What was once sugar cane fields has been transformed into a desirable Umhlanga neighbourhood with every imaginable amenity.
La Lucia was once sugar cane land. When the sugar barons chose to divest themselves of sugar cane, large pieces of residential land sold quickly and fetched appealing prices. And, like many of the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast suburbs, La Lucia mushroomed.
La Lucia has a conserved section of greenbelt, so there’s still a sense of tranquillity in the area. There’s a variety of birdlife and wildlife in the area, but alongside it there’s a range of upper-end estates with freestanding homes or a few smaller, more compact, yet upmarket complexes. Because of the southern and northern slopes of the valley on which many properties are perched, this elevation provides wonderful views of the sea or the city.
Flanking this greenbelt are a number of enormous, lavish, extravagant homes on what was new land, or on plots where older homes were demolished and the pieces of land were amalgamated. La Lucia still has a number of “old” homes, which are mostly bought and renovated by young families keen to get a foot on the North Coast property ladder. Around La Lucia Mall you can find the original range of more a¬ffordable complexes, which have semidetached homes or duplexes. The location of La Lucia makes it easy to access the N2 and M4 freeways.
Next door neighbours, La Lucia Ridge and Umhlanga Ridge are the commercial hubs and they’re five minutes’ drive away in calm traffic. King Shaka International Airport, Virginia Airport, Dube Tradeport and numerous top hospitals and medical centres are between five and 15 minutes’ drive away, making La Lucia an extremely convenient area to live in.
Top-quality schools have over the years found a home in the area and its surrounds, particularly high schools. There were always well-respected pre-primary, primary, junior and high government schools nearby, but there were few private schools, other than the established Victory Christian Academy and Durban North’s Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School. Now Crawford College La Lucia is in the area and Reddam House Umhlanga (catering for children from age one to matric) is around the corner.
Entertainment in La Lucia is within easy reach, whether it’s the beaches, the bright lights of Gateway Theatre of Shopping, or the numerous restaurants and hotels which line Umhlanga’s beachfront.
We bought our dated house with its sea views about nine years ago, and we’re still slowly upgrading when we can afford it. Our children were born here, and the play and primary schools are superb; my husband works at Nandi Drive. We just wouldn’t live anywhere else.
-Alex Jones, resident.
Schools near La Lucia
- Glenashley Preparatory School
- Chelsea Preparatory School
- Virginia Preparatory School
- Northlands Primary School
- Northwood School
- Northlands Girls’ High School
- Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School
- Danville Park Girls’ High School
- Reddam House Umhlanga
- Crawford College La Lucia
- Victory Christian Academy
Eating out in La Lucia, Durban:
- Al Firenze in Umhlanga: for delicious Italian food in a comfy and cosy setting
- The Taphouse: for tasty and relaxed drinks and meals
- Europa at La Lucia Mall: for hearty breakfasts
- Spiga D’Oro: for fantastic pasta dishes and a chilled atmosphere
Things to do in La Lucia, Durban:
- Spend a day at the beaches in La Lucia, Glenashley and Umhlanga.
- Enjoy the eclectic mix of shops at La Lucia Mall.
- Visit Gateway Theatre of Shopping for movies and shopping.
- Explore the guided trails at the Hawaan Forest with the Umhlanga Centre of the Wildlife Society.
Why we love La Lucia Mall
- La Lucia Mall has 130 stores including all major banks and the SA Post Office.
- Dis-Chem, Edgars, Food Lover’s Market, Pick n Pay and Woolworths anchor this
- regional shopping centre. International retail stores include Accessorize, The Body
- Shop, Crabtree and Evelyn, Havaianas, Le Creuset, L’occitane en Provence, Pandora
- and Sunglass Hut. Restaurants include Kauai, Woolworths Cafe, Europa, Mugg and
- Bean, Wimpy, Vida e Caffe and Nandos. La Lucia Mall is also renowned for having the
- best in health and beauty retail including Terry Scott Hair fashion, Innovations Hair,
- Carlton Hair, Perfect 10, Sorbet, Dream Nails Beauty, Brow Bar and now Deluxe Laser
- Clinic and Spa. Get connected with free Wi-Fi – 30 minutes/50mb daily.
Find out more at laluciamall.co.za.
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
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