Trixie and Brixie
As I write this, I'm sitting in my aunt's house in chilly Sleepy Hollow, New York. But let me backtrack a couple of weeks to a summer day in Johannesburg, South Africa, when I was typing away in my home office and a skinny black kitten walked through the open glass...
Hidden Joburg: The Freemasons’ Hall in Parktown
My quest to visit all of the places featured in the Hidden Johannesburg book continues. With my recent trip to the Freemasons' Hall, which I'm about to tell you about, I have now visited 20 of the 28 places in the book. This will be my final Hidden Joburg post of the...
Art in Fordsburg at Lilian Road Studios
I've visited Lilian Road Studios, a collection of artists' studios in a historic, dilapidated building in Fordsburg, many times. Several great Joburg artists have had studios at Lilian Road, including Hannelie Coetzee and Hermann Niebuhr. Now there is a group of...
Hidden Joburg: The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen
For the newest installment in my Hidden Joburg series, I visited a church in Hillbrow that I've been curious about for years. The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen is around the corner from the Hillbrow Boxing Club, and I have driven, jogged,...
Black-Tie, Jozi-Style
I recently joined the Rand Club, which holds a couple of black-tie events each year. When it came time to attend our first fancy function, the Club's 135th-anniversary gala, Thorsten and I considered his black-tie options. He didn't own a tux, we didn't like the idea...
A Jacaranda Weekend in Rosebank
Last weekend I led a jacaranda walk through Rosebank and neighboring Parkwood for Johannesburg in Your Pocket, followed by sundowners in a penthouse at the Tyrwhitt. View from the enormous penthouse balcony at the Tyrwhitt -- perfect for post-walk sundowners -- with...
Take a Walk Through Brixton with the Blogitects
Thorsten, my architect boyfriend, and I recently led a walking tour of Brixton, our home suburb, on behalf of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation. That tour was a big success so we've decided to strike out on our own and host another one -- a "Brixton Tour with the...
An Ode to Joburg in October
I don't usually complain about life in Joburg, at least not publicly. But there's been a lot to complain about lately. The city's infrastructure has collapsed, resulting in horrifyingly frequent power and water outages. Potholes have grown into jacuzzi-sized pits and...
Hidden Joburg: The Radium Beer Hall in Orange Grove
The Radium Beer Hall, known as "Joburg's oldest running bar" -- there are older bars, but none of them have remained open continuously for as long as the Radium -- is not a new destination for me. I've been there several times over the years for beer and/or pizza, but...
Sleeping in Jozi: A Night at the Rand Club
Several weeks ago I blogged about the night Thorsten and I spent at the African Penthouses in downtown Joburg. Very soon afterward we spent a night at the Rand Club, so I decided to make a mini "Sleeping in Jozi" series to showcase some options for staying overnight...
Hidden Joburg: The View in Parktown
As most of you know, I'm on a quest to visit all the places featured in the Hidden Johannesburg book. Last week I went to the View, a historic Victorian mansion in Parktown, as part of a tour with the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation. This brings my total number of...
Eating Gatsbys in Salt River, Cape Town
CORRECTION: Since publishing this post yesterday, I have been informed by many angry members of the Gatsby Society Facebook group that Gatsbys are NOT sandwiches and should never, ever, under any circumstances, be referred to as such, upon pain of death. I hereby...
Hidden Joburg: Glenshiel and Villa Arcadia
My quest to visit all the places in the Hidden Johannesburg book -- which began with my pilgrimage to the Lemon Squeezer Church and then a visit to the Lions Shul -- continues. I recently went to Glenshiel, a historic mansion designed by renowned architect Herbert...
Spinning Bicycles in Soweto
Last Saturday afternoon I stood on Mbolekwa Street in Dlamini, Soweto, with a couple of hundred other spectators, watching teenage boys spinning around on super-long, low-slung bicycles. Most of the bikes didn't have brakes, or even seats in some cases. The bikes were...
Heather Mason
I’m an American writer/blogger/photographer living a quirky life in Johannesburg. Follow along as I explore Johannesburg, South Africa, and the rest of the world.
