Johannesburg/Inner City

The Inner city encompasses the central districts of Johannesburg, including the tourist areas of Braamfontein, Maboneng, Newtown and Fordsburg.

Understand
The historic inner city is rich in architectural history and contains many institutions, museums and excellent art galleries. The district has a however a troubled recent past, with many residents and businesses leaving in the years after the end of apartheid. During the late 1990s and early 2000s the inner city was in practice a no-go zone with rampant crime and destitution. However, a massive reinvestment programme in the last decade have started to rejuvenate the district.

Crime is however still an issue, and walking alone during late evenings and nights are not recommended. Also, several squatted buildings are still dotted around the inner city. These places are often safe havens for drug users and dealers. Such buildings can often be seen from a distance and a detour around them is strongly advised.

By train
The beating heart of all rail services within Gauteng region as well as intercity trains from cities across the country is the sprawling Johannesburg Park Station. MetroRail runs frequent local and regional services while Gautrain provides a fast link with Pretoria and O.R. Tambo International Airport via an easy change in Sandton.



There are several other stations within the inner city that can be of use if you are travelling to specific destinations. A few relevant stations includes:



By bus
There are plenty of buses going into the inner city, most of them convey at Gandhi Square.



See
The area is home to Johannesburg's original on Commissioner Street, and while the community has declined considerably since the 1990s, a handful of shops and restaurants remain in the area.

Eat
There are plenty cheap hole-in-the-wall eateries and food carts within the city centre. However, options for higher end dining are limited even if there are a few gems. A more accessible option for fine dining is Sandton.