About Seaforth
The Seaforth area was originally a 30 acre grant made to James Bligh in 1857. In 1906, astute real estate developer Henry F Halloran subdivided the land in 1906 and named it after Loch Seaforth and Seaforth Island in Scotland. The Seaforth library was built in 1887 and is protected by heritage listing in 1995 by Manly Council. It stands outside the Bupa Aged Care facility (formerly Seaforth TAFE). Seaforth celebrated its centenary on Sunday 12 November 2006 with a historical display in the town centre.
Shopping
The Seaforth shopping area is located on Sydney Road and Ethel Street and offers a wide variety of services, including niche market products, various cafes and restaurants, gift stores, beauty and hair salons, a bakery, newsagent/post office, art store, drive through bottle shop and more. It is also home to Balgowlah RSL Memorial Club. The locals also have a convenience store and pharmacy.
Distance from CBD & Transportation
Situated on the Northern Beaches, Seaforth is just 12km from the CBD. Regular buses travel along Sydney Road and Frenchs Forest Road to Manly or to the Sydney CBD. Other buses service Chatswood, Narraweena and Warringah Mall. Another easy option for city access, is a five minute drive down to Manly Wharf where a ferry departs every 30 minutes to Circular Quay.
Restaurants & Cafés
The most common eateries in Seaforth are Thai and Indian, or for an ‘Aussie’ alternative you can choose from Al’s Seafoods, the Locals Corner or Balgowlah RSL. Balance Thai and Kohinoor Indian are also popular choices for the suburb.
Real Estate & Design
The Seaforth area is quite unique, perched above middle harbour and The Spit. Seaforth Crescent, Battle Boulevard and Cutler Road have large family homes that cascade down the hillside, taking full advantage of the impressive views over the bay.
Homes along Ponsonby Parade and Grandview Grove may not have the water views, but they are very grand and on big blocks. A lot smaller abodes can be found in the boutique apartments along Sydney Road.
The style of homes in Seaforth is very mixed. You will find everything from weatherboard, sandstone, heritage listed homes and modern mansions.
Sports, Fitness & Recreation
As a recreational suburb, Seaforth has access to many superb facilities, including child-friendly parks, gyms, beaches and great cycling options. Minutes to serene Clontarf Beach and nearby Spit to Manly walk along the harbour foreshore, locals are spoilt for choice. Not only do you get to choose from various parks and sports grounds, you also get exceptional viewing points from many locations. Other sporting options include:
- Four golf courses within 10 minutes: Wakehurst Golf Club, Balgowlah Golf Club, Manly Golf Club and Warringah Golf Club
- Nearby Old Bullock Track, Timber Getters Track and The Bay Track
- Middle Harbour swimming enclosure and Sangrado Pool
- Stocklands Fitness First, Gymtime Balgowlah, PR Personal Results Gym Seaforth, Vision Personal Training Balgowlah and more.
Schools, Education & Institutions
Seaforth provides a choice of great schools in a close vicinity, including Seaforth Public School, Balgowlah Heights Public school, Balgowlah Boys Public School, Balgowlah North Public School, Farmhouse Montessori School, Manly West Public School and St Cecilia’s Catholic School. There are also many bus services for exclusive private schools such as Sydney Grammar and Queenwood. Due to these bus services, many children go to private schools all over Sydney.