Neighbourhoods at a Glance
1City Bowl, Foreshore, Bo-Kaap & De Waterkant
The City Bowl, where the Dutch first set up shop, includes many historic sights and businesses. Landfill created the Foreshore district in the 1940s and 1950s, now dominated by Duncan Dock and the convention centre. Tumbling down Signal Hill are the colourfully painted houses of the Bo-Kaap and, to the northeast, Cape Town’s pink precinct De Waterkant, a retail and party hub.
2East City, District Six, Woodstock & Observatory
Immediately east of the City Bowl is a creative industries enclave that occupies part of what was once the mixed residential area of District Six – now a series of empty plots awaiting development. Woodstock and Salt River continue to attract the attention of developers and the art set, but are yet to fully gentrify. Bohemian rules at Observatory near Cape Town University.
3Gardens & Surrounds
Ranging from the cluster of museums at the south end of the Company’s Gardens, up the slopes of Table Mountain, is the wider area known as Gardens. Neighbourhoods here include Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht, Higgovale and Vredehoek – all desirable residential suburbs with views of Table Bay and immediate access to Table Mountain. Kloof St and Kloof Nek Rd are the main retail strips.
4Green Point & Waterfront
Green Point’s common includes an imaginatively landscaped park and the Cape Town Stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup. Fronting Table Bay is the V&A Waterfront shopping, entertainment and residential development (commonly known simply as the Waterfront), as well as the residential Mouille Point.
5Sea Point to Hout Bay
Sea Point blends into ritzier Bantry Bay and Clifton before culminating in the prime real estate of Camps Bay. Beyond here, urban development is largely curtailed by the national park until you reach delightful Hout Bay, which has good access to both the city and the vineyards of Constantia.
6Southern Suburbs
The lush eastern slopes of Table Mountain are covered by the areas known collectively as the Southern Suburbs. Here you’ll find Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, the rugby and cricket grounds of Newlands, the centuries-old vineyards of Constantia and the shady forests of Tokai.
7Simon’s Town & Southern Peninsula
On the False Bay side of the peninsula are the charming communities of Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Simon’s Town, plus the penguins living at Boulders. More wildlife and incredible landscapes are protected within the national park at Cape Point. On the Atlantic coast side, Kommetjie is beloved by surfers, and the broad beach at Noordhoek by horse riders.
8Cape Flats & Northern Suburbs
The vast townships and coloured suburbs southeast of Table Mountain are known collectively as the Cape Flats. Cheek by jowl with Langa, but a world apart, is the garden suburb of Pinelands. North along Table Bay lie Milnerton and Bloubergstrand, while inland is the wine-growing district of Durbanville.