It’s likely that a visit to Cape Town will involve travelling at some point along Long Street. Long Street is located in the heart of the city that begins at the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) and ends at the suburb of Gardens. In between are backpacker lodges, top hotels, boutique shops, eateries, cigar lounges, cocktail bars, nightclubs and African markets.
Long Street is fluid, ever-changing with new and vibrant happenings along the entire length of the street. It’s where tourists gather to grab a coffee and croissant before taking one of the hop on-hop off buses that transport them to the city’s many attractions. It’s also where young world travellers find welcoming and cheap beds from which to explore the city.
At night, Long Street becomes a pedestrian walkway as revellers flock to the lively clubs that pump out high energy music until the early morning hours.
Walk down Long Street on any day and you will encounter a multicultural ether with myriad languages spoken. At the end of the street is the 1908-built Long Street Baths with 25m heated pool and Turkish steam baths.
Looking for a first edition book, a one-of-a-kind piece of art or antique jewellery? How about a photography studio, a place of worship or a gym for an early morning workout? Long Street is the place.
Some unique offerings are a rooftop trailer park (with movie house), a slave museum and the African Dance Theatre. A giant piece of public art called Open House – a bright red double storey façade of a corrugated home – is situated behind the Western Cape Government offices.
Restaurants from all over the world present their traditional signature dishes here so if you can’t make it to Ethiopia, don’t worry, you will find a restaurant in Long Street to sample the cuisine. Trendy bars and street café’s attract the sidewalk crowds and somewhere down Long Street is a place to suit every individual taste.
