Greyville is located on the “flat,” or just outside the city centre, just below the ridge of Durban. The Botanical Gardens border it on the south, while Morningside surrounds it on both sides on the north. The usual Durbanite will almost immediately associate the neighbourhood name Greyville with the Durban July and Greyville Racecourse, the city’s first and longest-running sports venue.
Similar to Britain’s Royal Ascot, the Durban July has high fashion, thrilling horse racing, delicious food, bubbly, and a large crowd. Furthermore, you don’t even need to be very knowledgeable about horse racing to enjoy the celebrations. Initially run in July 1897 with just seven horses, the race is now one of the major events on the horse racing calendar.
The Botanic Gardens, Durban’s oldest natural attraction, is nearby Greyville, Durban and is known for having one of the best collections of plant species in all of Africa. Some of the exotic trees are now enormous, and tourists can have a cup of tea while listening to birds sing on a hot day.
Sunday evening concerts occasionally feature the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra or guest artists like Chris de Burgh, and the audience swarms to the Gardens with picnic baskets, bottles of wine, blankets, and chairs to take in the performances outside in Durban’s lovely climate. In the evening, if you go to Windermere Road and 9th Avenue, you’ll see that the dining scene in Greyville has undergone a bit of a renaissance. Many bustling cafés, pubs, and restaurants that specialize in fusion and Mediterranean cuisines, such as Bean Bag Bohemia and 9th Avenue Bistro, provide dishes prepared by award-winning chefs in relaxed settings with a distinctly cosmopolitan feel.