BEST SUBURBS FOR THE OUTDOORSY HOMEOWNER

For the active outdoor enthusiast, knowing which suburbs offer the safest and most scenic walking / cycling / running routes nearby often plays an active (excuse the pun) part in the purchasing decision. 

According to the Victims of Crime Survey 2018, over 65% of the estimated 280,526 incidences of robbery away from home occurred in a street in residential areas. So, apart from natural beauty and at least a few active offerings nearby, crime in the area should also play a vital role in deciding upon a suburb if you’re planning on being active outside of your home.

To get an idea of how safe residents feel in any given area, speak to a real estate agent and find out whether people in that suburb are generally quite active. The more active the suburb, the better the opportunity that there will be local walking / running / cycling groups which homeowners could join to lower the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

FINDING THE FITTEST SUBURBS  
In order to find a suburb that suits your active lifestyle, it is worth considering neighbourhoods that are known for being activity hotspots. According to the latest Discovery Vitality fitness statistics, Cape Town ranks the most physically active city and reports the highest amount of members participating in outdoor activities (which include running, swimming, cycling, canoeing, paddling, surf ski, multi-sport events, obstacle course races, parkruns, and myruns). After the Mother City, Joburg scores highest in this category – 8% away from first place. This is followed by Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, and finally Bloemfontein.

Trying to narrow it down to the best suburbs for active buyers within these major cities is somewhat trickier. That being said, suburbs that are nearby parkrun routes are probably a good place to start. These suburbs offer safe routes on which many choose to exercise even beyond just a Saturday. For example, the suburbs around Rondebosch Common or the Greenpoint promenade are great choices for active buyers in central Cape Town. Likewise, Hobie Beach and Sardinia Bay in PE; North Beach and Umhlanga in Durban; and Rietvlei and Edenvale in Johannesburg all offer great routes for the outdoorsy buyer.

If you’re really not sure where to begin your search, speak to a real estate agent and emphasise that nearby safe outdoor activity routes are an important search criteria for your house hunt.