Oranjezicht, Cape Town

Oranjezicht (orange view), lying at the foothills of Table Mountain, is often described as a `stylish little village’ and very popular with the arty and trendy set. Oranjezicht sits perched above Kloof Street and is separated from Vredehoek by Upper Buitenkant Street. The suburb was built on the site of the old Oranjezicht farm, which stretched as far as the Mount Nelson Hotel and once supplied the Cape Town Castle with fresh produce.

The old farmhouse was torn down in the 1960s to make way for a bowling green. The Molteno Reservoir built in 1866 to replace its predecessor (1822) that burst its banks was the site of Cape Town first power station, the Graaff Electric Lighting Works, which was inaugurated in 1895.  Most of the homes here are large and gracious with stunning views of TableMountain, Table Bay and the distant Helderberg Mountains. There is an eclectic mix of Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian houses with a few guesthouseoriginally designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Leeuwenhof, the origins of whichtrace back to the days when Simon van der Stel was governor, is an eleganthome located at the edge of Oranjezicht, on Hof Street, an oak-lined avenue with tall pines and wild fig trees. Today it is the official residence of the premier of the Western Cape. Apartments are also very popular with students from the Cape Technikon and the University of Cape Town. Garden Shopping Centre is a quick walk away making shopping a breeze with its variety of excellent shops.  It’s only 10 minutes drive from Oranjezicht to the Table Mountain cableway, just off Kloofnek and to the other side of the mountain to the beaches of the Atlantic Seaboard – Clifton and Camps Bay – with perfect swimming, people watching and sun bathing opportunities.

The local coffee shop Oumeul Bakery on the corner of Molteno & Upper Orange is a firm favourite with locals. One of Cape Town’s leading independent girls’ school - St Cyprians, founded by Bishop Robert Gray, the first Anglican Bishop of Cape Town in 1871, is at the top end of Belmont Avenue. De Waal Park is a community park in the heart of Oranjezicht that is well loved by dog owners and children alike.