While the vividly painted faces of old Victorian buildings,
advertising a seemingly endless string of youth hostels and
overland tour operators, may understandably mislead you, Long
Street is not just a place for backpackers. It has a hip urban
feel that attracts young and old alike, making it one of the
most interesting places in the city to spend a few hours or a
few days.
Many of the city's tourist attractions are located on or
intersect with this central avenue; take a dip at the Turkish
Baths on one end and then walk down towards the International
Convention Center on the other, visiting historic mosques and
churches and popping into the Association of Visual Arts or the
Gold Museum along the way. The peaceful Company Gardens, flanked
by the Slave Lodge, the National Gallery and the South African
Museum, are in the immediate vicinity and provide a lovely spot
for a break from the urban buzz of Long Street itself.
Greenmarket Square and the Adderly Street Flower Market lie in
between Long Street and the Castle of Good Hope. And if you want
more ideas for sightseeing, or have simply lost your bearings,
the all-knowing Cape Town Tourist Information Center is just one
block down from Long on Castle Street.
Long Street is also a mecca for shoppers looking for creative,
locally designed items. The high concentration of trendy
boutiques stocking clothes by young Cape Town designers makes it
a goldmine for the fashion-conscious and minefield for their
fashion-clueless companions.
Stores to look out for are Mememe, Milk and Misfit. The
galleries on Church and Long can satisfy your interior
decorating needs, with sleek furniture, ethnic accents, and more
serious photographs, painting and sculpture from contemporary
South African artists. There are a number of places, such as
African Image, that specialize in providing "African" flair.
Those working on a tighter budget need only head to Pan-African
Market or the daily flea market in Greenmarket Square, where
vendors hawk everything from commercial T-shirts to intricate
beadwork and tapestries, and are always willing to bargain for
"a special price, just for you." Specialty stores include
Clarke's Bookshop, probably the most serious bookstore in all of
Cape Town, and Caroline's Fine Wines, the place to go for
spot-on wine suggestions.
Even more than for these sightseeing and shopping options,
though, Long Street is known among young Capetonians for its
nightlife. The dining scene is fresh and creative, with options
to suit everyone. Sophisticated bistros like 95 Keerom and
Ginja, which both recently won special recognition from South
Africa's Eat Out magazine, are perfect for dinners with clients
or first dates. The chic Gallery Café, with its glassed-in
second floor balcony overlooking Long Street, is a soothing
place to sit for a lunch or evening meal. Ethic restaurants
range from the upscale Mesopotamia to the student-oriented
Mojito and the Caravan Café. Vegetarians are well catered for at
Lola's, and for an informal meal, it is hard to beat Royale's
gourmet ostrich burger and a Bar One milkshake. After dinner,
head out for some live music and dance into the morning hours at
Kennedy's Cigar Bar, Jo'burg or Mama Africa. Sip wine on the
sidewalk tables at the popular Long Street Café. Or relax in
style in the bar at the seriously trendy Metropole. The bars and
clubs lining the street are packed on the weekends, with a mixed
local and international crowd.
If you still aren't sold on exploring this 20-block-long street,
there is always the fascinating game of people-watching from one
of Long Street's many sidewalk cafes. During working hours, Long
Street presents a cross-section of Cape Town society.
Businessmen hurrying to their offices cross paths with buskers
selling innovative wire creations, hung-over students, shop
attendants, street children and tourists with every conceivable
aim for their time in the Mother City. It isn't always clean,
and it has a decidedly more bohemian (read: run-down) air than
the upscale, super-secure Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, but an
afternoon or evening on Long Street is a fantastic way to
witness first-hand the energy, diversity and even contradiction
that lies at the heart of the new South Africa.
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