Weltevreden Park

Weltevreden Park, Johannesburg

Weltevreden (well satisfied) Park lies in the heart of Roodepoort. In fact as you come over a slight incline, just as you head into the Weltevreden valley off Beyers Naudé Drive, you pass a sign signifying your entry into Roodepoort and what used to be the far reaches of Johannesburg. It is now a valley filled with townhouse complex upon townhouse complex - if it were not for the trees and beautifully maintained gardens, this part of the city could look fairly congested. The traffic is another matter.

Weltevreden Park is fairly large and has a number of extensions to prove it. Its immediate neighbours are Randpark Ridge, Constantia Kloof and Radiokop, whilst Boskruin lies on the other side of Beyers Naudé. Community living suits the residents of this part of Johannesburg, for whom gated communities have become something of a necessity, and life here is sedate, relatively safe, and interspersed with communal parks in which children play during the day.

Unlike more recent development along Hendrik Potgieter, complexes here have, for the most part, been built with a degree of attention to trees, gardens and a feeling of space, giving further credence to the claim that Johannesburg is the biggest man-made forest in the world. Weltevreden Park is a popular suburb. It's also extremely well placed for getting around the northern suburbs, close to at least three major shopping malls and ideal for weekend escapes – the Magaliesberg and the Cradle of Humankind are close to Weltevreden Park, in relation to the centre of the city.

Emmarentia Dam, Northcliff Hill, Melville and Greenside are all easy to reach and make weekend and the night life that much more versatile.