Paarden Eiland and Brooklyn are suburbs of Cape Town which comprise predominantly of commercial or industrial businesses. Some residential property exists in Brooklyn, but this leans towards the lower end of the income scale. “Enterprising investors are buying these residential properties, either to make them into shared living or inexpensive business premises,” says Leon Breytenbach, National Manager of the Rawson Property Group’s commercial division
Location and access
“Bounded by Woodstock, Salt River, Ysterplaat Air Force Base, Century City as well as Rugby, the area is strategically situated to access any part of Cape Town or further afield,” suggests Breytenbach. The M5 roadway traverses Brooklyn while the N1 highway forms the southern boundary of both suburbs. The R27 or Riverside Drive runs parallel to the coastline between Paarden Eiland and the sea.
Cape Town Harbour lies less than seven kilometres away while the Cape Town International Airport is about 18 kilometres distant. “Three roads which cross Paarden Eiland between the R27 and the N1, namely Section, Neptune and Paarden Eiland Roads, can become congested at times, but the infrastructure is good, mostly allowing free movement,” advises Breytenbach. The MiCiti buses plus Metro trains provide excellent transport facilities, while minibus taxis are ever present.
Commercial property
Paarden Eiland is an important area for motor, home improvement or leisure industries, large showrooms, factory shops, including manufacturers of many diverse goods. Some businesses which have their head offices in the area are Spark ATM Solutions, HQ ICE, Africa Floorcare, Cape Thai Restaurant Holdings, Earth Child, Cutters, Onsite Machining Services, Tiletoria, Fowkes Bros., and Absolute Pets. Also located here are Media 24, Exact Gas and Fireplaces plus National Security and Fire. “The Paarden Eiland City Improvement District or PECID, to which all property owners must belong, has assisted in reducing crime while uplifting the ethos of the suburb,” says Breytenbach.
Brooklyn has many small businesses in Koeberg Road such as grocery stores, second-hand furniture shops, pawn shops or immigrant-owned mixed-service shops. No major grocery or chain stores are located in the area, nor are there any shopping malls.
Neither Paarden Eiland nor Brooklyn feature in the SAPOA Office Vacancy Report, thus the following figures are a combined average of commercial rentals derived from current online property portals. At the lower end of the scale premises may be leased from R40 to R70 per square metre, while mid-level rentals will cost from R70 to R110 per square metre. Upper level rentals will cost from R110 to R130 per square metre.
Amenities
Large shopping centres in surrounding suburbs supply Brooklyn residents with their retail needs. “Both primary and junior primary schools are found in Ysterplaat, about half a kilometre away, while Buren High School plus the Holy Cross Convent School are located in Brooklyn,” says Breytenbach. The Mercury School of Woodwork as well as the Diving Shop and Scuba School are also located in Paarden Eiland. Brooklyn Chest Hospital and T.B. Unit, a clinic-cum-day-hospital in Albow Street alongside the public library, plus a medical hospital in Marine Drive provide for the health of the community. Guest houses offer accommodation, as there are no hotels within the area. Sectional title apartments are available in secure properties. There is easy access to Lagoon or Milnerton beach, while a plethora of entertainment is available at Century City or other proximate malls
“A conveniently situated location, reasonable rental plus access to the necessary amenities, mean that you can hardly find better than Paarden Eiland Industrial area, but hurry, before rentals rise along with commercial property prices,” advises Breytenbach.
