I keep reading articles about gentrification in downtown Johannesburg. These articles – usually written by foreign journalists, or Capetonians – proclaim the city of Joburg remains blighted, crime-ridden, and poverty-stricken with the exception of a few pockets of upscale hipsterdom, like Maboneng and Braamfontein.
I dispute this proclamation. As proof, I present the Johannesburg City Library.
The Johannesburg City Library is a huge, beautiful building on Albertina Sisulu Road (formerly Market Street), overlooking Beyers Naude Square (formerly Library Gardens) in the center of the Joburg CBD. Originally opened in 1935, the library closed for three years between 2009 and 2012 as it underwent a major renovation and expansion.
I poked my head into the library once or twice after the renovation was completed. But I never got around to exploring it properly until last week, when I went with Marie-Lais Emond to take photos for the Citizen “Other Side of the City” column.
I couldn’t believe: 1) how nice this library is; 2) how many amazing things are contained inside of the library; 3) how many people use this library; and 4) that people still go to libraries at all.
I confess that I can’t remember the last time I went to a library. I’ve been missing out.
The Johannesburg City Library is filled with books – about 1.5 million of them – as well as studious youth and a smattering of adults reading newspapers. There are major collections of Africana, music, and children’s books. Well curated works of art line the library’s walls. There is a full-sized theatre and a studio space for local artists. The basement has hundreds of miles of shelves, containing thousands (millions?) of newspapers dating back to the 19th century.
The Johannesburg City Library also has beautiful architecture and design that appears to be perfectly restored and maintained.
The Johannesburg City Library is neither gentrified nor blighted. It’s a real, historic, vibrant, well-used space. (There’s wifi, too, although I was too busy taking photos to test it properly.)
The library is open from 9:00 to 5:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 1:00 on Saturdays. Get there early if you want to find a seat.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.