Joburg is not a walkable city, at least not intentionally so. Although millions of people walk here, primarily out of necessity, this is a serious driving town. Most parts of Joburg lack pedestrian-friendly features of any kind.

But I’ve been thinking a lot about walkable Joburg suburbs lately — I’ve been spending a lot of time in one of them while the water in my own (marginally walkable) suburb is out. I thought I’d give my five favorite walkable suburbs a quick shout-out.

1) Linden

My friend Fiver lives in Linden, and has graciously allowed me to shower and do laundry in her flat for the past few weeks. I’m so impressed with how Linden, which has always been more walkable than the average Joburg neighborhood, has become evermore pedestrian friendly with each passing year.

Fiver at the Whippet, one of the most popular cafés in Linden.

Linden is one of very few Joburg neighborhoods where it’s possible to live within a 10-minute walk of everything one needs to survive. There are at least 20 good restaurants and coffee shops, a grocery store, bakeries, a butchery, a hardware shop, doctors and optometrists, many clothing and thrift stores, nearby parks, and even a covered public pool (open only when the city has its act together). Linden also has many very nice blocks of flats. Thorsten and I thought repeatedly about moving to Linden before finally committing to Brixton.

My favorite spots in Linden are PRON, the Cheese Gourmet, Arthur Bales, Brian Lara Rum Eatery, and Fiver’s flat, which has provided me an unlimited water supply during the month of February.

2) Melville

Melville was my first Joburg love, as many of you know. I lived there for 11 years — the first few without my own car — and I walked that hilly suburb FLAT. Although Melville has had its ups and downs and doesn’t have quite as much business diversity as it once did, it remains one of the most pedestrian-friendly suburbs in town.

A picture I took on Melville’s 7th Street during a recent Melville Art Mile event.

My favorite new(ish) Melville hangouts are Artüro, Chopstix, and De Baba. I also have countless old favorites, like Picobella, the Service Station, Bookdealers, and of course the Melville Koppies. Special shout-out to Spot-On Locksmiths, which doesn’t even have a website or social media page but is definitely the best locksmith in Joburg, hidden on the top floor of the (now very forlorn) Spar Centre on Main Road. If you need a key cut or a lock replaced, Spot On are your guys.

3) Marshalltown (i.e. Downtown Joburg)

Marshalltown isn’t really a suburb — it’s a neighborhood in the center of downtown Joburg. But Marshalltown has become my favorite place to walk in the city (I blogged about it recently), so I wanted to include it.

Fiver and Lungi having coffee at Troy’s Café in Marshalltown.

Maboneng and Braamfontein are still considered the CBD’s trendiest neighborhoods. But Marshalltown is the city’s beating heart — especially during the day, when it’s filled with pedestrians. It’s safe and clean, has several restaurants and coffee shops, a great art gallery, an indy bookshop (Bridge Books is technically just outside Marshalltown but close enough), and there is a Woolworths at 93 Main Street. Gandhi Square, a popular downtown tourist attraction, is in Marshalltown, as is the historic Rand Club.

My favorite spots in Marshalltown are the Rand Club library (members-only, except during public tours), Troy’s Café, Bridge Books, and Marshalltown’s best-kept secret: Caraci Clothing. I’ve also heard great things about Sadie’s Bistro but haven’t been yet. If you’re looking for an unusual place to sleep in Marshalltown, I highly recommend African Penthouses.

4) Parkview

Parkview wins the prize for classiest Joburg suburb. Its main drag, Tyrone Avenue, might be the most walkable street in the city and could easily pass for a small-town street in England.

Tyrone Avenue outside Blind Tiger, one of Parkview’s most popular restaurant/bars. The Old Lake Market, which you can see in the background, has sadly closed.

Parkview boasts Franco’s, one of the most iconic pizzerias in Joburg (don’t even try to get a table on Friday night without a booking), and the extremely popular Croft & Co. (don’t even try to get a table on Saturday morning without a cycling helmet and spandex). Parkview has a grocery store, a pharmacy, a beautiful jewelry store, a delicious gelato shop, and Art Africa, my favorite place in town to buy handmade African gifts.

5) Rosebank

Rosebank is a controversial choice for this list, mainly because it’s a suburb designed around a mall, and several architects in my life (including the one I live with) are harshly critical of Rosebank for its many ugly high-rises. But say what you will about Rosebank’s mall-ishness or its bad architecture…This is a fun suburb for tourists and people who don’t have cars.

A picture of me on a Rosebank street during jacaranda season a few years ago. Rosebank is a great suburb for jacaranda-peeping.

Rosebank Mall might be a mall, but it’s a classy mall with lots of local brands, local restaurants, two movie theaters (including an arthouse theater), and the nicest Checkers grocery store in town. Many of the restaurants open up to the outdoors, facing pedestrian promenades, and don’t feel too mall-ish. There’s great people-watching in Rosebank — it’s a place to see and be seen.

Rosebank has one of the biggest African craft markets in the city, open every day, and a fantastic Sunday market with all kinds of locally made and thrifted treasures to unearth. There are several nice hotels in Rosebank and a Gautrain station that can take you downtown, to Sandton, to Pretoria, or to the airport. Rosebank also has some stately, older blocks of flats mixed in with the ugly new high-rises.

My favorite places in Rosebank are Proud Mary, Father Coffee, Big Blue and the Space (local clothing stores, both great for gifts), Exclusive Books, and Soul Souvlaki, which has a lovely terrace in the trees.

So that’s my list. Parkhurst, a very popular and eminently walkable Joburg suburb, did not make the list, but I feel like Parkhurst gets enough press on its own already.

Do you have a favorite walkable Joburg suburb that isn’t featured here? If so, please share.