There’s so much more to Johannesburg than simply sitting in a hotel room or going out to eat, but if safety is on your mind, the Melrose Arch neighborhood—a gated city within a city—is about the safest place in town you can be.
Melrose Arch, Johannesburg
I didn’t choose Melrose Arch because it was safe, but because it was where the Marriott was. In fact, I was rather surprised to see this fortress when I arrived; it was not at all what I was expecting.
As you enter Melrose Arch, you’ll pass through a gated entrance with a high wall, guards, and road blocks. I arrived at 7:00pm and was waved through – it wasn’t clear to me if the gates close and lock at some point to non-residents.
Inside, the city was festively decorated for Christmas (it was my first time experiencing a Southern Hemisphere Christmas) and everything looked like an upscale urban residential community in the USA or Canada.
There were high rise buildings with art galleries, restaurants, and bars on the ground floor, coffee shops, a shopping mall, fountains, sculptures, pavers, and carefully-manicured landscaping.
My friend and I went out of dinner at an Indian restaurant called Ghazal, just a short walk from the Marriott. We shared a vegetarian samosa for an appetizer and I enjoyed a strong but tasty lamb korma with garlic naan for my main course.
While masks are permitted both inside and outside during the pandemic, once seated at a table you can remove them and indoor dining is permitted.
The mall includes high-end stores and even a bitcoin bank. A pedestrian-only zone keeps congestion away.
If you want to buy a high-end car, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Bentley, McClaren, and Daytona dealers are present.
Outside the gate is another story: there are strip malls and fast food joints, but it feels like a whole different world. The streets are littered with trash and the upkeep is poor on many buildings and vacant lots.
I can never get over the juxtaposition of rich and poor in South Africa. On the way from the airport to Melrose Arch, I drove through shanty towns only to arrive in this opulent and safe space. I’m not passing judgment per se—my own city of Los Angeles also has a tremendous gap between rich and poor, as do many other great world cities—but wherever you see it, it is a sad sight to behold.
CONCLUSION
In what may foreshadow future planned communities, this walled city within Johannesburg offered comfort, convenience, and safety. While I would not travel to J’berg just to see Melrose Arch, it’s a very welcoming place to set up camp.
Considering how one of your reasons for visiting was to help the local economy…maybe putting money into less affluent areas would have helped out more?
Not sure. I watched the workers leave at night through the gates. I’m sure they appreciated my tips. It’s the same dilemma played out many times in many ways all over the world.
It’s possible those outside might appreciate them more, assuming they’re not all paid the same and offered the same benefits.
Mr. Ramaphosa, tear down this wall.
All fine and good, but next time go downtown and check out the Maboneng neighborhood. Great neighborhood in the heart of Johannesburg that is really fun, good restuarants,cool stores, and more organically developed than Melrose Arch. Tons of great restaurants all around Johannesburg. Marble, Saint are two standouts. And a cant miss thing to see in Johannesburg is the Apartheid Museum. Absolutely worth an afternoon. Johannesburg overall isnt pretty but it’s worth a stay for a few days on your way to Cape Town, safari, or elsewhere.
The Apartheid Museum was actually the #1 thing I wanted to do, but it remains closed, ostensibly due to the pandemic but perhaps due to budget constraints?
That’s a bummer to hear. Hopefully it’s open the next time you go. I really thought it was powerful – definitely worth an entire afternoon. And there is a lot, in general, to see and do in Johannesburg. I liked it way more than I thought I would.
Looks like any number of outdoor outlet malls with mixed-used development in any U.S. or European suburb.
Very sad to see the juxtaposition, something quite common in Indian cities like Mumbai or Delhi (though not to the extent that there are literal walls keeping out the “riff-raff”).
Though you are an Angeleno, and probably love the city, I will say that I get this same feeling of existential dread when I visit Los Angeles. It is truly America’s most “dystopian” city (that or SF)
How can you write about this and not even mention the country’s racism/inequality/apartheid history that is so linked to the desire build such a fortress to keep out “undesireable” people? Wow.
It’s already a sad sight that this is happening, there is nothing we do that will change it. If it takes another Mandela then so be it. I was glad Matthew didn’t mention any of this or the details of Apartheid, it’s a travel blog not politics and hatred. Great coverage Matthew.
I’m not opposed to speaking about and condemning Apartheid (I’ve done it before on this blog), but I think too often the conversation is simplified into a shouting match when there is far more nuance to systemic poverty and the apartheid system than we often are willing to engage in on a travel blog.
Thankfully, we have people like Jackson Waterson to educate us with all the nuance of theirs lol
This community is proof that those views and measures were and are justified. Our daughters and wives not getting raped is more important than your political correctness. It’s not White people who commit a disproportionate amount of rapes, murders, and violent crime. It’s blacks whether in South Africa, Rio De Janeiro, or Chicago. Whites shouldn’t be blamed for wanting to protect their sons and daughters from violence, a violent culture, and for wanting safe and calm neighborhoods and communities.
The sad reality is South Africa is one of the rape/murder/violent crime capitals of the world. It used to be the top economy and most productive country in Africa that was a leader in science and even did the first heart transplant. Now it is a dangerous country and is less productive. Those walls and separation are necessary. Safety is more important than a group not feeling excluded for its own poor behavior.
South Africa is a perfect example of what democracy is. A group can build something beautiful completely on its own and a larger group can force its way in and ruin everything good about it.
