Surprised in Bowden

[Guest Guest12727]

We decided to take a look at the new Bowden development yesterday. Started off with brunch in Queens St (Elizabeth St), Croydon - great cafes and some quirky shops to browse in. We then made the short trip to Bowden and started at the visitor and sales centre. Large model and interactive screens of the plans, but sadly no display village. Apparently they have sold everything off the plan so far with first owners moving in this month.

 

As we were walking back to the car, we walked into the community garden. As we wandered through beds full of rosemary, we suddenly saw a table tennis table. What a surprise to find a basket under it with bats and balls. We started to play and found rosemary bushes are great for trapping stray balls. While my husband and son were having a game, I wandered on to a nearby table, which had 2 chess boards on it. Once again a look underneath revealed chess pieces, I started to set them up for a game. A man and his young son sat down for a game of chess, this was a great community feeling.

 

Next, along came another father and son on their bikes. They stopped by us and pulled out 2 packs of new ping pong balls. "just stocking up, we noticed some were broken" he said. "I assume the basket get taken away at night" I said. "No, they stay, no-one takes them".

Nearby there is a community vegetable garden, so I went for a look. As I turned the corner I found totem tennis poles (with bats hanging on the wall), free bikes for hire and a bistro/cafe. When we were all exhausted of table tennis, we sat outside the cafe with a drink and watched the kids play totem tennis. Eventually we headed back to the car, through the garden again and noticed bbq, drinking fountain and a lovely square lawn for ball kicking. We had enjoyed a great couple of hours and even our 14yo who had been reluctant to come out with us had a great time.

 

Can't wait for more of this development to be completed - what a great community just 5mins from the city.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Guest12727

[adelaidenow]

Does it have free wifi too?

[Guest Guest12727]

I hope not, but there was a powerpoint under the bench seats, so I guess you can charge your device while playing with the kids.

[Andrew from Vista Financial]

There's been an incentive to buy off-plan apartments in Bowden over and above the First Home Owners Grants on offer and not just open to first home owners in the form of stamp duty exemptions/concessions http://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/grants-and-concessions/off-the-plan-concesson

 

Sounds like a very nice community is being shaped, thanks for the post.

[Toni]

I've seen that development and it definitely looks and feels great and location excellent but there was a story about the area around Bowden being contaminated back in 2010. The story was about buried tar which had reached groundwater and cost $30 million to remediate. Not sure if that remediation occurred or not.

[Guest Guest12727]

Yes, it was always well known in Adelaide that due to it being a high industrial region there was ground contamination there and a large amount of the region has been derelict for years. Development was only approved after a decontamination plan was instigated. This is ongoing in stages, with development stages coinciding with the regions that have been cleaned up.

Re underground water issues - these are prevalent in a lot of regions around Adelaide, with residents warned against using bore water for drinking or fruit/veg growing. This is no different in the Bowden region.

 

There is always scaremongering. West Lakes, which was built on an old rubbish tip in the 70s, was meant to sink within 20years. Last time I drove past the houses were still above water level.

[Toni]

I haven't heard of the flooding situation in West Lakes but I did hear that some homes were built on an old gasworks site there and homeowners found that their soil was contaminated with poisonous heavy metal cadmium. I remember people being told not to "eat" their produce if it was grown in their garden. It isn't scaremongering IMO if it is true. I know people are different but I personally wouldn't "buy" or live in a home/area where I knew there was contamination in existence no matter how pretty it was.

[Guest Guest12727]

fair enough, but the soil contamination is being remediated in Bowden. There is no evidence that the housing is being built on contaminated soil. It has been cleared by the EPA and independent assessors. Sometimes old stories hang around and are no longer relevant, which I think is the case here.

 

One place I would be wary of moving to is the area that is affected by the Adelaide cement works. The cement works is still there, polluting and therefore cannot be cleaned up. People have been living around there for years. However, we probably all get our cement from there when we need it!!