River Club in Sandton is a suburb that, despite its size, doesn’t always spring to mind when thinking of prestige Johannesburg suburbs. However, sandwiched between Morningside and Bryanston, the suburb clearly deserves its position as one of the most desirable suburbs in the north of Jo’burg.
Part of its attraction is its distance from main roads such as William Nicol and Rivonia roads and the golf course and park that borders the suburb and gives it its name. It is by no means isolated from major transport routes as the key arterial roads are a short drive away. For some residents this can mean having the greenery of the golf course on your doorstep without having to live in a golf estate.
That said the proportion of residential estates, sectional title developments and freehold properties are almost equally divided across the suburb with units in residential estate having a slight edge with 41 percent of units followed by sectional title properties with 32 percent and freehold properties making up the remaining 26 percent.
Average selling prices over the past 12 months sees, as is to be expected, freehold properties recording the highest average selling price at R3.2 million, estate properties at R2.8 million and sectional title properties at R1.3 million. These prices have been relatively stable over the past few years after prices roughly doubled between 2004 and 2007. As these figures suggest the freehold sales were all in the R1.5 million and above bracket as were most of the estate sales while most of the sales in sectional title establishments were between R800 000 and R1.5 million.
The suburb provides excellent access to both the Bryanston and Fourways areas as well as Sandton and Rivonia, especially for those home owners allergic to sitting in traffic. Backups do happen on Ballyclare Drive which links Willian Nicol and Benmore Drive, but there are plenty of back routes if you can find your way thourgh the boomed off areas. Security areas do provide the suburb with a level of protection from rat-running and improve the overall security in the area.
The suburb is serviced by a number of shopping centres including Benmore and Bryanston shopping centres and the recently constructed and renovated centres along Rivonia Road in Morningside. For those that like the night life, Sandton and Rivonia are within easy reach.
The area is also well positioned when it comes to education with Redhill School, the French School and the American international School close by. Bryneven Primary and Bryanston High School are also only a short drive away as are St Stitians College, Brescia House and Michael Mount Waldorf School.
