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 ...

Blues on the Rooftop

midtown, summer 2010

Some of the best summer parties in NY came with the ultimate party guest ...













... a view.

It made for a perfect party especially when accompanied by live music ...

Metropolitan Museum's Rooftop Garden & Martini Cafe, summer 2011

... and good friends.

Randlords with the best unobstructed view in Joburg!

Welcome to Joburg with its own version of the summer rooftop party ...

Mandela Bridge

 ... with a view ...


 












 ... the rooftop at Randlords which we visited during the 2014 Joburg City Festival to hear the cream of South African Blues presented by BalconyTV. The show was headlined by the amazing Dan Patlanski whom we had heard before when he opened for Bruce Springsteen at FNB.






   

on the deck

the scene inside Randlords

the audience

the performance space

Founded in Dublin in 2006, BalconyTV is the leading daily online viral music show that features musicians and bands on balconies and rooftops around the world and BTV Johannesburg is one of the most successful franchises in the network.

and up above on the balcony ...

a balcony bed ... like being in a cloud

Good party!

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!

And So the Sun Sets on the 2013 Joburg City Festival

Until next year!

Sundowners from the rooftop of the Parktonian

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!