Ferndale

Ferndale, Randburg

One of Johannesburg's northern ‘leafy burbs' that falls just outside of the Randburg CBD, Ferndale lies close to some of the main business and entertainment areas that include Cresta Centre, Brightwater Commons (formerly known as the Randburg Waterfront), the Monte Casino and The Dome.

This is a particularly pretty part of Johannesburg. The elite, boomed suburbs of Sandton it is not, but Ferndale has an unassuming charm that gives it and other tree-lined northern suburbs their own appeal.

One of the main advantages of staying here is the central location - you can get anywhere relatively quickly, if you know where you're going and how best to get there. Sandton is a mere trip along Republic Road however it is best to venture along this route outside of peak hour. Ferndale is packed with shops, restaurants and business parks. Yet Ferndale and its neighbouring suburbs of Robindale, Fontainebleau and Blairgowrie are not short of open spaces and street trees as well as large, cultivated gardens that account for the feeling of space.

The Johannesburg Botanic Gardens at Emmarentia Dam in Emmarentia are not far from Ferndale and offer a wonderful sanctuary away from the rush of Johannesburg. The dam is regarded as the best dog walk in the city, and is also the site of a range of Summer Sunset Concerts.