Rentals Cape Town

This large green and grassy bit of real estate has been a sort of mystery zone for the last decade or two. Prime land lying one road back from the Atlantic beach, adjacent to the Waterfront and north of the Green Point Main Road and the Western Boulevard.

Historical curiosities include the 100 year old New Somerset Hospital with its Cape Medical Museum where you can pore over pioneering examples of medical and surgical equipment and wonder if Dr James Barry was actually a lady.

Also in the vicinity is Fort Wynyard. It is discreetly visible from the Beach Road next to the Metropolitan Golf Course and houses a museum of naval defence artefacts and exhibits.

- The Dutch and an inflatable effigy of Michael Jackson -

As far back as 1657 this land is referred to by the Dutch as “The Common”, with the name Green Point being applied to it by the British about 20 years later. Would they have guessed that centuries later that, during a world tour of his own, a huge inflatable effigy of Michael Jackson would have stood in a sport stadium that would one day be built here? Would they have preferred Lenny Kravitz performing “Mr Cab Driver” a few years later?

- Shabby Green Point Stadium of old - 

This was the Green Point Stadium of old, demolished in 2007. It was built as a multi purpose football stadium and by the 21st century it and its surrounds had become increasingly shabby. It was used all the more infrequently for sporting events and was really the only Cape Town venue that could host a stadium-style concert.

Much of the Common reflects the general neglect of the now demolished old stadium: uninspiring expanses of sports fields spattered with dowdy sport and social club premises limping along on the revenues generated by beer consumption in their members’ bars.

- Green Point 2010 Stadium and Urban Park - 

It’s not all dismal though, there are thriving sports clubs: The huge Virgin Active gym owned by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, as well as the Hamilton’s Rugby Football Club and the surprising presence of City of Cape Town horse paddocks add some prosperity to the picture.

Of course more prosperity is on the way in the form of the Green Point 2010 Stadium and the 50 or so hectare Green Point Urban Park that will involve the total re-invention of the old Common.

The stadium will seat 68000 people for FIFA Football World Cup games in 2010 and will cost over R3 billion to construct. The plans have been met with mixed reactions by Green Point residents with the main concern being that stagnation may set in to the Urban Park and Stadium once the main 2010 event is over.

- Misgivings turn to excitement and optimism -