Fontainebleau, Randburg

Lying in the heart of Randburg in the northern suburbs, Fontainebleau is one of numerous tree-lined suburbs in Johannesburg. Its closest neighbours are Blairgowrie, Robin Hills and Malanshof - other average middle class leafy 'burbs'. Access from this part of the city is good - Fontainebleau lies just off Republic Road and close to the N1 and Malibongwe Drive (formerly Hans Strijdom), which connects Randburg with Northgate, to make getting to and from Sandton and town relatively easy, depending on the time you venture forth.

This part of the northern suburbs is alive with entertainment and shopping malls that include Cresta Centre, Brightwater Commons (formerly known as the Randburg Waterfront), the Monte Casino and The Dome. Fontainebleau is also home to a tiny, much overgrown, old cemetery, hidden behind a precast fence on Malibongwe Drive.

The Johannesburg Botanic Gardens at Emmarentia Dam in Emmarentia is on the other side of Linden, whilst Delta Park is just south of Blairgowrie. World's View up on Northcliff Hill is well worth a drive up to the top for sunset, although it is possibly not as safe as it used to be.

A hidden gem south of Fontainebleau, closest to Roosevelt Park and Waterval Estate, is Alberts Farm Nature Reserve. Not even Johannesburg residents know much about this spot, which is wonderful for a weekend walk. It is a conservancy of about 90 hectares of small, rocky ridges and grassland that stretches down to a wetland area along the Montgomery Spruit, which eventually joins up with the more familiar Braamfontein Spruit. Security here is purported to be good and Alberts Farm is regarded as one of the safer parks of the city, although going in a group is always a good idea.