The Sheds@1Fox

This weekend we finally made it over to The Sheds@1Fox to check out the CBD's latest market. Located in historic Ferreirastown, it is the latest venture from Gerald Garner of Spaces & Places – JoburgPlaces (Double G Media) along with Jan Roode of Happy Me.




I say "finally", but really the Sheds@1Fox just opened a couple of weekends ago during the second annual Joburg City Fest. I, however, have had it on my radar for months, ever since Gerald told me about it in May. The derelict-warehouse-turned-covered market is open Thursdays through Sundays and already it is reaping gentrification rewards. We passed a new restaurant going up right next to the Chancellor Building as we drove down Fox.

There is an organic garden planted along the entrance to The Sheds@1Fox  and ...

... inside you can buy some of the harvest ...

... like spring onions and spinach.

Thirsty? How about some coconut milk?

There are a few shops too for jewelry and clothing. This one was too small but I am coming back for this dress in my size. Love it!

a bead Nativity scene from the Piece pop-up store

African crafts ...

Also some cool Jozi souvenirs.

Some prepared foods and lots of dining options. This food hall has Baha Taco, Black Sam Smoque and Balkan Burger.

Baha Taco is the latest Mexican darling to hit the dining scene. They make their own tortillas (from maize flour they source from Azteca.) We had come to the market straight from church and too early for lunch.

But we were just in time for ...

... a Breakfast Taco from Baha Taco ...

 ... and a Chili Mochachino from Happy Me.

Vince cannot resist a chalk opportunity

Kilroy was here ...

Sandton awaits you ...

Last night I went to the launch party for the new book Sandton Places. It was fittingly held at the San Bar at the Sandton Sun right smack in the middle of Sandton.

If you live in Sandton (or even if you don't) you should buy this book. Like Joburg Places did before it for the Johannesburg CBD, Sandton Places gives you a one-stop source for all the fun things to do in the greater Sandton area. Otherwise you are left to your own devices to ferret them out for yourself and believe me, it has been a job to source the little gems that are scattered about the "great northern beyond" that is greater Sandton. This book is about two years too late in coming as far as I am concerned, but I am sure I will still come away with more fun things to add to my must-do list.

I was able to get my copy signed at the launch party by the three authors, Joburg Places' Gerald Garner, 2Summers' Heather Mason and Brian Unsted. And because Vince and I pre-ordered the book, we found a little surprise waiting inside the front cover. Our names are listed in the forward as subscribers!

Gerald signed my book with the inscription "Sandton awaits you"
Oh I know Gerald, I know.

Buy this book!

Shweshwe Heaven

Anne and I share a common obsession - fabric. And we indulged our obsession on Saturday when we took part in an inner-city walking tour of Joburg's Fashion District with Gerald Garner of JoburgPlaces.  

The Fashion District is located in the east end of the Johannesburg CBD, stretching from Troye Street to Goud Street along Pritchard and President Streets. It is filled with more than 300 fabric and notions wholesalers, seamstresses and tailors, clothing and handbag retailers and in the very center, the Fashion Kapitol on Pritchard Street.

The Fashion Kapitol is a city-supported incubator for pan-African fashion designers with 32 permanent shops. And if that's not enough, on Saturdays from 10 until 2, there is also the outdoor Jozi fashion market with more designs sold in the center courtyard in stalls. One of the bigger shops, the Fashion Shack, also runs a cafe' where you can sit outside and watch the local fashion show sashay by. 

But Anne and I came for the shweshwe and we were rewarded with a rainbow of it at the Fashion District Wholesalers across the street on Pritchard. Along with aisles and floors of fabric, notions and sewing equipment, this is the place to come for African inspiration shweshwe and Vlisco’s “wax hollandais."

It did remind me quite alot of one of my favorite things to do in New York. Wander around the garment district in Manhattan, shop the sample sales and stock up on ribbons, buttons and trim at M&J Trim and Tinsel Trading Company for my fabric-related projects. Or else go discount shopping along Canal Street in Chinatown or the Lower East Side.

