The Questions.

WestSide is the western half of Hastings' Central Business District in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. It runs along Heretaunga Street West from the 100 block (Karamu Road end) through to the 400 block, plus the surrounding laneways and side streets. The railway line bisects Hastings CBD: the WestSide is the side west of the tracks.

Currently 152 active businesses across seven categories: TechWest (phone repair, tech retail), FoodWest (cafes, restaurants, bakeries), FashionWest (clothing, jewellery, accessories), WellWest (health, fitness, beauty, grooming), FunWest (entertainment, surf, music, art), ServiceWest (banks, lawyers, accountants, travel), and SpecialWest (heritage and one-of-a-kind spots). It's one of the longest contiguous retail high streets in New Zealand.

Yes. The Woolworths customer carpark on the corner of Queen St West and King St North is free for customers (around 80 spaces, with accessible bays). On-street parking on Eastbourne Street West between Queen and Market is also free but time-limited, with accessible bays close to the WellWest precinct. Paid options range from $1.60/hr off-street to $2.10/hr on Heretaunga Street, with all-day options at the Farmers Northern and Southern carparks. Full breakdown on the Parking page.

All paid meters accept coins and Paywave (contactless). The ParkMate app is also supported across the precinct, which lets you pay from your phone and top up remotely if you're running over. Pay any fines within 7 days for a discount.

Most retailers trade Monday to Saturday roughly 9am to 5pm, with shorter hours on Sundays where they're open. Hospitality (cafes, restaurants) generally opens earlier and stays open later. Hours vary by business — every listing in the WestSide directory includes the individual business's hours.

Yes. Heretaunga Street West has wide pavements, mostly step-free shopfront access along the main blocks, and accessible parking bays available in the Woolworths carpark and on Eastbourne Street West. Individual building access varies — older buildings on some side streets may have steps.

Yes. There are cafes with kids' menus, family-friendly bakeries like John's, accessible footpaths for prams, and plenty of free or low-cost parking. The Lolly Shop on the 100 block is a perennial kid favourite. The 300 West laneway hosts WAMJam music sessions and a Special Art Zone — accessible to all ages.

Park at one of the Farmers carparks (all-day, $1.60/hr) and walk Heretaunga Street West from the 200 block heading west. That puts you in the middle of the strip — coffee at Collab Cafe or Sutto, a wander through the 200 block jewellers and Farmers, then west into the 300 block for surf, art and food. The Westies stories are written as walking guides if you want a curated route.

No — a basic directory listing is free. Paid tiers add Instagram management, Westies editorial coverage, and BID-style advocacy with Hastings District Council. The free listing puts your business on the map with contact details, hours, and category. You can upgrade at any time as your business grows.

Go to hastingscbd.nz/join and pick the tier that fits your business. The signup process collects your business name, address, hours, contact details, and category. Your listing typically appears on the directory within a few days of submission.

WestSide Hastings CBD is a privately-run community-led directory and editorial platform. It is not formally affiliated with Hastings District Council or any business association, though it works alongside both. The platform exists to put the businesses of Heretaunga Street West on the map, tell their stories, and advocate for the precinct's long-term interests.

Westies is WestSide's editorial publication — original stories about the businesses, people and places of Heretaunga Street West. Articles range from category guides (food, fashion, wellness) to seasonal pieces (Mother's Day, the Sort-It-Out Season) and the Street Walk series that documents the strip block by block. Paid-tier listings get editorial coverage; the publication itself is free to read.

Westies articles are commissioned editorially — they cover themes, categories, and people on the strip rather than being paid placements. Paid-tier directory listings get priority editorial attention when relevant articles come up. Contact us to discuss coverage.

The WestSide Mailer publishes new Westies articles, business openings, events and seasonal stories. Free to subscribe via the WestSide site. Instagram is @hastingscbd.

Yes. As of April 2026, WestSide is at 92% occupancy with around 9 spaces currently available across the precinct — a mix of retail, hospitality, wellness studio and office spaces ranging roughly 55m² to 110m². The full list with photos and details is at Move to WestSide.

Yes — a $10,000 start-up grant is currently on offer for new businesses moving into available spaces on WestSide. Terms apply. Enquire through the Move to WestSide page for current eligibility and how to apply.

Currently available spaces include ground-floor retail, food and hospitality sites with laneway access, boutique shops, wellness and beauty studios, and an upper-floor wellness space. Sizes range from around 55m² boutique-scale through to 110m² entertainment-strip frontages. Each listing on the Move to WestSide page shows the zone, approximate area, and key features.

WestSide is one of the busiest contiguous retail strips in New Zealand by foot traffic, sits at 92% occupancy (momentum is real), and has visible community-led infrastructure: a directory, editorial coverage, social media reach, and active advocacy with Hastings District Council. New businesses get the benefit of an existing customer flow and a precinct that's already telling its own story.

Each space listed on the Move to WestSide page has an Enquire button that goes directly to the landlord or leasing agent for that property. For general questions about the precinct or the start-up grant programme, contact us.