Gardens, Cape Town
Gardens | |
|---|---|
Clockwise from Top: View of The Gardens area, Leeuwenhof, Van Rheede Van Oudtshoorn Vault | |
Street map of Gardens | |
| Coordinates: 33°56′0″S 18°24′30″E / 33.93333°S 18.40833°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Municipality | City of Cape Town |
| Main Place | Cape Town |
| Government | |
| • Councillor | Vivienne Walker (DA) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.90 km2 (0.73 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 7,960 |
| • Density | 4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 23.5% |
| • Coloured | 7.2% |
| • Indian/Asian | 2.0% |
| • White | 64.8% |
| • Other | 2.5% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • English | 60.4% |
| • Afrikaans | 25.3% |
| • Xhosa | 3.6% |
| • Other | 10.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 8001 |
Gardens (or The Gardens) is an affluent, predominantly residential suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is located just to the south of the CBD, in the higher elevations of the City Bowl area, and directly beneath Table Mountain and Lion's Head. Gardens is home to several national museums such as Iziko South African National Gallery and the Iziko South African Museum.
The University of Cape Town also houses its Fine Arts department in the suburb, at Michaelis School of Fine Art. Company's Garden, South Africa's oldest garden, a public park and heritage site is a focal point of the suburb. The area is also home to the oldest synagogue in Southern Africa, the Old Shul (now occupied by the South African Jewish Museum) and its successor, the Gardens Shul, "The Mother Synagogue of South Africa."
It is also home to the storied Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, a luxury hotel dating back to 1899, as well as the Labia Theatre, a beloved independent art house cinema. The main thoroughfare is Kloof Street, known for its fashion stores, second-hand furniture stores, restaurants and art galleries. It also houses Leeuwenhof estate, the official residence of the Premier of the Western Cape. It is a hub for the Cape Town creative industry, home to e.tv at Longkloof Studios and many modelling agencies, production and publishing companies and associated industries.