 

My favorite fabric-related shop in Manhattan though was a narrow emporium on the upper east side called Tender Buttons where you could find simply the most fabulous new and vintage buttons of the highest quality from all over the world. The button selection at the Fashion District Wholesalers was nowhere near as heavenly as Tender Buttons, but on the other hand I never saw shweshwe fabric like this in New York either. So I'd say it's about even.

We both left sated - me with colorful fabric for some throw pillows and Anne with visions of an African print trench coat dancing in her head. We'll be back ...

Sushi a Go Go

Blackanese puts on monthly pop-up penthouse dinners. Although I was told last night that they have become so popular, they've increased them to bi-monthly. How did I not know this?

Well I do now and that is the important thing. Last night's dinner featured a Glenfiddich whisky tasting too. Whisky and sushi? Okay.

with Gerald and AFAR magazine Ambassador Nina Dietzel

It is the place to be as evidenced by the appearance of local Joburg expert and man-about-town Gerald Garner. (Gerald is downtown Joburg's walking tour operator and author of JoburgSpaces and the soon to be released SandtonPlaces.) Check out Blackanese's Facebook page for future dinners. Check out Gerald's Facebook page for tours and books.

Going to See The Golden Rhino

I first heard about the Golden Rhino of Mapungubwe while on a JoburgPlaces walking tour of the CBD during the Joburg City Festival and I blogged about it after a subsequent Past Experiences walking tour of the mining district. Both tours walked by the much larger replica erected in front of the Standard Bank building which was formerly the site of the Cullinan Building. I knew I had to see the original someday as well as the archaeological site where it was originally excavated.

Step one achieved! Ros and I took the Gautrain to Pretoria to see the Mapungubwe Collection housed in the Old Arts Building on the campus of the University of Pretoria. As you can imagine, the capital city's university campus is huge with a typical mix of heritage buildings and more modern structures. Thankfully, Ros had called ahead to find out which of the many campus entrances was closest to the Old Arts Building.

We took the train from Sandton to Hartfield which is the end of the Pretoria line, one stop after the Pretoria CBD. It was a very short walk to the campus and after a minimum of fumbling we found ourselves at the Mapungubwe Museum. No pictures allowed!

The collection is housed in one large room. Displays on the perimeter walls tell the story of the expedition and excavation, the discovery of the civilization remains, and the culture of the people who inhabited Mapungubwe so long ago.

There was a display about the trade beads made of ivory and 24K gold which the local people would trade for goods from Asia. Interspersed between displays were collections of solid gold beaded necklaces, bracelets and anklets, golden scepters and vessels. There was a video monitor which I would imagine gives voice to the story of the discovery, but unfortunately it wasn't working. There was also a pretty large collection of gold fragments that belonged to one young boy. Lucky boy!

In the center of the room, the Golden Rhino ... and it was amazing. The Golden Rhino is about palm-sized. I wanted to take a picture of it with my palm as comparison, but did I mention, no pictures allowed! It is very detailed. Eyes, cute little ears and a jointed tail. And of course a horn. In their own display cases, also in the middle of the room, were a golden feline and a golden bovine. Not quite as finely crafted as the rhino - but still magnificent. By comparison, they really gave you an appreciation of the artistry and workmanship of the rhino's sculptor.

As we were leaving the campus we met an Arts Masters student who told us that the small collection on display is only a small fraction of the treasure unearthed at Mapungubwe. She told us the University is building a new state-of-the-art museum to display the full collection as well as the rest of the University's vast bequeathed art collection. Good news!

Hangin' in the 'hood ...

2summers blog-tress Heather informed me yesterday that Gerald Garner of JoburgPlaces is compiling a new book about places in Sandton. Woo hoo! SandtonPlaces is scheduled to be published next year and I cannot wait. I too have busy compiling my list of Sandton places (La Vie en Sandton,   Walking 'round the Richest Square Mile of Africa,  33, Is that the Duck Anniversary? for example) but I am always on the look-out for more suggestions for fun things to do in my local 'hood.

