Unbelievably, roughly a century ago, this vibrant neighbourhood was a rural village called Papendorp. Woodstock’s decaying charm is what has made it such an ideal base for the inner-city resurgence that has just seized the suburb by storm. As with many Cape Town suburbs, Main Road divides Woodstock into upper Woodstock, with its larger, graceful, and meticulously restored Victorian semi-detached homes, reminiscent of Observatory a little further along Main Road, and Woodstock proper, which managed to survive the trauma of the Group Areas Act to become a mixed-race suburb associated with crime, litter, and dilapidated drug houses. Woodstock is situated on the slopes of Devils Peak and has stunning views of the harbour.
To attract commercial investors, such as the Neighbour Goods Market in the renovated Old Biscuit Mill, a very popular Saturday morning gathering place where purchasing local goods has taken on new significance, a number of warehouses and Victorian cottages have been converted into trendy character spaces.
Victorian semis are in high demand from young professionals who are taking advantage of the low prices. Together with a few nearby eateries and coffee shops, Woodstock has developed a village-like feel that elevates it to the status of a major suburb. A stay in Woodstock places one close to the city centre, busy Long Street, museums, galleries, trendy Kloof Street, and the V&A Waterfront while giving one a true sense of inner-city living. In the distance, Table Mountain dominates, giving one a feeling of the city’s true character.