Johannesburg Neighborhoods

City Centre

Johannesburg's City Centre is a vibrant juxtaposition of the first world and the third world. The central part of Jo'burg (as it is known among locals), whose tall skyscrapers are today a reminder of a previous era of commerce, has been returned to Africa. Most businesses have migrated to the northern suburbs, transforming downtown into a cacophony of African hawkers and traders who line the grids of streets in a colorful profusion. Vendors display shiny fruit and vegetables, young women scoop out pap (maize) and sauce, and Indian merchants sell gaudy clothing. The crime rate in this area is high, so visitors are encouraged to take sensible precautions: walk in a group, don't carry valuables and don't walk around at night or on weekends when there are no crowds.

The Standard Bank Collection of African Art provides some cultural relief in the City Centre with its display of art from across the continent. To gain perspective of the city, visit the observation deck at the top of the Carlton Centre on Commissioner Street. This is Africa's tallest office building; it gives visitors an excellent view of the city and its yellow mountains (which are actually mine-dump hills). If you have a car, don't miss the Top Star Drive-In located at the top of one of these hills.

Newtown & Fordsburg

Lying just west of the CBD is Newtown, an area dominated by the revamped Victorian-era Market Theatre Precinct. Originally a market for Indian traders, this is today a fascinating collection of alternative shops, theaters, galleries, bars and coffee houses. Highlights include Museum Africa, an excellent showcase of individual citizen's contributions to Johannesburg's development, and Gramadoela's African Restaurant, which cooks authentic local dishes. The French Institute of South Africa is also located here.

Continue along Bree Street to Fordsburg and find Jo'burg's Little India – the Oriental Plaza. This enormous bazaar consists of 275 stalls selling fabric, clothes, household goods, Indian spices and food. Next door is the Fordsburg Artists' Studios where you can watch artists at work.

Yeoville & Orangegrove

East of the City Centre is the multi-racial Yeoville neighborhood. This area is dominated by Rockey Street, a laid-back assortment of shops, cafés, restaurants and bars. Second hand book stores and tattoo parlors lie side by side, while bead shops rub shoulders with rock clubs in this cosmopolitan quarter.

Continue east through Orangegrove along Louis Botha Avenue, and be sure to stop by 206 Live, a popular establishment in the Jo'burg clubbing scene. Further along the road is the Victory Theatre, a playhouse built in 1933 on what was then farmland. Continue traveling along Louis Botha Avenue and arrive in Norwood. This district is well-known for its buzzing restaurants and cafés – try the Singing Fig restaurant, an institution in its own right offering up French Provencal dishes. This area is equally famous for communities who have cut off entire blocks in the face of escalating crime.