Being
situated in the area known as “de
Waterkant Village”, 17 on
Loader Guest House is privileged
to not only be situated in a scenic,
and historic are of Cape Town –
it is also very centrally situated
and within a short walking distance
of places like the famous
V&A
Waterfront; the
City Centre; and The
Cape
Town International Convention Centre.
Additionally, Loader Street –
where our guest house is situated,
is ideally placed slap bang in the
hub of all things happening in de
Waterkant.
Some facts which may be of interest
concerning de Waterkant:
It is one of the most famous, and
interesting areas of Cape Town.
In essence it is a Village within
the boundaries of the City of Cape
Town itself – and is in itself
totally self-sufficient.
Architecture styles are predominantly
of the Cape Malay and Georgian eras
– relatively ornate facades,
with single storey flat roofs (similar
to those to be found in the Karoo).
However, with the area becoming
so popular, massive regeneration
has taken place – with almost
every house now an architectural
and interior masterpiece. And as
a consequence, property prices have
sky rocketed over the past 10 years.
(It is to a large extent thanks
to Maree Brink, of the company
Village
and Life
that de Waterkant Village
has prospered – with his visionary
and sensitive approach to the general
upgrading of the area).
Loader Street is situated parallel
to both High Level and Somerset
Roads – the latter Streets
basically forming the original boundaries
of de Waterkant. However, over time,
the boundaries have been extended,
and now include Streets such as
Prestwich, Hudson, Buitengracht
and Boundary Roads. See map
here.
The Village is basically a “one
stop shop” – where you
can find all that one ever needs:
Places where you can: Eat; Sleep;
Shop; Work; and Party!
Eat:
Restaurants, coffee shops and
eateries are in abundance throughout
the Village. These include:
The
Truth Café
on Somerset Road.
San
Julian Mexican Restaurant
situated in lower Rose Street,
Origin
Coffee Roasting
and
The
Loading Bay in
Hudson Street.
Closer to “home” –
17 on Loader Guest House enjoys
very close proximity (+- 2 minutes’
walk) to literally dozens more places
where one snack and drink away:
Café
Max,
The
Village Cafe and
Café
Manhattan are
all situated in de Waterkant Street
(Café Manhattan is the oldest
eatery in the Village). De Waterkant
Street is the next parallel Street
down from Loader Street.
Part of de Waterkant’s rejuvenation
has taken the form of the creation
of two business hubs – known
as “
The
Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village”
- which is also home to a myriad
of restaurants. Within these two
“quarters” one can find
restaurants such as
Lazari,
Vanilla;
Voila
, Kuzina,
The
Cru,
Chenin
Restaurant Wine Bar
, Andiamo,
and the
La
Petite Tarte.
Slightly further afield (about 5
minutes walk), one can find other
delectable eateries -
Table
Thirteen,
Beluga,
Il
Leone, and
La
Pigalle, to name
but a few.
Sleep:
De Waterkant Village has dozens
of accommodation establishments,
including self catering units, B&B’s,
Lodges, Hotels and Guest Houses.
These include
de
Waterkant Cottages,
Village
and Life, the
Protea
Hotel Victoria Junction
, and of course –
17
on Loader Guest House!
Shop:
De Waterkant is a shopper’s
delight! One can literally “shop
till you drop” and stretch
those credit cards to the max!
The
Cape Quarter is
the main focus for shops in the
area. Types of shops include Arts
and Curios: (
Baraka,
prêt-a-pot,
Lisa
King Gallery);
Health and Beauty: (
mediCape
Clinic, and
dr
Lechtape-Gruter Plastic Surgeon);
Fashion: About 20 shops –
see
here);
Furniture: (
Private
Collections,
Pierre
Cronje, and
Global
Heritage to name but
a few).
Work:
De Waterkant has become one of the
most desirable areas in which to
work – being convenient, trendy,
and safe. Some of the big name businesses
include
de
Loitte’s,
140
BBDO,
Primedia
and
Pernod
Ricard). However,
the bulk of businesses in the area
are made up of small, talent-rich
and highly creative entities and/or
professionals. These include
Engage
Brandcraft,
iLead
Model Agencies,
Faith
Models,
datNow’s
Attorneys,
and NS
Digital.
Party!
The Village has a history of being
one the party hubs of Cape Town
– be it late night Jazz and
Soul spots, to pulse popping, head
banging nightclubs. Places to look
out for include:
The
Bronx,
The
Hot House (a party
with a difference!)
Crew
Bar,
Cubana
Havana Lounge,
and
Trinity.
Whatever you are looking for –
de Waterkant has it in abundance.
It’s truly a destination within
Cape Town itself. Stroll through
its quaint Streets, linger over
a coffee, or dance the night away
– but one thing’s for
sure – it sure will find a
special little spot in your heart.