That’s some straight-up colonial racist bullsh*t right there. If dark skin scares you so much, why don’t you go back to where YOUR people came from?
The murder rate in SA peaked under the last white government. 67 per 100k. Since the end of apartheid it has dropped to around half that. Check wikipedia and its sources if you don’t believe me.
It’s such a shame to have such a negative mentality about black people in SA ; there is no Country without a dark side. I am Soth African living in Europe by choice because of my career but SA is far much a better place to live in; I agree there are bad things happening there. Is it a good thing if I can say all white people are peadophiles ? , that will be wrong for me to say that. In your country of your dreams where you think it’s safe mostly rich white people sleep , and rape young boys we are afraid of letting out kids walk to school alone. In SA children are protected even those criminals you talked about respects children don’t harm them like what we see here in Europe. So please stop being negative about Black people. The writer of this article wrote about what he/she experienced does deserve a credit for telling the world where to visit for them to feel safe. If I were you I will keep my racism and prejudice to myself than exposing shallow mindedness.
Don’t fall into that trap. The ANC have been in charge of the country since 1994 and it’s gone downhill ever since. The poor have got poorer while the ANC and their cadres have plundered the country.
Unnecessary drama. Melrose was developed after apartheid and certain not to keep black people out. But more to the point – he’s a travel blogger not a history author. He writes about what he knows, which is aviation and travel. You write about whatever buoy feel he left out.
I’m not sure if one wants to fly all the way to JNB just to vacation in a replica of Glendale…
Who would buy an Aston Martin or Rolls Royce there? I’d presume you’d be a huge robbery target the second you left this area, and it’s not worth it to just have it for that small neighborhood. Seems odd unless people are buying them from overseas due to a better price and then having them shipped back to their home country.
No Johannesburg is fairly safe and that Melrose side contains a lot of private security companies. and ya it sucks cos the only people that can afford live there are former beneficiaries of apartheid and the so called tenderpreneurs.
There are people lining up to buy them but unfortunately most are getting their money through corruption. Recently a meeting of SA’s equivalent of the IRS had a meeting in the same hotel as a group of Porsche owners. One of the tax men took a note of all the plate numbers and found that none of the owners earned more than R37,000 a month (USD 2,500)!
I don’t mean to be rude, but these cars are commonplace specifically in Sandton.
You would certainly not be a target of robbery if you drive a Rolls Royce because thieves would have no one to sell it to.
You may have admirers though and police will stop you to admire your wheels.
I have family members with Bentleys and Porches and I’m happy to see them rise out of poverty against all odds.
I always knew they would do well for themselves in life because they excelled in school and were diligent.
We must stop glorifying poverty and be objective in all our judgment.
I’m sharing stories of people who grew up in rural KZN and is still deeply rooted there and doing much good in their spheres 9f influence.
I will also get myself a nice Bentley SUV when I am ready because it’s one of my dream cars and I apply myself everyday to make sure that one day I can be able to afford anything I want.
Honestly, I can’t stand Melrose. Overpriced and pretentious in my opinion. There are at least a dozen places I’d rather go to in the nearby area.
I give you a pass since you were only here for a day and your friend was staying at that particular Marriott.
But, like Sean, I find Melrose Arch to be overly pretentious and expensive (even by my standards, and I earn a decent American salary). It’s like visiting LA and only going to Beverly Hills. Fine if that’s what you want to do but missing out on a lot.
Even Sandton or Rosebank would have been decent places to stay if you weren’t planning on leaving the general area of your hotel…they’re relatively safe, a few bucks cheaper, and have direct rail links to the airport.
I saw the bill so I know what you actually ordered but I was hoping that lama korma was missing the second “L”.
thumbnail pic did the job
If your journey from the airport took you through any of the townships then you were being taken the wrong way.
London Road through Alex is the quickest way from N3 to Melrose Arch
So many comments from non-South Africans & more especially non-black South Africans, can’t help but cringe. You all lot love to have an opinion huh? Go look in your perfect backyard would ya?!
Melrose Arch, the safest small town ever in Southern Africa which is in the north of South Africa. Really,I use to call it UNITED KINGDOM OR CANADA in SOUTH AFRICA. Everything is excellent,marvelous, when talking about eateries, the likes of PLAKA, PAUL’S, MR GEORGE, ROCCO MAMMAS to mention but few.
Hi Matthew Joburg is an amazing city with tons to do.You did yourself a disservice not leaving melrose.There are many more stunning places but obviously like any large city ,there are of shady and dirty areas as well.The majority of Joburg is picturesque and riddled with fun filled activities and amazing restaurants and coffee shops.
Indeed Johannesburg and South Africa as a whole is beautiful.
I agree with all you’ve said
I always tell my wife how much we need to discover more.
We also need to focus on the positive and less on the negative that makes it seem like all is doom and gloom in South Africa. Yes, many things are bad and sad , but it’s in our hands to make it the beautiful country it once promised to be.
I’m actually looking for a place to go to on a family weekend holiday soon.
So much to choose from
I guess Johannesburg gets a bad reputation sometimes but it is an amazing city. If you live in Johannesburg you’ll know. The suburbs are amazing with beautiful homes surrounded by lush trees and greenery. It isn’t just a city. Also try going to the Walter Sisulu Gardens. It’s stunning there with a nice Waterfall. There’s farms, there’s great views, great night life etc and there’s lots to do. South Africa is beautiful in general and I go to the western Cape province often (where Cape Town, George, the garden route is). There’s no where I’d rather live than in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province.