When you are spending a couple of days at AtholPlace Hotel & Villa, en route to other destinations like Morukuru Family Madikwe or  Morukuru Family De Hoop, you might want to get out an about and explore some local neighbourhoods in Johannesburg. AtholPlace is very centrally situated and there are a number of nearby locales to choose from.    

One of our favourites is Melrose, which is just a few minutes away. Our duty manager Enoch Banda can arrange your transport.  This well-established neighbourhood has leafy boulevards lined with apartment blocks built in the 1950s and 1960s which are now popular with young professionals, who have introduced a trendy atmosphere which mingles with the vintage ambience.    

Melrose is also home to Melrose Arch, a stylish urban precinct conveniently situated between the suburbs of Rosebank and Sandton. Take a wander through this upmarket shopping and lifestyle centre which has a series of pedestrianised streets and open piazzas and experience one of Johannesburg’s top retail and dining destinations.

There are many cafes, restaurants and exclusive fashion boutiques to sample. (Interesting things to take home).  Pop into Ledikana for apparel, accessories and gifts like contemporary laptop bags made from traditional African fabrics or a designer baseball cap constructed from the famous Shweshwe cloth. Visit the Melrose Gallery which is a modern art space showcasing some of South Africa’s established and emerging artists. This gallery showcases a variety of work including painting, sculpture, photography and ceramics and some of the public spaces at Melrose Arch are used to exhibit large sculptural works, installations and even performance art. The Piazza is a popular, social hotspot and the perfect location to enjoy a cup of coffee, a drink or tasty Mediterranean-influenced cuisine.    

The neighbourhood adjoining Melrose is Birdhaven with the 36ha James & Ethel Grey Park. This well-maintained green belt gives visitors a panoramic view of the famous Johannesburg city skyline. Various pathways lead down to the Sandspruit river and at the bottom of the park there is is the Acrobranch where adrenalin junkies (both young and old)  can master an adventure course with zip lines, monkey bridges and Tarzan swings. The Wrenrose Centre is conveniently situated next to the park and here you can enjoy a relaxed lunch at Voodoo Lily or Arbour Cafe; browse luxury jewellery at Kirsten Goss who is one of South Africa’s most well known fine jewellers with a fresh approach to design; or indulge in a selection of luxury spa treatments at Toast & Co which is famous for delivering a sensory experience.