Hyde Park Area Profile

Hyde Park at a glance

Hyde Park, Hurlingham and Sandhurst

As one of the most prestigious areas in the city of Johannesburg, which only leapt to life  in 1886 after gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand, Sandhurst and Hyde Park have developed from the sought-after domains of mining magnates and captains of industry to impressive suburbs with a cosmopolitan blend of all creeds and cultures. Bordered roughly by Oxford Road to the east, Sandton Drive to the north, the William Nicol Highway to the west and Jan Smuts Avenue to the south-west, these two suburbs have retained their enviable cachet with land values undoubtedly reflecting that. To the west, Hurlingham is adjacent to Sandhurst, and although bisected by the William Nicol suburban highway, it benefits greatly in respect of its value from that proximity.

While there did exist a few massive mansions in the early 1900's, including a stately Cape Dutch residence set in a high position with commanding views and a great deal of land, many of the original dwellings in Sandhurst and Hyde Park were constructed in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s. These would have enjoyed an extensive reach, but as time has passed, subdivisions have reduced the sizes, plus the recent densification of the areas has changed the original character of the suburbs. This metamorphosis, of course, in the name of progress, applies everywhere in Johannesburg, but is more telling in Sandhurst and Hyde Park due to their illustrious history -  the above-mentioned Cape Dutch residence has given way to a combination of commercial and cluster home development, thereby providing jobs and homes for a large number of people. Sectional title complexes, cluster houses and high rise apartments on the periphery have proliferated throughout, creating a dynamic and exciting spirit to the suburbs. Smaller elderly homes have frequently been taken down in order to build ultra-modern, stylistic and architecturally sensational houses.   

Hyde Park High School http://hydepark.gp.school.za/wp/  , a highly respected Government school, is located centrally in Hyde Park, and residents in the area have appreciated the fact that their children could walk to school.  One resident with a home contiguous to the school's grounds actually knocked through the boundary wall and put in a door to allow their son to have immediate access to the school without walking round.  Marist Brothers private school https://www.stdavids.co.za is minutes away; St Stithians private school https://www.stithian.com is within easy access, as is Pridwin https://www.pridwin.co.za  in Rosebank. With Sandton City https://www.sandtoncity.com and Hyde Park Corner https://www.hydeparkcorner.co.za   on the doorstep, there is a plethora of shops to choose from. Rosebank Union Church https://ruc.org.za  is prominently situated on William Nicol Highway in Hurlingham.  All faiths are catered for in the surrounding suburbs.

The lifestyle of residents varies immensely. Many high-flying international entrepreneurs have purchased some of the new stunning homes - they put staff in them and come and go as they please. (A 'lock-up and go' is no longer a fifth floor apartment). Entertaining plays a huge role in lubricating business, so the more potential a home has for lavishing guests with luxury, the better. Home theatres, sophisticated bars with wine cellars and snooker rooms are all much-desired facilities that add considerably to the asking/selling prices.   

Driving around Hyde Park, Sandhurst or Hurlingham, one is struck by the extraordinary individuality of every home. Apart from the necessary similarities in a cluster complex, separate residences reflect their own distinctive merits, so that a passionate architectural student could base a fascinating project on just these suburbs alone.

Sandhurst, as the name suggests, started out in a very British way.  The names of the roads reflect this - Eton Road, Oxford Avenue, Trafalgar Place, Empire Place, Coronation Road, Stewart Place. Hyde Park, on the other hand, has not been granted such historical generosity, as most of the roads are simply numbered - First Road, Third Road, Ninth Road. Hurlingham had a very Scottish beginning with road names such as Balmoral, Stirling, Kinross and Jedburgh. This all contributes to the uniqueness of the various areas as the names roll off the tongue.

Safety and security measures have mushroomed in importance over the last few years, with many roads as well as cul-de-sacs now closed either with booms and an attendant guard. Some streets now have solid decorative gates, with a guard, and accessed only by a code which is changed every day and relayed to the residents if they are expecting a visitor. All homes have their high walls, electric fencing, security systems, CCTV, beams and cameras. A few properties even have a resident guard and vehicle outside with arms on display.

To find a restaurant nearby is to be spoilt for choice. At the top end is the Saxon Hotel http://www.saxon.co.za on the border of Sandhurst and Hurlingham, set on over 24,000 square meters, which has hosted the elite in the political, business and entertainment worlds. All types of cuisine are available nearby from sushi, Chinese, Mexican to Thai and Indian, and Fournos Bakery https://www.fournos.co.za/find-us-map.php?id=6 in the adjacent Dunkeld Shopping Centre is source of delight. 

It is always fundamentally important to consider resale value when purchasing property.    Sandhurst, Hyde Park and Hurlingham deliver perfectly in this regard, with the growth in equity over a few years sometimes being staggering dimensions. To buy in the best areas is always the policy to pursue. In the late 1980's, a good 2000 square meter stand in Sandhurst was worth approximately R250,000. In 2018, it could sell for some R7 - 7.5 million.

Access to the major arterial routes and to O. R. Tambo Airport is very simple, while the Gautrain https://www.gautrain.co.za is on the doorstep. In fact, Sandhurst, Hyde Park and Hurlingham are so central, that even though Johannesburg is a dynamic burgeoning and expanding city, residents have everything they need within easy distance.