Its very difficult to try and write this post without sounding biased. Since february of 2010, Main Street Life has been my home, my inspiration, and one of the most important things to have existed in my life. I lived in the showspace and documented my life via the interweb on mainstreetlife.tv , a site I still continue to manage. I also started The Bioscope with one of my best friends Darryl Els, which is situated on the ground floor of the building.

I often go up onto the roof and stare out over the city, I often take a bicycle out and explore. I often just enjoy the fact that Im walking as opposed to always being stuck inside a car. Although I’ve been selling the dream of living in the city for months now, Im only really starting to see whats its done for me now, five months later.

I now know whats around the corner, I now know the order of streets in the city, and which way they go in terms of one-ways. I now know The Bioscope is NOT the only independent cinema, and that there are literally thousands of hidden gems that I manage to unearth on a daily basis. I also can now proudly announce that although I have to be realistic and remain aware, I am NOT afraid of the city.

Did I mention Main Street Life was a residential apartment block? with units that are being sold off and rented? at the time of writing this, units are still available, but im not sure how long that will be. There is a boutique hotel called 12 Decades on the top floor, as well as a fantastic roof space with a pool, bar , and boxing gym.

check it out for yourself.

286 Fox Street. Here’s the official site

This small, and very unassuming store might just be the one place I recommend any foreigner go to get a good present to take back to their country. All crafts in the store are handmade, so one of a kind, and nothing you’ll see anywhere else in the world. That being said, african crafts are made everywhere. So what makes this place any different? The best way to put it is that all products are far more innovative and original than other craft products. Every craft market is different, but eventually  you’ll start seeing enough wooden animals and marble figurines. After this being said, all products have interesting sense of style. A fashion consciousness that says more than “I went to africa and bought this”.

find everything from home ware, jewelry, and clothing, with the added bonus of all proceeds going back into the pockets of those making the crafts. and as a result, Imbali are calling the whole business model a “visual literacy project”.

Tues – Sun 10am till 5pm. Museum Africa. 121 Bree Street. 

+27 11 833 5624 ext 221  or +27 11 492 3333.

082 470 6374

In any “normal” city, the development of Melrose Arch might have been on any random city square. The streets would belong to the people, and they would pass through as they please. But since Johannesburg isn’t that normal, we have to understand the interesting context in which Melrose Arch sits. It all private property, so the interlinking roads are not public property. Its effectively a little self enclosed little city block. But, most importantly, its not trying to look like a tuscan village, so that redeems itself almost completely. It keeps expanding, so the formula is working. My little dream is that it one day lets exterior guards down and emerges more as a party of the city, as opposed a little city within a city. Check out the Mediterranean Market on saturdays.

Inside the development are some quality restaurants and bars that deserve to be taken seriously.