Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town

Cape Town City Centre at a glance

CAPE TOWN CITY BOWL, CAPE TOWN
The City Bowl of Cape Town is one of the oldest and most sought after residential areas in South Africa. The  City Bowl, which includes Oranjezicht, Tamboerskloof, Gardens, Bo-Kaap, Vredehoek, Highlands Estate and Devil’s Peak is set against the majestic slopes of Table Mountain, a World Wonder overlooking the City  and Table Bay where Jan van Riebeeck first set foot in 1652.  We at Kapstadt International Properties pride ourselves to know the City Bowl better than most.  It is our specialist area and our expertise is unmatched as we all are fortunate enough to have lived and served in the City Bowl for years.

Cape Town, South Africa’s second biggest tourist destination after the Kruger National Park is the second most populous city in South Africa,  the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located.

Cape Town and especially the City Bowl is known for its rich architectural heritage, from the Cape Dutch era  to today’s sleek contemporary homes that fit seamlessly in this cosmopolitan area. Living in the City Bowl allows you quick access to the Atlantic Seaboard beaches, mountain walks, the cultural heart of Cape Town, fabulous night life – as well as world class shopping at the Cape Town Waterfront.

The Table Mountain Reserve, a world Heritage Site with its spectacular Cape Floral Kingdom, offers visitors and locals alike wonderful walks and no visit is complete without a cable car ride to the top of Table Mountain to enjoy the most spectacular views. Locals love to climb Lions Head to watch the new moon rise against the eastern sky or picnic on the slopes of Signal Hill overlooking the Atlantic Seaboard and marvel at the view of our latest landmark - The Cape Town stadium, which hosted 9 World Cup games during the recent 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

The Bo-Kaap, wedged between Tamboerskloof, the City and De Waterkant is a historically significant neighbourhood with its distinctive Cape Malay architecture and lifestyle. It is becoming more and more sought after as prices are still relatively low in comparison to high-priced Higgovale, sheltered from the south-easter against the neck of Table Mountain.

Next to Higgovale, on the front face of Table Mountain is Oranjezicht, where the “Old Money” lives.  That’s where one finds the good and solid north facing homes in the Avenues above the Molteno Reservoir, another landmark from the late 1800’s. It is in this area and a bit lower down towards Gardens where the Historical Gems are to be found as well as in trendy Tamboerskloof against the slopes of Lions Head and Signal View.  

Gardens, the heart of the City Bowl, is a village in its own right. Schools, colleges, churches, a private hospital,  a vast choice of restaurants, specialist neighbourhood shops, a library,  post office  - its all there, as well as the Garden Centre which no local German can do without. All things real and worthwhile just like in Germany can be found there from the right German bread, the best cold meats and all things necessary to warm a German heart. The Wellness Centre on Kloof Street is another sought after spot, as well as the Virgin Active Gym in Wembley Square and De Waal Park to walk your dogs. Film enthusiasts will love the Labia Theatre, our own old fashioned cinema next to the Mount Nelson Hotel as well as the Theatre on Kloof.

Art Deco lovers will feel at home in Vredehoek with its spacious Art Deco apartments with lovely wooden floor and high ceilings.  Smaller starter homes can still be found in Devil’s Peak as well as the latest sunsets in the Bowl. The further away you are from Lions Head, the later the sunsets but beware of that south easter cloud… Cape Town with all its beauty can be Very Windy from November to February.  A kiteboarder’s paradise though! The City Bowl is just a 20 minute drive to the beaches of Milnerton, Table View, Blouberg and Big Bay.
 
 The V&A Waterfront was built on top of part of the old docks of the Port of Cape Town and is Cape Town’s most visited tourist attraction. It has hundreds of shops and restaurants as well as the Two Oceans Aquarium and the Nelson Mandela Gateway through which ferries depart to Robben Island.  The Cape Town International Convention Centre which hosts many international conferences and expos is linked to the V&A Waterfront by means of river canals.

The Cape Town International Airport is only 20 minutes away off the N2. At the southwestern most tip of the peninsula lies Cape Point, a dramatic headland at the end of the Cape Peninsula. Most people drive along the Atlantic Seaboard past the beautiful white beaches of Camps Bay, Bakoven, Clifton and Llandudno, through the harbour village of Hout Bay and over the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive, a narrow road that links the sleepy Noordhoek Village with Hout Bay. Returning to Cape Town via the False Bay coastline, you can visit the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, Simons Town and the world renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town, are the wine growing regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek.

Over recent years there has been a revival in the CBD (central business district) with the transformation of many of the older buildings into upmarket lifestyles centres with beautiful apartments and penthouses and their own in-house cafes and gyms.

Although the 2010 Soccer World Cup did not bring the much anticipated property boom to Cape Town, 2010 has seen property prices skyrocket well over the R 10 million mark in the City Bowl. A contemporary home high up in Higgovale sold for R 21 million while a home in the ever so popular St Johns Estate sold for R 19 million. A large family home in Oranjezicht fetched R 18 million while a luxury penthouse in the new Quarry Hill Development in Tamboerskloof sold for R 16.5 million.