KNOW YOUR ’HOOD
Every week we take a look at one of South Africa’s top areas. This time our spotlight falls on Troyeville, an inner-city suburb with a strong sense of community
NITTY-GRITTY
• Troyeville falls, loosely, between Jeppestown, Doornfontein and Kensington in the “old east” of Joburg. • Named after surveyor Gustav Troye, the suburb was first announced in the Diggers’ News in August 1889, and the stands and roads were laid out between then and the mid-1890s. • The suburb — characterised by its many beautiful Victorian semidetached and freestanding houses, which for decades were filled with a typically Bohemian community of artists, academics and activists of all races — is in close proximity to the inner city (and sporting venues such as Ellis Park). As “old” residents have left or moved on, it is grappling with some of the shifts of urban migration. Many parts of Troyeville have begun to exhibit signs of neglect, particularly where unethical landlords have encouraged high-density rentals. • From 1904 to 1906, Mahatma Gandhi lived with his family at 11 Albermarle Street in Troyeville (a lovely Art Deco structure at number 19 was previously, mistakenly, thought to be his residence and even given national monument status). Gandhi would walk daily from Troyeville to his offices near the law courts (today Gandhi Square). • In 1989, anti-apartheid activist and Troyeville resident David Webster was gunned down in front of his house — the site is now marked by one of the city’s blue heritage plaques. In 2009, Bloemenhof Park was renamed David Webster Park. Nearby, on Wilhelmina Street, is the much loved Spaza Art Gallery. • The main road through Troyeville, Bezuidenhout Street, was recently renamed Albertina Sisulu Avenue. Here, at number 1403, you’ll find another local institution — the Troyeville Hotel, famous for its prawns, flamingos on the walls and views of the city.
PRICE POINTS
“You get great value for money,” says Dean Atcheson of Dean Atcheson Properties, explaining that for many people who work in and around the inner city it is cheaper to buy than to rent.
A two-bedroom apartment in Troyeville can go for about R299 000, with online property listings showing semis selling for between R300 000 and R400 000 and freestanding houses starting from R650 000 (up to more than R1-million for grand heritage-style properties).
ON THE MARKET
Atcheson says the area is close to schools such as Jeppe Boys and Jeppe Girls and offers easy access to transport routes. But he adds that there is a wide variance in the quality of properties in the neighbourhood — and in the intentions of prospective buyers.
“There is a problem with slumlords, who buy old properties and subdivide living spaces to maximise rentals.
“Multitenanted properties scare people off,” says Atcheson, who refuses to deal with such buyers.