As usual I love supporting independent local businesses and Videon is no exception. The reception…read morefrom the staff wasn't immediately warm but the guy working when we were there was really helpful and gave an excellent recommendation based on other films he overheard us discussing in the store. Which was helpful because I was trying to explain to my boyfriend that the movie 'Four Lions' is "funny, but not. It's not really funny at all, but it's, well, funny. Okay, so it's funny like 'In Bruges' is funny." Maybe my crap description for a good film was just too much for the guy but he recommended 'The Guard' which definitely lived up to the theme of bleak, dark humour. There is a $10 joining fee but don't let that put you off because you'll get far superior service compared to any chain video store. If you're lucky you can get street parking but there's on-site parking behind the shop. Just go up Valley Road and turn into the driveway just before the Countdown.

I miss Videon now it's moved from its iconic Art Deco building in Balmoral. But it's worth going a…read morebit further for - hell, even driving across Auckland for. This is possibly the only place in Auckland that has classic movies on DVD and if you are really old-school (and fruit loopin crazytown) you might even still be in the market to hire VHS tapes. Most of the new chain video rental places barely have the 80s classics so Videon is such a treasure. The people that work here, while sometimes a bit superior, really do know their stuff and because of that, their recommendations are usually right on the money. I know over the years there have been hard times and it would be devastating if Auckland ever lost Videon - they are our city's largest independent film library. Whatever twisted genre you're after they are bound to have it; Avant-Garde, Military, Directors' Cuts, obscure Festival flicks and so much more.

I'm a big movie watcher, I get lots of DVD's out each week and I usually have to go out of my way a…read morebit to go and get them. When I saw a video store had opened up the road I was so happy but to be honest after going there a few times I went back to my usual in Mt Eden. Their $8 over-night price is normal, however the movies that are in their over-night section are really old! I can get the same movie from the weekly section for $1 on special days at the video store I go to in Mt Eden. They don't update the section enough, some movies have been in that section for months and months! They are quite good at reminding you if a DVD is overdue however, they give you a call on your home phone, however if you do incur a fine, they make you pay the full price, whereas at my usual video store, they cut it in half if you pay on the spot.

When I lived in town, RVB was a saviour for my insomnia!…read morePart game rental store, part gaming lounge, part bar, part nightclub, RVB is a great place to grab a few mates and while away the night blasting away in the 64 player gaming area, have a boogie on the dance floor, or get in a couple of hands of Texas Hold 'Em. With so much to do under one roof, I don't know how I mde it out alive... And not bankrupt!

It's no secret that I've got a thing for independent bookstores. They remind me of a time gone by…read more(which is strange because I am still in my 20's), when people weren't glued to their phones or the television every night but instead conversed or read books in happy solitude. Perhaps this is why I find it hard to go into a bookstore, like Timeout and not walk out with a book. Seriously, every time I find some excuse for buying a book. I also just love hearing the staff's recommendations. More often that not they lead to the discovery of a brilliant new author or reading a book you would've otherwise never picked up. Timeout seems to have more fiction than say, Novel in Herne Bay but they do also have a good number of design/architecture coffee table books as well. If you can't find what you're looking for, don't despair, although it's jam packed - floor to ceiling with books - the staff seem to miraculously know where everything is.

So first of all I'll confess that I am friends with the manager here. Her name is Jenna Todd and…read morewhen she's not in this very cool independent bookstore, she is being a very talented photographer and doing many other fabulous things. Really. Sometimes I want to BE her. Timeout though, even before Jenna, is its own legend. Battling in an industry where the littlies were mostly squashed a long time ago, this place is still here and I think that's so important. It is the antithesis of the big faceless corporate-owned bookstore; Timeout is small, perfectly formed, filled with personality and personalities. It has its own most awesomely cool cat Lucinda (I love you just the way I am) and the owner's dog often hangs out here too. Even the Facebook posts are actually funny and informative which is a real achievement when most social media is just CRAP (not Yelp of course, we're critics providing a service. Big difference.) These are no doubt just some of the reasons Timeout is constantly winning awards. The back room is given over entirely to children's books and the staff (all of them) are knowledgeable and can recommend something for every age group. I think that Timeout is one of Mt Eden village's key assets and one of the primary reasons the place actually feels like a village. It's bustling, buzzing and bursting with character and I find such a strange and profound pleasure in going in there and fondling the pile of brand new books stacked on the table. Does that make me weird?