Parkhurst | |
|---|---|
  Parkhurst  Parkhurst | |
| Coordinates:26°8′18″S28°1′4″E / 26.13833°S 28.01778°E /-26.13833; 28.01778 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Municipality | City of Johannesburg |
| Main Place | Johannesburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.64 km2 (0.63 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 4,851 |
| • Density | 2,960/km2 (7,660/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 20.4% |
| • Coloured | 1.6% |
| • Indian/Asian | 2.5% |
| • White | 73.8% |
| • Other | 1.7% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • English | 71.0% |
| • Afrikaans | 10.1% |
| • Zulu | 4.0% |
| • Xhosa | 2.1% |
| • Other | 12.8% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 2193 |
| PO box | 2120 |
Parkhurst is a small, dense northern suburb ofJohannesburg,Gauteng, of about 2000 households and 4000 residents. Forming part of the northern suburbs, Parkhurst is roughly bounded byParktown North to the east, theBraamfontein Spruit to the west,Craighall to the north, and Greenside to the south.
Although it is mainly residential, there are two main commercial roads - 4th Avenue which has therestaurants, cafes and décor, design, antique and service shops; and 6th Street which is quickly becoming converted into a design, décor, art and small business area. Parkhurst is one of the city's mostwalkable districts and popular with residents for its street life andsidewalk cafes, with an atmosphere similar toGreenside andMelville.
Parkhurst was founded in 1904 by the African Realty Trust, founded by American born developer,I.W. Schlesinger, who developedBraamfontein farm into 2200 stands. As Parkhurst formed the far northern corner of the farm on the city's edge, Schlesinger decided to have a naming competition as a publicity stunt to bring attention to the area, which lagged behind more desirable areas likeParktown at the time. The competition turned out to the very successful attracting the attention ofLord Milner and by 1906, the suburb became well known throughout theTransvaal Colony as an emerging and desirable area.
About a third of the suburb was developed by the 1930s and it was completely developed afterWorld War II, with most housing dating from this era . Thegentrification of the area started in the 1960s when the older houses in the southern section started to be renovated. This process continues to this day with many properties being re-modelled and renovated several times over. There is an activeresidents' association, the Parkhurst Residents and Business Owners Association (PRABOA), who try to preserve the suburb's village-like atmosphere.
Although erroneously included by Google Maps as part ofRandburg[1], Parkhurst has never been part of that area.
Parkhurst is probably best known for its main commercial corridor along 4th Avenue. It is a popular tourist and weekend location for residents across Johannesburg.
4th Avenue (bordering Parkhurst Community Church) has become a small business hub with numerous small businesses opening on the street.
Verity Park is a Parkhurst attraction. The park was originally the home of the Parkhurst Soccer Club, however, the club moved in the 1970s. Adjacent to the park is the Parkhurst Petanque Club, where social games are played at weekends. Verity Park is also known as a dog haven and draws many residents wishing to walk their dogs.[2]
Despite its small size, Parkhurst is considered one of Johannesburg's more desirable suburbs. In 2010, it was ranked number 1 in Johannesburg by theDaily Maverick, citing its proximity to quality schools, dining, nightlife, shopping, location, green space, safety, and creative capital, among other aspects.[3] Being one of the older suburbs in northern Joburg, Parkhurst also feature many historic residences with architecture including,Edwardian,Tudor Revival and Cape Dutch.[4]
