I don’t have time to write a long post this week. But I can’t wait any longer to tell you about Chappy Vintage, my new favorite Jozi shop.
Chappy opened about nine months ago in Linden, which is fast becoming one of Joburg’s hippest suburbs. I first discovered Chappy in early December and planned to blog about it right away, but then I got covid and couldn’t get back there to take photos until a few days ago. And I needed to do a proper photoshoot before writing this post because Chappy is a ridiculously photogenic place.
Chappy is on 4th Avenue in Linden, directly next door to a Caribbean themed bar/restaurant called Brian Lara Rum Eatery. Brian Lara has a couple of tables on Chappy’s front stoep and there is a door that connects the two establishments at the back. This is a very smart move on Chappy’s part; I could totally imagine myself embarking on a big Chappy shopping spree after a couple of rum cocktails.
Chappy sells vintage collectables, clothes, vinyl records, and home decor. Obviously there are many – hundreds, possibly thousands – of charity shops and antique shops selling this kind of merchandise in Joburg. There are quite a few others right there in Linden. But I have never been to a vintage shop as well curated as Chappy. Everything there just goes together, and the shop is arranged in a quirky, beautiful way that makes me want to buy everything. The fantastic sound track also helps.
Chappy is owned and run by Michael Lesar – a Joburg deejay (this is explains the great music) who pivoted to a new business when covid hit – and his designer partner, Arminda da Silva. I spoke briefly to both Arminda and Michael during my two visits and they seem incredibly nice. They also have strikingly great senses of style.
Go to Chappy soon before King Tut disappears.
Chappy is at 56 4th Avenue, Linden, and is open from noon to 8 p.m. Call 074-525-7281. Chappy also has a great Instagram page.
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.