Morningside, Sandton

Virtually just down the road from Sandton City, the upmarket suburb of Morningside in Sandton lies along both sides of Rivonia Road in the heart of the northern stretches of Johannesburg, yet manages to remain peaceful, quiet and relatively unruffled by the surge of Johannesburg’s nightmarish traffic.

The affluent suburb of Morningside is a muddle of rambling post-war homes and secure townhouse complexes. The leafy quiet is favoured particularly by those working in Johannesburg’s financial district - the bustling commercial capital of Sandton - dominated by high rise buildings, glass and chrome finishes, world class hotels, the Sandton Convention Centre and Sandton City’s almost 300 shops, where the art of acquiring possessions is a major pastime amongst some of South Africa’s trendy shoppers.

But Morningside is not all about high living. The Outspan Bird Sanctuary is based in the suburb on the banks of the Outspan Spruit. Home to a number of local species of birds, the sanctuary offers almost two hectares of peace and solitude to bird and nature lovers alike.

The Village Walk shopping centre, in Maude Street, offers a quieter alternative to Sandton City, and the coffee bars and restaurants a more sedate way to pass an afternoon. Morningside’s shopping Centre too provides a calmer environment in which to shop and have a meal, away from the sometimes frenetic quality of Sandton.