Higgovale, Cape Town

Higgovale is one of those wonderful suburbs that, as well as being sought after, upper-class, tasteful and dignified, has some of the most spectacular views from its situation on the slopes of Table Mountain with little roads that run at tangents to one another in a bid to make it up the steep slopes on which many homes here are housed. The entire area is steeped in history, with steps, old boundary walls and remains of pathways scattered around.

A brief history of the area

Higgovale is steeped in history and traces its origins as a suburb back to Simon Van Der Stel, when he granted the land in 1682 that is now St John's Estate. It was originally used for farming, and housed slave quarters. Later, a granite quarry was built that was in operation from the late 1800s up until 1906. It was run by the Cornish Stonemason, John Higgo, after whom the suburb Higgovale was named. In 1906 26 000 cubic feet of granite were ordered for the construction of Rhodes memorial, a memorial to the colonialist Cecil John Rhodes.

Climate

Higgovale lies in the bowl of Table Mountain and so is relatively protected from the windier summers. It has wet winters with rains that nourish the magical forests, and dry summers where residents soak up the sun from lush gardens and decks.

Schools in the area

Numerous schools are found within an exceptionally short distance: Villa Maria pre-primary school, Lycée du Cap, St Mary's Primary School as well as the Round SQUARE-affiliated St Cyprian's School are just some recommendations.

Healthcare in the area

There are plenty of healthcare options in Higgovale, with Cape Town Mediclinic a short, 5-minute drive away. There are a host of other GPs, dentists, and other medical practitioners in the area.

Shopping centres

Kloof Street is only minutes away; here you will find the Lifestyle Centre offering a Woolworths, beauty spa, pharmacy, cinema, laundromat and Wellness Warehouse. Further afield, residents can access Gardens Shopping Centre or head off to the V&A Waterfront.

Distance from key points (Airports/CBD)

Higgovale is a quick 25 minutes from Cape Town Airport and around 5-10 minutes to the CBD considering traffic, making it ideally suited to those with business and leisure needs.

Restaurants

Upper Kloof Street is where Higgovale residents head for their foodie fix. There is a Bootlegger Coffee Company for the morning crowd, Manna Epicure for artisanal breakfasts and lunches, as well as the well-loved Black Sheep bistro for hearty dinners. The Dark Horse Bar and Tamboerswinkel both stock some excellent wines to wind down the day with.

Special attractions

Finding your way through the leafy suburb of Higgovale is somewhat of an adventure with plenty of winding roads that snake through mini forests or up towards Table Mountain, where you might hike through to and along. You're only moments away from Kloof Street and the many bistros and quirky shops, and Table Mountain National Park is literally on residents' doorsteps, giving one easy access to nature, and residents the best of both worlds. Higgovale Quarry, relatively unknown outside of the climbing fraternity, was once a shooting range, and lies just beyond Molteno Reservoir, providing some great slab/face climbs, all of which are bolted.

Higgovale life is dignified, upmarket, quiet and beautiful, which is why it is understandably one of Cape Town's wealthiest and most sought-after areas, with just over 200 homes in total.