On the town's highest ground it provides broad vistas of much of the Wairarapa Valley.

[3][4] It is further distinguished from the rest of the town by having been subdivided late in the 19th century and because it was administered by the Masterton County Council.

The property prices are helped by the suburb's views of the Tararua Ranges, the presence of a retirement village and two golf courses, on the top of the hill and at Mahunga by the Waipoua stream.

Before the 2023 census, the suburb had a smaller boundary, covering 5.60 km2 (2.16 sq mi).

Central Lansdowne is also approximately 2.8 km from Masterton railway station, which runs commuter trains from Masterton, through the Wairarapa Line, terminating at Wellington railway station.