Reposted from the La Vida Local website where you can also check out John Bartman’s online portfolio blog. Woodstock has seen some welcome changes thanks to the pioneering moves of the creative businessfolk behind such ventures as the Woodstock Exchange and the Old Biscuit Mill. New to the block is the Salt Circle Arcade. And [...]

Get the full story here

Situated in one of those beautiful old buildings in Albert Rd. (# 48 to be precise) you will find the bookshop Bibliofilia. Not an everyday joe bookshop. No Siree! Here you’ll find the latest books on contemporary art, graphic novels, design, street art and cult fiction. All displayed on zen-like white shelves. The being responsible for this eclectic shop is an inspiring individual. Xavier Nagel – the man behind Bibliofilia says, “Books are my life, I am book crazy.”

Get the full story here

Every year during the festive season there is a group of houses that give new meaning to the phrase ‘lit up like a Christmas tree’. You might have driven past on Nelson Mandela Drive and seen some of them. Maybe you excitedly point them out to your kids. Go closer and you cannot help but [...]

Get the full story here

We are often asked about the must-see destinations in Woodstock, so here is a Top 10 round-up of the ILW teams’ favourite Woodstock haunts. Of course this is by no means definitive, so let us know what yours are! In no particular order, here we go!:

Get the full story here

The Armoury Boxing Club hosted its 5th “White Collar” Fight Night on Friday night. I went along partly to cover the event for ILW and partly out of morbid fascination, not really knowing what to expect. A quick glance at the Armoury’s impressive website laid to rest any ideas I may have had of seeing a sociopath ad. exec. version of Brad Pit with bare knuckles beating someone senseless. These guys were into traditional boxing and took themselves seriously as boxing coaches. But still I had reservations on just how real this fight night will be. Will it be a bunch of yuppies pussyfooting around, feeling each other out - a kind of 'display fight'?

Get the full story here

Turn a corner in Woodstock and you’re bound to find a new shop, project or building. There is some creative energy here which is hard to find anywhere else in Cape Town. In this case, some of you may have noticed a new sign that went up at the corner of Roodebloem Rd. and Salisbury [...]

Get the full story here

Woodstockers seem to be religiously religious, judging by the churches, mosques and the old Jewish cemetery, all supplemented by spiritual offerings - tarot cards float about, mphephu is burnt, committed vegans flaunt their tofu offerings and bookshops have no shortage of Eastern-inspired books on the matter. Sybrandus Adema does a roundup of the religious institutions our 'hood has to offer.

Get the full story here

ILW met up with entrepreneur and bookseller Bulelani Ncaphayi. Some of you may have seen Bulelani selling books outside the Shoprite on Main, Rd. Woodstock, a location usually reserved for sellers of fruit & vegetables, sweets etc. We asked him how he came to be here and what made him choose a life surrounded by books.

Get the full story here