Find out about what the lifestyle and property market is like in Ferndale, Gauteng.
Bordered by the N1 Highway to the north and Bram Fischer Drive to the south, Ferndale is an established Johannesburg suburb that is quiet and suburban, and within easy reach of Randburg’s modern conveniences. Close by is the Randburg CBD with its business parks and shopping options like Randburg Square, Cresta Shopping Centre, Brightwater Commons and Northgate Shopping Centre.
There are two Virgin Active gyms nearby (Malibongwe Drive and Brightwater Commons), and a short drive away via the N1 highway are Montecasino and the Ticketpro Dome − giving you a wealth of entertainment options. Because of its close proximity to the N1, living in Ferndale makes it easy to get to other major parts of the city such as Sandton and the Johannesburg CBD.
While Ferndale contains businesses, shops and restaurants, it’s predominantly residential, consisting of good-sized properties ranging from around 2,000m2 up to 0,4 hectares that are located along wide, tree-lined streets. Within Ferndale, the Fernridge area is a slightly more upmarket subsection of the suburb. Properties here start at around R2m, as opposed to around R1,8m in the rest of Ferndale.
Adding to Fernridge’s appeal is Spark Ferndale, a private primary school that’s the first in the fast-growing Spark network of affordable private schools. Since the Ferndale location opened in 2013, several more have opened in Gauteng, including one nearby in Cresta. Besides these two, other notable schools in the area include Ferndale Primary and Ferndale High schools, Radley Private School and Eastgate Primary School. Given these choices, it’s not surprising that Ferndale is hugely popular with families.
In terms of properties, many of the original Ferndale houses still remain and can be bought at reasonable prices, making the suburb a great investment opportunity if you’re looking to renovate. This, together with its convenient location to schools, commercial and retail options, makes it possible to find great deals in the suburb even despite the currently challenging Johannesburg property market.
As residents of Fernridge, our sons go to Spark Ferndale, which is hugely convenient for us in terms of the daily school commute.
– resident, Annette Westhuizen
Top schools in the area:
- Spark Ferndale and Cresta
- Radley Private School
- Eastgate Primary School
- Ferndale Primary and High School
Top attractions:
- Take the kids for an afternoon of skateboarding, adventure golf and movies at Brightwater Commons.
- Browse the stalls at the permanent Market Place at Brightwater Commons.
- Go go-karting at Randburg Raceway.
- Try your luck on the slots at Montecasino.
Best in food:
- Eat crispy eisbein and drink cold German beer at the Schwabinger Stuben pub and restaurant.
- Enjoy delicious, authentic Portuguese food at 1920.
- Pick up great quality, well-priced sushi at So Go Sushi.
- Fill up with hearty Italian fare at La Mama.
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
Take a journey through the Randburg and Ferndale area here:
