Glendene is a mainly residential suburb with the north-eastern portion devoted to light industry.

Glendene is named after a farm in the area owned by Percy Jones, which was later subdivided for housing.

[3][4] The Western shores of the Whau River were home to many clay and pottery yards in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Malam, Laurie, Black & Scott and Hepburn yards.

The Glendene Community Hub Archived 21 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine was opened in March 2015 in response to Council studies that showed a need for community development in the area.

The results were 37.9% European (Pākehā); 15.0% Māori; 28.2% Pasifika; 33.1% Asian; 2.9% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander".