Gardens, Cape Town

Gardens
View of The Gardens area
Street map of Gardens
Gardens  Gardens shown within South Africa
Location within Cape Town  Gardens
Coordinates: 33°56′0″S 18°24′30″E / 33.93333°S 18.40833°E / -33.93333; 18.40833Coordinates: 33°56′0″S 18°24′30″E / 33.93333°S 18.40833°E / -33.93333; 18.40833
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Main Place	Cape Town
Government
• Councillor	Vivienne Walker (DA)
Area[1]
• Total	1.90 km2 (0.73 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	7,960
• Density	4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)[1]
• Black African	23.5%
• Coloured	7.2%
• Indian/Asian	2.0%
• White	64.8%
• Other	2.5%
First languages (2011)[1]
• English	60.4%
• Afrikaans	25.3%
• Xhosa	3.6%
• Other	10.8%
Postal code (street)	8001

Gardens (or The Gardens) is an inner-city suburb of Cape Town located just to the south of the city centre located in the higher elevations of the "City Bowl". It is located directly beneath Table Mountain and Lion's Head. It is an affluent neighbourhood populated mostly by young professionals and contains numerous chic restaurants, hotels, boutique shops and loft apartments. The suburb is also a hub for the Cape Town creative industry, hosting the home of e.tv at Longkloof Studios and contains many modeling agencies, production and publishing companies and associated industries. It is also home to the world-famous five-star Mount Nelson Hotel.

History

In the early years, the Cape was used as an anchorage for Portuguese, Dutch and British ships. No permanent settlement existed until the Dutch East India Company issued a mandate to Jan van Riebeeck, a ship's surgeon, to establish a settlement which could provide passing ships with fruit, vegetables and fresh meat (traded from the natives).

In 1652 the first garden was laid out by Hendrik Boom, the Company's master gardener, on a site close to the Fresh River (near to the Grand Parade). Later that year, the garden crossed the Fresh River (where Adderley Street is today), and included a medicine garden. Within a few years it was 18 hectares in size.

As more produce became available from the Company's gardens at Newlands and from the Free Burghers who had settled along the Liesbeeck River, the town garden was slowly converted into a botanical and ornamental garden, although the growing of vegetables did continue for a number of years.

The famous kilometer-long Government Avenue, which runs from the top of Adderley Street, also known as 'The Gardens', was originally planted with lemon trees and in 1700 with orange trees. During the time of Simon van der Stel, it was lined with oak trees, which remain today.

Places of interest

• The first statue erected in South Africa, that of Sir George Grey can be found in front of the Public Library.
• The South African Museum, the oldest in the country, was established in 1825.
• The small Jewish museum, housed in the original synagogue, known as 'The Gardens Shul', is the oldest in Southern Africa built in 1862. The twin-towered 'new' synagogue was built in 1905.
• At the top end of Government Avenue is Cape Town High School, built on the grounds of which once stood the Hope Mill, one of five water mills which operated along the banks of the Fresh River.

Also within the Gardens area can be found the Iziko South African Museum, The Planetarium, the Iziko National Gallery and the Michaelis School of Fine Art.

Education

• Cape Town High School
• Jan Van Riebeeck Primary School^[2]
• Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck^[3]
• Lycée Français du Cap, the secondary division of the Cape Town French School, is located in Gardens.^[4]
• St. Cyprian's School^[5]

References

Communities of City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality, Western Cape Seat: Cape Town Cape Flats Athlone Crawford Gugulethu Hanover Park Heideveld Joe Slovo Kenwyn Lansdowne Manenberg Nyanga Ottery Philippi Rondebosch East Strandfontein Helderberg Faure Gordon's Bay Macassar Sir Lowry's Pass Village Somerset West Strand Mitchells Plain Khayelitsha Blue Downs Crossroads Eerste River Khayelitsha Kuils River Mfuleni Mitchell's Plain QQ Section Northern Brackenfell Durbanville Fisantekraal Kensington Kraaifontein Panorama Philadelphia Wallacedene South Peninsula Bergvliet Bishopscourt Capri Village Claremont Clovelly Constantia Da Gama Park Diep River Fish Hoek Glencairn Grassy Park Harfield Village Heathfield Hout Bay Imizamo Yethu Kalk Bay Kenilworth Kommetjie Llandudno Lotus River Masiphumelele Meadowridge Mowbray Muizenberg Newlands Noordhoek Ocean View Plumstead Retreat Rondebosch Rosebank Scarborough Simon's Town St James Southern Suburbs Steenberg Tokai Wynberg Table Bay Bakoven Bantry Bay Bo-Kaap Camps Bay Cape Town Clifton De Waterkant District Six Epping Foreshore Fresnaye Gardens Goodwood Green Point Higgovale Langa Maitland Mouille Point Ndabeni Nomzamo Observatory Oranjezicht Pinelands Robben Island Salt River Schotsche Kloof Sea Point Tamboerskloof Thornton Three Anchor Bay University Estate Vredehoek Walmer Estate Woodstock Zonnebloem Tygerberg Belhar Bellville Bishop Lavis Blikkiesdorp Bonteheuwel Bothasig Delft Edgemead Elsie's River Monte Vista Norwood Parow Tygerberg Blaauwberg Atlantis Bloubergstrand Century City Dunoon Joe Slovo Park Mamre Melkbosstrand Milnerton Parklands Table View