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Suburbs
Johannesburg as seen from the International Space Station.Suburbs of
Johannesburg
The different suburbs of Johannesburg are generally categorised by compass
direction, as different areas of the city have greatly different personalities.
Since Johannesburg is such a large city, there is great variety in the suburbs
that comprise it. While the Central Business District and the surrounding areas
were formerly highly desired wealthy areas, they have lost their former
reputation after migrants took over abandoned buildings, and the crime level
rose accordingly. The suburbs to the south of the city are mainly lower-class
residential suburbs along with some townships, although most suburbs in the
South tend to be extremely large and undistinguished.
The northern and northwestern suburbs have become the centre for the wealthy,
containing the high-end retail shops as well as several upper-class residential
areas including Houghton, where Nelson Mandela makes his home. The northwestern
area in particular is vibrant and lively, with the mostly-black suburb of
Sophiatown a hotbed of political activity and the Bohemian-flavoured Melville
featuring lively gathering places and nightlife. Auckland Park is home to the
headquarters of the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the University of
Johannesburg.
To the southwest of the City Centre is Soweto, a mostly black urban area
constructed during the apartheid regime specifically for housing African people
who were then living in areas designated by the government for white settlement.
Today, Soweto is among the poorest parts of Johannesburg. The eastern suburbs
include Yeoville, a hot spot for black nightlife despite its otherwise poor
reputation, and several residential areas that are slowly gaining
respectability.
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