Fashion designer, Haroun Hansrot, tells us what he loves about living in Glenwood.
When you meet fashion designer Haroun Hansrot, you realise why he’s chosen to live among the creative community of one of Durban’s oldest and quirkiest property landscapes, Glenwood.
The suburb has a glorious mix of grand old Victorian and Georgian homes, little cheek-by-jowl bungalows and small to large vintage apartment blocks. There are wonderful eateries of all descriptions housed in galleries, containers and old houses. At the heart of Glenwood, artists and art lovers converge on the KwaZulu- Natal Society of Arts gallery, shop and cafe for exhibition openings and socialising.
Haroun, an avid collector of antique furniture, says the old Glenwood apartments have the charm of a bygone era. “The high ceilings and larger-volume rooms provide the perfect platform for me to display my chandeliers and carved furniture.”
He has lived in a particularly quaint apartment block for the past five years and says he loves his home, the surroundings and the central location. “Glenwood is perfectly situated for easy access to my business premises. It’s a stone’s throw from the fine fabric stores and five minutes to all the freeways, so I’m where I want to be in no time at all and, of course, I love the eclectic mix of bohemian restaurants in Bulwer Road and the fine-dining ones across the freeway in Silverton Road.”
Haroun says his lounge and entertainment area are his sanctuary. “I adore entertaining and that’s the area which boasts all my finest French furniture. I also use this space, with its large mirrors which draw in loads of light, as my inspiration corner.”
A typical Sunday for Haroun begins with a run along Musgrave and Essenwood roads to his favourite hangout, St Clements in Musgrave Road, for coffee and breakfast. “With a nursery at the front and a real tea garden complete with fountain at the back, it’s easy to think you’re in the countryside.” For fine dining, Haroun chooses Cafe 1999. “You can’t beat the superb food and great service.”
For me, being in the fashion industry, crazy about entertaining and being a foodie of note, Glenwood has everything from the finest silks to optimum spice stores to amazing cuisines from Ethiopia to England.
-Haroun Hansrot, Resident.
Hospitals nearby:
- Netcare St Augustines
- Life Entabeni
- King Edward V111
- Durban Oncology Centre
- Netcare Parklands
Dine out:
- Parc.Cafe: for delicious Medditteranean-style food
- Julio’s: for tasty Portuguese-inspired food
- The Glenwood Restaurant: for a hip bistro with Italian cuisine
- The Glenwood Bakery: for amazing freshly-baked goods
- Mooki Noodle Bar: for authentic Asian cuisine
- The Prep Room: for a fantastic meal at any time of the day
Nearby attractions:
- Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre
- Howard College campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal
- KZNSA Gallery and Cafe
- Pigeon Valley – walking trails
- Phansi Museum in Roberts’ House
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
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