doesn’t have to be expensive. Case in point: tasty restaurants like Honger Monger and Mister D’s regularly make “must try” lists for the country and are more than satisfying. And both aren’t going to bust your budget. Talk about old-fashioned entertainment!

Speaking of old-fashioned entertainment, Napier also makes it easy to be home by curfew: except for the Rose Irish Pub which stays open to a late 12:30 am, the city mostly shuts down at 10 pm. There are no modern-day clubs or bar fights to tear you away from your return to the art deco era.

Napier has less art deco buildings than Miami Beach, and it’s certainly less of an overall tourist attraction. But what it lacks in population, nightlife, and frankly beaches, Napier makes up for with atmosphere. This place, like much of New Zealand, feels like a step back in time. So while this Florida-girl isn’t ready to say Napier is “The” Art Deco Capital of the World, it can certainly be one of them. (Or even, The Art Deco Capital of the Pacific.)