Words: Betsie Lock-Van der Merwe | Images: Rene Walker
The relatively young suburb of Equestria boasts an ideal location in Pretoria’s New East and offers property buyers in any phase of their real estate needs the opportunity to live in this sought-after region.
The suburb offers easy access to main arteries such as the N4 highway linking up to the N1, Solomon Mahlangu Drive, Lynnwood Road and Simon Vermooten Road.
Equestria mainly comprises a diverse mix of trendy residential estates and townhouse complexes nestled between large green thickets and beautiful tree-lined streets. Business-related developments are generally positioned closer to the suburb’s boundaries, contributing to the peace and quiet of the residential part of the neighbourhood.
Equestria is also just across the street from the developing commercial hubs of Hazeldean, Silver Lakes and Six Fountains, while it also borders the older established suburb of Die Wilgers, allowing easy access to established infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and churches.
Resident Annette van Tonder says, “We live in Equestria Estate and chose it for the safety as well as the facilities it offers. Equestria is ideally located near shops, restaurants and malls, but is still quiet and safe.”
Property
Because of its wide range of property offerings, Equestria is a cosmopolitan neighbourhood in every sense of the word. The larger proportion of real estate in the suburb caters for entry-level buyers, investors and small families in the middle-income group. Homes vary from modern apartment blocks to compact townhouses priced from about R600,000 to upwards of R1,1m.
Larger families requiring more than three bedrooms in a lock-up-and- go environment have a choice of comfortably sized contemporary dwellings ranging from about R1,3m to about R2m. The upper end of the market in this secure area comprises bigger family homes offering several levels of comfort and luxury. Asking prices can go up to R4m.
The needs of senior residents wanting to scale down but still live in the neighbourhood are met by a number of retirement villages in Equestria, such as the Selrose Park Retirement Village, Vergelegen Retirement Village and Equestria Village Retirement Centre.
The residents of Equestria are bound together by having the same lifestyle requirements of living in a family-oriented neighbourhood that is quiet, secure and close to all amenities.
They’re also a health-conscious bunch, often seen walking, cycling or jogging in the streets of the estates they live in.
Schooling
Meeting the requirements of the many young families with small children in the hood, Mini-Me Academy and Kiddies Academy Nursery School are situated in Equestria, while Little Flowers Babyhouse and Pre-school and Pooh Bear Daycare are situated just down the road in neighbouring Die Wilgers.
Primary schools close to Equestria include Lynnwood Ridge Primary School, Laerskool Skuilkrans, Laerskool Tygerpoort and Tyger Valley College. There’s also a Star College in the suburb.
Secondary schools in and around the area include Curro College Hazeldean, Deutsche Schule Pretoria, Hoërskool Die Wilgers, Willowridge High School and St Alban’s College.
Explore
The Grove Mall in Equestria offers all kinds of retail therapy and amusement. In addition to a great selection of restaurants and fun food outlets, Pretoria’s only ice rink is located in the mall. The mall also boasts The Fun Company and Ster-Kinekor as tenants.
Arcade Empire is the hippest place in the hood if you’re young or young at heart. This bar-cum-restaurant and concert venue is also popular for its regular karaoke evenings.
The nearby Safari Garden Centre attracts many of the area’s senior residents as it offers many walkways, fish ponds and an open-air restaurant.
If you prefer to chill on the couch at home, you can rent the latest movies from Star DVD and order a takeaway from one of the many eateries in the area.
I’ve been living in Equestria since August 2017 with my husband and two sons. We chose Equestria because it’s easy to get to the highway as my husband works in Mpumalanga and travels daily. My son attends Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool and there’s transport available in this area that collects him at the gate of our complex.
Annette van Tonder, resident
Shop:
- The Grove Mall: anchored by Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Edgars, complemented by a wide selection of interesting and unusual stores
- Equestria Gateway Centre: for a variety of shops and businesses, from spas and beauty salons to restaurants
- Willows Crossing: with 27 retail stores on offer and 24-hour security, it offers safe and secure shopping
- Silver Oaks Crossing: boasting a large number of restaurants, grocery outlets and various lifestyle services
Eat:
- The Hussar Grill, The Grove: for great-tasting steaks and wines
- AfroBoer, Equestria: for delicious Afrikaner-influenced meals
- Real Fish & Chips Co, Equestria: for authentic fish and chips
- Malt Bar & Grill, Silver Oaks Crossing: for grills, homemade burgers and wood-fired pizza
- Nikos, The Grove: for Greek and Mediterranean cuisine
See:
- Exotic birds and a variety of animals at Bester Birds & Animal Farm where kids can feed the bunnies and tortoises
- The latest movies at Ster-Kinekor and Imax theatres at The Grove Mall
- Live music and lots of goodies at the Cowhouse Market in Hazeldean
- The Safari Garden Centre in The Willows
