Cape Town Mapping Project

De Waterkant

Some say that Cape Town is the gay capital of the world, and if so, then De Waterkant has to be the gay hub of Cape Town. De Waterkant is a sub-district of Green Point. It’s special in that it still maintains the same architecture from the 1760’s. There are large modern buildings in De Waterkant, but the area has maintained a sort of individuality which differentiates it from the Cape Town CBD which it borders. The area is now home to many LGBT orientated bars, shops, clubs and restaurants.

De Waterkant has had a positive impact on the people of Cape Town-  and, being gay in Cape Town is not a big deal, and nothing to be ashamed of. There is a restaurant called Beefcakes, in De Waterkant, and the waiters are all male, and on Saturdays they go shirtless. I have straight friends who want to go to this restaurant because they are confident in their sexuality and sexual orientation. De Waterkant is a symbol of Cape Town’s open-mindedness and the seamless integration of LGBT citizens into the rest of the population. Cape Town is not a place for Homophobia or Bigotry.