Braddon has hipsters, but Denman Prospect has Yuccies

Braddon has hipsters, but Denman Prospect has Yuccies

We all know Lonsdale Street is a mecca for our plaid-clad, espresso-sipping, bearded hipster friends but there’s a modern breed of Canberrans about to make their home at Denman Prospect.

Photo of Shiv & Tess taken by: O Photography.

    Say hello to Canberra’s Yuccies (Young Urban Creatives) – a new group of millennials who by definition lead extremely busy social lives (on and offline), ditch big label fashion for smaller, minimalist independent brands and are exchanging metropolis for the comfort of suburban life.

    The term “Yuccie” was coined by blogger David Infante in a post he wrote for Mashable in June 2015.

      Brand new Denman Prospect residents Shiv and Tessa Goundar admit they do have some of the qualities of Infante’s fictional demographic: both are aged between 20 and 30, are well educated (they met while studying commerce at ANU) and live a busy life filled with socialising, exercising and pursuing their dreams. 

      “I’ve never heard of the term Yuccie but a little research shows that it does cover some aspects of our lives,” Tessa says.

      “It will be interesting to see how the demographic of Denman unfolds moving forward but we’re looking forward to being surrounded by other young families, like-minded people and potentially some other Yuccies.”

      In keeping with the qualities of a Yuccie, Tessa is big on interior design – she used the Houzz app to create a digital moodboard of rooms to inspire their build at Denman – and Shiv has a logistics business he runs outside his 9-to-5 job as a management consultant (an entrepreneurial streak he inherited from his father).

      Shiv says the decision to buy at Denman Prospect was partly about an obsession with the outdoors and nature, partly about the Molonglo Valley “vibe” and partly about aligning with Terry Snow’s vision for transforming suburban life in Canberra.

        But the suburb’s proximity to a very famous mountain bike track was the real clincher.

        “I love anything to do with bikes – mountain biking, cycling and motorbikes. So for me, Denman is just a dream come true,” he says.

        “The mountain bike and road cycle tracks are at our doorstep, as well as the Cotter for motorcycle riding.”

        “And when we move in, I’ll probably never see him again,” Tessa laughs.

        It’s a big year for the Goundars. The couple is due to move into their Denman Prospect home in July, and Shiv and Tessa’s first child (and Denman Prospect’s very first baby) is expected to arrive in September.

        “We’ve effectively lived in apartments our whole relationship so we can’t wait to move in, spread out and just enjoy the little things – like a garage and a yard,” Tessa says.

        “We can see ourselves at Denman for a long time to come.”