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Tips About Living in Cape Town
Hi all,
I am from just outside of Toronto, Canada and was just hired by the Canadian goverment to work for a small organization in Cape Town. It's pretty much volunteer work, with travel and living expenses funded by the Canadian goverment. I'll be living there for 5 months starting at the beginning of November and I can't wait. The organization that I will be working for is located in Observatory. Can anyone give me general information on this area? I'm interested in: a) how safe the Observatory and City Bowl are? b) how expensive it is to rent in that area (or are there other areas that are safer or better priced that are still within close distance, since I won't have a car)? c) how is the public transportation (price and safety)? I have LOTS of other questions (ex. how is the nighlife in that area, what are other hot spots in Cape Town, which are the best beaches, how expensive is it to travel to other parts of SA and what is the best way to do that - plane, train, bus, etc.), but these are the questions that I'm most interested in right now. Any and all comments are appreciated. Thanks in advance! Anthony |
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Tips About Living in Cape Town
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Tips About Living in Cape Town
"Peter H.M.Brooks" wrote in message If you make a habit of going to nightclubs, getting wasted and then walking around the streets in the early hours of the morning, then, no, I don't think you'll find the city bowl at all safe. You will mostly be OK in Observatory in future because a very expensive CCTV system is being installed (the huge towers are already in, the cameras on their way) that will monitor all vehicles (and people in the railway station) that come in or out of the suburb. These cameras have been a big help in reducing crime in the inner city of Johannesburg. Observatory has been a preferred place for students and university staff to live over the years. It has been getting more expensive, quite a bit more expensive, over the past few years as it has moved up-market. For example, there used to be a student house behind us, but it is now owned by an elderly but rich couple that completely ripped out the interior and rebuilt it with little expense spared. You'd probably find it cheaper in Mowbray, Rosebank or Rhondebosch, but they're less fun and probably a bit less safe. Avoid Newlands or Claremont at the moment because the levels of crime there are the highest in any of the posher suburbs (Woodstock too would be cheaper, going the other way, but it is also less safe and the wind is really bad there). When I lived in Rosebank in the late seventies, it was more expensive than Observatory. How times change! Nice commentary, Peter. Useful, too, I should imagine. -- Moira de Swardt posting from Johannesburg, South Africa Remove the dot in my address to find me at home. |
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Tips About Living in Cape Town
Moira de Swardt wrote:
"Peter H.M.Brooks" wrote in message When I lived in Rosebank in the late seventies, it was more expensive than Observatory. How times change! They do change, so I could be out of date - and I've mainly noticed sale prices, rather than rental prices. My niece wanted to rent in Obs, but found it too expensive and ended up in Claremont. She hasn't liked it there much and has now moved out to a place near Long Beach. I think that, if I was young and single, I might consider moving to Kalk bay, it is quite a bit cheaper there (though you'd have to factor in the train commute) and you'd then have both Obs and Kalk bay as places to enjoy in the evening (and it isn't too much hassle to spend the evening in the City). Nice commentary, Peter. Useful, too, I should imagine. Thank you! |
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Tips About Living in Cape Town
Thanks so much for your quick posting Peter... it was extremely
helpful, as it's always great to hear first hand information from someone who lives in the area. Although I will soon be able to put all of these suburbs and areas into perspective once I move there, do you know of any good online maps that I would be able to look at to put these places in perspective? The map that I've found to be the most useful so far (although it is quite basic) is found at http://www.aboutcapetown.com/maps.htm. In relation to the places found in the link about, where abouts is Kalk Bay? Also, by public transportation, how long would the commute be from Kalk Bay to Observatory? From what I've read, I've gotten the sense that the City Bowl is the main downtown core of Cape Town, meaning that it contains most of the tall and important buildings for business, government, has the most bars, etc. Is this the case? Last question - the link above lists a number of places that are close to the City Bowl (and thus also close to Observatory). They are Vredehoek, Oranjezicht, Gardens, Tamboerskloof, Green Point, etc. What would the distance from these places be to Observatory and how nice are these areas to live? When I was asking earlier about "how safe" Observatory was, I mostly meant in relation to the other suburbs of Cape Town (not in comparison to other majort cities in the world, as I think cultural and city differences make this a difficult comparison). Thanks again Peter! Anthony |
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