wozzie1

Hi Everyone,

My partner has just been offered a great job in Capetown and we are weighing up our options. We have a 2 year old daughter and another baby on the way.

1. Can anyone recommend safe areas to live in Capetown that have other young families?

2. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations on montessoris/ playschools?

3. Are mother and toddler groups common in Capetown?

4. Is it safer to live in a gated community/ apartment complex with security or a stand alone house with security?

Thanks so much for your help. Its much appreciated.

pomE

My wife, daughters and I lived in the Bloubergstrand area for a few years and enjoyed our stay. My wife is from Table View.

We lived in a few different places, but without doubt the best was Atlantic Beach Golf Estate in Melkbosstrand. It's a secure, gated complex with some stunning houses at varying budgets (none particularly cheap), great amenities and security that actually seems to care and do their job well. My company was paying for my accoms so we were lucky in that respect.

You'll certainly feel more comfortable in a gated complex as long as it is a reputable one- at least til you find our feet and get the lie of the land.

Playgroups and some good schools inc private/ international schools too.

Stunning place. Go with an open mind and don't take too much notice of the darker stories you hear going on.

kiwibok

Hi Wozzie. I am from Cape Town. Here is my advice.

1. There are no “safe areas” in Cape Town. Some areas are less affected and can be assumed safer. I would suggest Cape Town’s southern suburbs. I’m assuming you a Brit? So therefore anything north of the “Boerewors curtain” probably won’t suite you. I suggest looking at Claremont, Bishopscourt, Constantia. Areas West of the M3. You don’t want to live on the east of the M3 as thats really dodge. Other areas I suggest are further South, Hout Bay, Noordhoek and Kometjie. These towns are nice, but they do have very large squatter camps so violent crime here will be a lot higher than the first areas I suggested.
2. No sorry
3. Yes you will find a few, especially in the areas I suggested. But these groups seems to keep to themselves, visiting mostly each other, sometimes going to tea gardens (some nice ones in CT) and spending time at each others houses instead of getting out and enjoying the outside life. (Obvious reasons) You won’t see many Moms out and about walking with their strollers. They are out there and you will probably find them via your playschool. Ask around there.
4. I would highly suggest living in a gated community. It costs more but the money is worth it and normally you have armed guards living at the entrance to the complex. If there is trouble help is never far away. Stand alone houses are cheaper for a reason.

wozzie1

Thanks both for your replies and recommendations on neighborhoods. I am actually Irish but this forum seems to be alot more active than any Irish forum I can find.

As I suspected gated communities are the way to go. I've been trying to research online and am finding it difficult to get information about them.....would either of you be able to tell me the best place to research rental properties in these gated communities? Do you go to a Realtor? Or look on Remax? I dont even know where to begin!!

Thanks so much for your advice!

kiwibok

your best bet is to probably search property24.com or myproperty.co.za.

Otherwise Pamgolding and remax are also very good. www.pamgolding.co.za, www.remax.co.za.

When searching. Select cluster/townhouse/apartment. Most of these will be gated. Don't select "House" Those are just standard houses.

ededed

Also try www.g.co.za

All property sites in one place. Don't even consider a stand alone house. Go for gated....

kiwibok

Why not Ed? You certainly give the impression around here that crime is not so much of a problem in the wealthier suburbs. Care to explain further?

ededed

Now who's a straw man?

teanstickies

3 of my 4 children were born and all did their early-years in SA.. Mum's visiting her folks down in Fish Hoek nownow; I'd recommend that stretch of coast to anyone with children.. g**gle it, click images, look-up Fish Hoek Beach on FB.. Be Blessed

Terry_nyorks

How about Simonstown, nowadays, guys. I loved the place in the 80's, and for me it was the only place to retire, in RSA. (Accepting all of the new regime, of course)

kiwibok

Simonstown is really nice. Problem is finding work in the area. Commuting into Cape Town will be quiet a hassle as its quiet a far way out.

AngelaV

My friend rents her house out in Atlantic Beach for R25k per month. They loved it there and always talk about how safe it was. Very good schools in the area too.

You could always come to Hermanus. Safe, great schools, including Montessori. Stunning place to live!

kiwibok

Why do South Africa’s always emphasize on the word "safe"?

My family in Cape Town have a lovely place in Hout Bay. They live in a nice secure estate. They have guards at the gates, an electric fence around the perimeter of the entire estate. They have bars on their windows, a steel gate which separates their bedroom from the rest of the house (which they lock every night). Yes they also refer to it as safe.

The kids have a nice outside section which is “safe”. Apparently its "safe" to leave the kids unattended outside.

They have armed response which also makes it “safe”

They speak of cape town as safe when refering to Johannesburg.

I don’t get it.
What is "safe"?

AngelaV

Prevention is better than cure.

However, I have never been a victim of crime in SA. Cant say the same for the UK.

We take precautions but mostly the bars, fences etc. are to appease the insurance companies. I have never felt that I was living behind bars.

I live in an open house with no fence at all now and don't feel unsafe.

TiaO123

Hi wozzie1, did you end up moving to Cape Town? Where did you move to?