Coincidentally we already had a very local night planned in Sandton for last evening. I started out at the San Deck for sundowner hour with Vince and his work mates. It was a beautiful night for it. The San Deck offers guests breathtaking views over Sandton and the surrounding landscape.

With three large fire pits and luxurious couches, this amazing space offers the best of Joburg's beautiful sunsets in the centre of the Sandton CBD. Like many of the places in the Sandton CBD, Vince and his work mates can easily walk over from their office on Rivonia Road.

The Sandton CBD is booming. The city bird is the crane!

I walked over too. Not from home but from my parking space under the nearby Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel where we had dinner reservations at Central One, the hotel's award-winning restaurant.

Central One had just been awarded Best Dish by Restaurant Week South Africa. So close by. I had to try it.

It was a great mix of flavors. Complex but not too fussy. Vince took advantage of their weekly special  prix fixe menu. They offer two and three course options. A lamb first course, a surf and turf main featuring sweet sweet Mozambique prawns and an Italian fruit-filled dessert. The vanilla-infused hollandaise sauce for the main course was especially good.

Fun night hangin' in the 'hood.

Joburg City Festival

I came home from Kariega to find  the Joburg City Festival in full swing. The Joburg City Festival is an annual event that celebrates the downtown central business district of Johannesburg. This year it runs from August 25th to the 31st. The calendar is literally teaming with dance and musical performances, walking tours, art exhibitions, film screenings, sports and games, live demonstrations, dinners, and  parties. You name it! You can even get a back, neck and shoulder massage on the street all day on the weekends from the Pyramid Day Spa. 

The Rand Club

Some of the cooler things on the roster are a number of events happening at venues that are otherwise unavailable to the general public throughout the year. A dance party at Randlords, the private nightclub on the rooftop of the South Point Tower in Braamie, a fashion show at the historic and, until recently gentlemen only, private Rand Club in the corporate mining district, and a tapas and cocktail experience at the underground event space Turbine Hall in Newtown. We chose a Walking Tour, Dinner and Wine Pairing evening at the Apprentice Penthouse. The evening started off with a two-hour guided stroll through Joburg's corporate mining district. The walk was led by Gerald Garner of joburgplaces.

Gerald leading the tour

Gerald has written a wonderful guide book about Johannesburg called Joburg-Places Spaces & Places. I had been wanting to take one of Gerald's Joburg tours for the longest time so I was happy to have the opportunity to do it as part of the Festival line-up. He has a wealth of knowledge about Johannesburg and his talks are entertaining and informative. Can't wait to do another! 

After the two hour stroll on a beautiful Joburg evening, we were more than ready for dinner.

We took the elevator up to the penthouse at 84 Market Street. The view from the balcony was stunning! The setting for dinner was Urban Ocean’s Apprentice Penthouse. Now an event space, it is where the competitors in the South African version of The Apprentice lived while filming in Joburg. The infamous dining room table was the very same one where contestants were fired off the show. 

The informal but scrumptious dinner was prepared by Neville Josie of Silver Palate. It was informal and we were encouraged to mingle and move around the spacious apartment. Passed hors d'oeuvres in the lounge and library, a roasted tomato soup on the balcony and a savory chicken and vegetable curry main dish in the dining room. (I couldn't stay for dessert but it looked great too. Delicate macarons and some delicious-looking chocolate brownies. ) 

Dinner was paired with exquisite Zevenwacht wines. A representative of Zevenwacht gave a short presentation about the estate’s superb wines and we were able to order our favorite wine selections to add to our own cellar too. 

Dinner was accompanied by the live music of Joburg's own Uju. Fabulous! It was a great way to celebrate Joburg City. We'll be back on the weekend for another helping ...

Beautiful evening, beautiful view!

the balcony turret with jacuzzi.
















 the decadent jacuzzi inside.

enjoying the view with Ros. Thanks Louis!