Places VI: Tamboerskloof
Tamboerskloof is a inner city urban neighbourhood in Cape Town perched on the lower slopes of the Lion's Head, part of the Table Mountain massif. It sits above the busy happening Long and Kloof streets and the town's administrative and Central Business Districts and port. It's now home to a diverse but predominantly white mix of students, young professionals and families.
The origins of Tamboerskloof as a name is obscure but it was a farm run with slave labour that was divided up as the city expanded. The neighbourhood consists of steep streets of close packed two and three-storey Victorian era housing. Many of the houses were built by returning soldiers from the Anglo-Boer war in 1905. Another building boom in the 1930s gave rise to a wealth of Art Deco apartment blocks. A six bedroom landmark Victorian detached house will set you back R9,500.000 (€936,000, £742,000).
Long Street with its excellent shops, cafes, restaurants and bars is 10 minutes walk from the streets of Tamboerskloof. People say it is relatively safe to walk around at night, particularly as some streets have private guards stationed on them to watch over people's safety and property.
