Gardens, Cape Town

Gardens
Clockwise from Top: View of The Gardens area, Leeuwenhof, Van Rheede Van Oudtshoorn Vault
Street map of Gardens
Street map of Gardens
Gardens is located in Western Cape
Gardens
Gardens
Gardens is located in South Africa
Gardens
Gardens
Coordinates: 33°56′0″S 18°24′30″E / 33.93333°S 18.40833°E / -33.93333; 18.40833
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
MunicipalityCity of Cape Town
Main PlaceCape Town
Government
 • CouncillorVivienne Walker (DA)
Area
 • Total1.90 km2 (0.73 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total7,960
 • Density4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African23.5%
 • Coloured7.2%
 • Indian/Asian2.0%
 • White64.8%
 • Other2.5%
First languages (2011)
 • English60.4%
 • Afrikaans25.3%
 • Xhosa3.6%
 • Other10.8%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
8001

Gardens (or The Gardens) is an affluent inner-city suburb of Cape Town located just to the south of the city centre located in the higher elevations of the "City Bowl" and directly beneath Table Mountain and Lion's Head. It is home to several national museums such as Iziko South African National Gallery and the Iziko South African Museum. The University of Cape Town also houses its Fine Arts department in the suburb, at Michaelis School of Fine Art. Company's Garden, South Africa's oldest garden, a public park and heritage site is a focal point of the suburb. The area is also home to the oldest synagogue in Southern Africa, the Old Shul (now occupied by the South African Jewish Museum) and its successor, the Gardens Shul, "The Mother Synagogue of South Africa."

It is also home to the storied Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, a luxury hotel dating back to 1899,[2] as well as the Labia Theatre, a beloved independent art house cinema.[3] The main thoroughfare is Kloof Street, known for its fashion stores, second-hand furniture stores, restaurants and art galleries.[4] It also houses Leeuwenhof estate, the official residence of the Premier of the Western Cape. It is a hub for the Cape Town creative industry, home to e.tv at Longkloof Studios and many modelling agencies, production and publishing companies and associated industries.

  1. ^ a b c d "Sub Place Gardens". Census 2011.
  2. ^ South Africans Cling to a Lovely Old City The New York Times. 20 January 1979
  3. ^ Curtains? Cape Town's much-loved art house cinema under threat The Guardian. 24 July 2014
  4. ^ The 33 coolest streets in the world TimeOut. 25 August 2022