Here’s what’s happening in property in Durbanville, Sonstraal Heights and Uitzicht
Explore the seemingly endless sprawl of the Northern Suburbs and the original small towns that have since merged with the flood of residential development reveal their separate identities.
The peaceful neighbourhood of Sonstraal Heights in Durbanville features many secure complexes, sectional-title apartments and full-title homes. For residents’ shopping needs, there’s Cobble Walk, which features great coffee shops, food outlets and retail shops, and is anchored by Checkers, Woolworths Food, Clicks, Planet Fitness, Caltex and Pick n Pay Clothing. Not only does Sonstraal Heights fall into the catchment area of plenty of good schools, it’s also home to Curro Castle and Curro Durbanville.
Uitzicht, situated in Kraaifontein (north of the N1 and intertwined with Durbanville suburbs), offers easy access to the N1 highway and the R300. For residents’ shopping needs, there’s the convenient Uitzicht Centre, which has a Spar, hair salon, Gaeta’s Italian Pizza and more. Situated away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this is a safe neighbourhood where children can still play in the streets.
Durbanville was a small village surrounded by farmland not so long ago. Nowadays, it retains its small-town feel, and memories of the farmland linger in several swathes of the greenbelt, the parks around old farm dams and the proximity to the Durbanville Wine Valley estates providing a weekend play area for the whole of the Northern Suburbs. “Durbanville is like a mini city in a small-town atmosphere,” says Anna Pepper, a photographer who recently moved back to Durbanville after four years in Gauteng. “Everything is here, but it’s not intimidating like a big city.”
At first sight, the Durbanville town centre is a collection of commercial high street chains, but all sorts of gems emerge when you explore on foot. Historic Rust en Vrede is tucked away behind trees off Wellington Road. Its cool, quiet rooms are home to a clay museum, art exhibition space, a cafe and studios. There are numerous quirky small businesses and many coffee shops to be discovered in the surrounding side streets. This allows residents to satisfy most of their shopping needs locally without having to head down to the nearby Tyger Valley mall.
The rolling hills of the Durbanville Wine Valley and the Tygerberg Nature Reserve provide endless space for weekend outdoor living. With many trails and routes to choose from, mountain bikers and road cyclists are spoilt for choice. There are a number of livery stables for horse-riding devotees, and there are a variety of regular markets, wine tastings and wine estate restaurants to explore. Meerendal Wine Estate also hosts a weekly Parkrun.
The area has renowned public schools in both Afrikaans and English mediums, and new private schools have been built here over the last few years to cater to the increased demand created by the advent of upmarket security estates.
What’s nice about Durbanville is that it’s right in the centre of everything. You’re 30 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, 30 minutes from Stellenbosch and the Winelands, 30 minutes from the sea, and you still feel like you’re in a small place.
-Rozanne Louw, Bloom Flowers.
Dine out in Durbanville:
- Chocolat: for delightful breakfasts
- Sugar, Coffee and Collectables: for delectable milkshakes
- Soet Society: for delicious cake and coffee
- Yoco Eatery at Rust en Vrede: for light meals in a beautiful setting
- Xpresso: for delicious menu items that cost only R10
Things to do in Durbanville:
- Participate in the Durbanville Parkrun at Meerendal Wine Estate on Saturdays.
- Enjoy mountain biking in Tygerberg Nature Reserve and on nearby wine farms.
- Visit the Durbanville Wine Valley for wine tasting and family days out.
- Take the family to Rust en Vrede to enjoy great art and delicious food.
- Visit the many weekend markets in the area.
- Watch a movie at The Galileo Open Air Cinema at Hillcrest Quarry.
- Play a round of golf at the Durbanville Golf Club.
Schools in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs:
- Durbanville High School
- Fairmont High School
- El Shaddai Christian School
- Reddam House Durbanville
- Curro Durbanville
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
