Ponsonby, Auckland: the natural habitat of latte-swilling JAFAs who drive SUVs and live in prohibitively expensive, renovated villas; and the holy grail of Auckland real estate - which is exactly why Dimity Rush wants to move her family into the neighbourhood. Dimity and her husband Stuart have been lifestylers out in rural Kumeu, West Auckland, but now Dimity has persuaded Stuart and their two sons to up sticks and move into the smartest, most pretentious suburb in Auckland. HR manager Dimity is pushing 40 and wants to have it all before the downhill slide to middle age, while anaesthetist Stuart just wants to stop and smell the roses. But Dimity is about to get a rude awakening in the form of her new Ponsonby neighbours, the Shorts. Arthur Short has rented in the area for more than 20 years and is a work-shy leftie who mourns the old suburb before the upwardly mobiles started moving in. His wife has just shot through with another woman, leaving him to raise two teenage daughters.