It's the Saturday open thread. This week: 'Will the IRT (Integrated Rapid Transport) System currently being rolled out affect the property markets it services?'
8 comments:
bbflames
said...
you know, i drove around parklands on Thursday, saw a lot of the mycity busses and they all had lots of people in them. So I got to wondering the same thing. Would cheap efficient transport be the savior of the suburb.
There are good schools in the area, plenty of shopping mall space, and now decent public transport. On paper it doesnt seem so bad. the reality is some what different with what seems to be a huge amount of places for sale. If you need convincing , check out the sheriff's website. Always tons of parklands rabbit hutches being auctioned off
Cheap, efficient transport might attract 2 types of resident families:
A)Those that do not have a vehicle, because they can't afford to purchase or maintain it.
B)Those that do have an old clapped out vehicle, but can only afford to use it on a weekend just after payday, and so would normally use the bus to get to work.
So in Parklands this will not improve property prices, because the calibre of residents will remain the same as currently is.
I've been living in Parklands for a while now. As we know, the property boom put an entire suburb together in 10 years. Too many investors in such a small area meant dodgy tenants. The problem with Parklands is the main road. The complexes there alone is the suburbs own demise, and the surrounding businesses in the CBD are a direct representation thereof. Be brave enough to venture off the main road and you will get lost, however you will also see private schools, leafy well kept freestanding houses, yes parks that are kept up, well managed complexes, joggers, dog-walkers and children. The crime rate is low, you are 2 min from the beach, and best of all is you have space. None of the above is found in the Southern Suburbs unless you are a thieving Fund Manager or director of a Law firm. It's for this reason that, believe it or not, decent healthy good income professionals (like myself) live there. Also the IRT system runs right past my house which means I don't have to car pool to get into the City Bowl. I own an awesome car that goes like a bat out of hell, but why use it when I can chill on the bus all the way to work and it takes me 30 min to get there at half the price. I know people that live in Sea Point and work in town and often take longer to get to work than I do. Parklands property is cheap (and for good reason I guess). For the price of a 2 bedroom shithole in the CBD you can pick up a 4 bedroom freestanding double garage with a pool in Parklands. Not everybody is geared to live in a shoebox, especially those with kids. Of those people not everybody can fork out 4 bar to live in Newlands. So it's a choice, Parklands or Bellville really. Take a drive through Bellville CBD on any given Saturday and Parklands almost doesn't look that bad. I'm 2 ways about the suburb, it can either go good, or it can go bad I'm not sure. One thing is certain though, your average salaried professional will get married, and might want children. Prices in the city bowl make a decent spot where your child can actually see the sun once in a while out of reach for most. So where do you go? Plumbstead? dodgy. Noordhoek? to far. Woodstock or Obs? dodgy. Pinelands / Newlands / Rondebosh / Kirstenbosh / Bishopscourt / Durbanville? expensive, cold, traffic nightmare. Bellville / Brackenfell / Kraaifontein? far and depressing. Parklands? The equity one can build up compared to the standard of living is fantastic, but there is still that huge element of generally dodgy folk living in the complexes on the main road.
Your post smacks of narrow-mindedness and typical You-magazine-reading, Carte-Blanche-watching rhetoric.
Cheap efficient transport is the backbone of many thriving first world cities(eg London and New York). They would not function without it. Contrary to what you may think, even wealthy individuals make use of public transport if it is fast, reliable and safe.
I think the IRT will have a huge effect on parklands.
For most office workers, public transport makes a lot of sense.
It's only when you REALLY need your car during the workday that it becomes a problem. And most of us don't.
Of course you'll always get your die hards who'll rather spend 2 hours in their cars than a 20 minute bus ride, but I suspect your average capetownian is a bit more enlightened.
8 comments:
you know, i drove around parklands on Thursday, saw a lot of the mycity busses and they all had lots of people in them. So I got to wondering the same thing. Would cheap efficient transport be the savior of the suburb.
There are good schools in the area, plenty of shopping mall space, and now decent public transport. On paper it doesnt seem so bad. the reality is some what different with what seems to be a huge amount of places for sale. If you need convincing , check out the sheriff's website. Always tons of parklands rabbit hutches being auctioned off
Cheap, efficient transport might attract 2 types of resident families:
A)Those that do not have a vehicle, because they can't afford to purchase or maintain it.
B)Those that do have an old clapped out vehicle, but can only afford to use it on a weekend just after payday, and so would normally use the bus to get to work.
So in Parklands this will not improve property prices, because the calibre of residents will remain the same as currently is.
I've been living in Parklands for a while now. As we know, the property boom put an entire suburb together in 10 years. Too many investors in such a small area meant dodgy tenants. The problem with Parklands is the main road. The complexes there alone is the suburbs own demise, and the surrounding businesses in the CBD are a direct representation thereof. Be brave enough to venture off the main road and you will get lost, however you will also see private schools, leafy well kept freestanding houses, yes parks that are kept up, well managed complexes, joggers, dog-walkers and children. The crime rate is low, you are 2 min from the beach, and best of all is you have space. None of the above is found in the Southern Suburbs unless you are a thieving Fund Manager or director of a Law firm. It's for this reason that, believe it or not, decent healthy good income professionals (like myself) live there. Also the IRT system runs right past my house which means I don't have to car pool to get into the City Bowl. I own an awesome car that goes like a bat out of hell, but why use it when I can chill on the bus all the way to work and it takes me 30 min to get there at half the price. I know people that live in Sea Point and work in town and often take longer to get to work than I do. Parklands property is cheap (and for good reason I guess). For the price of a 2 bedroom shithole in the CBD you can pick up a 4 bedroom freestanding double garage with a pool in Parklands. Not everybody is geared to live in a shoebox, especially those with kids. Of those people not everybody can fork out 4 bar to live in Newlands. So it's a choice, Parklands or Bellville really. Take a drive through Bellville CBD on any given Saturday and Parklands almost doesn't look that bad. I'm 2 ways about the suburb, it can either go good, or it can go bad I'm not sure. One thing is certain though, your average salaried professional will get married, and might want children. Prices in the city bowl make a decent spot where your child can actually see the sun once in a while out of reach for most. So where do you go? Plumbstead? dodgy. Noordhoek? to far. Woodstock or Obs? dodgy. Pinelands / Newlands / Rondebosh / Kirstenbosh / Bishopscourt / Durbanville? expensive, cold, traffic nightmare. Bellville / Brackenfell / Kraaifontein? far and depressing. Parklands? The equity one can build up compared to the standard of living is fantastic, but there is still that huge element of generally dodgy folk living in the complexes on the main road.
@anon2
I agree it doesnt matter what car you drive, the IRT makes sense if you work 9 - 5 in the city and live out parklands/blouberg way.
@anon2
Your post smacks of narrow-mindedness and typical You-magazine-reading, Carte-Blanche-watching rhetoric.
Cheap efficient transport is the backbone of many thriving first world cities(eg London and New York). They would not function without it. Contrary to what you may think, even wealthy individuals make use of public transport if it is fast, reliable and safe.
Last post should read @anon 1
If it is reasonably priced and dependable, yes it will, although it will take some time for the culture to shift (see Anon1 for example)
I think the IRT will have a huge effect on parklands.
For most office workers, public transport makes a lot of sense.
It's only when you REALLY need your car during the workday that it becomes a problem. And most of us don't.
Of course you'll always get your die hards who'll rather spend 2 hours in their cars than a 20 minute bus ride, but I suspect your average capetownian is a bit more enlightened.
Post a Comment