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[title]With a combination of inner-city revival, a sizzling food scene and no end of after-dark entertainment, it’s no surprise that Cape Town’s East City has bagged a coveted spot on Time Out’s authoritative list of the 38 coolest neighbourhoods in the world.
From Brooklyn to Boston to Bali, Time Out’s team of global editors took a close look at just what made a neighbourhood cool, and whether it deserved a spot on the list this year.
‘Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’,’ says Time Out’s Travel Editor Grace Beard. ‘They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district.’
That’s certainly the case for the East City of Cape Town – roughly Plein Street to Caledon Street, and Roeland Street down to Darling Street – which has seen a new lease on life in the past few years. The Fugard Theatre, since closed, arguably accelerated the transition, but the baton has been taken by the likes of The Book Lounge, Truth and Belly of the Beast to create a corner of Cape Town where you can discover art, gastronomy and nightlife in one compact corner.
These streets border what was once District Six, a multi-racial suburb razed during apartheid. That sense of history pervades the area today, making a visit to the District Six Museum a must. The neighbourhood these days attracts a crowd of local creatives and curious digital nomads, the latter likely logged in at the co-working spaces that have opened here in recent years. Think Shoreditch or Brooklyn a couple of decades back, infused with a decidedly Cape flavour, and you’ve got a sense of what the East City is all about.
Want to know more? Check out snapshot of a perfect day on the official list over here, or take a deep dive with our guide to the best ways to explore the East City of Cape Town.