The older, established suburb of Mill Park in PE offers character, charm and family friendly convenience.
With its old-world charm, Mill Park stirs up the desire to settle down and get yourself a family home in the area. At least, that’s how it was for stay-at-home mom and part-time procurement consultant, Cledia Smith and her husband, Steven.
“Before moving to Mill Park, we had been living in the UK for nine years. Our daughter was born in the UK in 2005 and that was really our deciding factor to make the move back to South Africa. We wanted to be close to family and we wanted a lifestyle change. The homes we lived in in the UK had character and history, and we wanted that same ‘something special’ when looking for our new home after moving back to Port Elizabeth,” she says.
Cledia and Steven, who’ve lived in Mill Park for 10 years, say the area, with its Victorian, Tudor-style and Art Deco homes, really spoke to them. “Being an older, established suburb, there haven’t been many developments or changes in the past 10 years other than people extending or refurbishing their own homes,” says Cledia.
There’s a strong focus on safety and security, with a local resident having approached Atlas Security several years ago about introducing a dedicated vehicle to patrol Mill Park as well as Linkside next door. “Many residents support this and the Atlas team has become a key part of the community. It really does add value to the neighbourhood.”
As an older, attractive suburb of Port Elizabeth, Mill Park is quiet and boasts leafy, tree-lined streets. “Residents are proud of the neighbourhood and we’re all keen to continue to keep the area well-maintained, safe and secure for our kids and future generations to enjoy. Although kids don’t have the same freedom that we had growing up, they still play in the streets and the local park is also a wonderful meeting spot for walkers, dog-walkers and children,” she says.
The area is conveniently close to excellent schools, hospitals, businesses and shopping centres.
The added bonus is that the character and charm of the suburb is really very special
-Cledia Smith, resident.
Cledia’s favourite places in Mill Park:
The PE Golf Club, which also has a walking and bike route in a forest-like setting. The vibey Stanley Street area in Richmond Hill, which offers some of the city’s best eateries and is easy to access from Mill Park.
Things people might not know about Mill Park, Port Elizabeth:
- An annual Christmas carols concert takes place in the local park and is supported by Mill Park and Linkside families and friends.
- The area has a community newsletter which goes out to Mill Park and Linkside residents each week. “This newsletter is another element that contributes to building our wonderful community,” says Cledia.
Schools near Mill Park, Port Elizabeth:
- Grey Junior and High Schools
- Linkside Pre-Primary
- Linkside High School
- St George’s Preparatory School
- Herbert Hurd Primary School
- Collegiate Junior and High Schools
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
