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10 Reasons Harare is Not One of the World’s Worst Cities

10 Reasons Harare is Not One of the World’s Worst Cities

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The Economist Intelligence Unit recently ranked Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, as one of the world’s five worst cities to live. We do not know what criteria they used to do this but our source in the city is pretty much void of chaos and very clean by African standards. It also feels really safe and homey. Here are 10 reasons why we think it is nowhere near the worst city on earth.

www.commons.wikipedia.org
www.commons.wikipedia.org

1. It Is Safe, Unless Monkeys Steal From You

Along with its tree-lined suburbs, polite citizens and even pretty, non-choatic central business district, Harare feels really safe when it comes to African capital cities. I accidentally left my doors unlocked while grabbing some Nandos chicken downtown and returned to nothing stolen. In fact, my sole incident with theft in Zimbabwe happened in Victoria Falls when I accidentally left my hotel room window open and returned to trashed digs: half-chewed lipstick and pens, footprints on the computer and, most unfortunately, a set of expensive stereo headphones similar to those pictured in the Beats by Dre commercials completely missing. It turns out five monkeys had busted in while I was gone and made a mess. Baboon theft is a new reality.

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www.bellanaija.com

2. The Fashion and Arts Weeks Are Awesome

From Zimbabwe Fashion Week (Aug. 30 to Sept. 1) to the Harare International Festival of the Arts (late April/early May), Zimbabwe’s oft-forgotten capital boasts a burgeoning but buzzing arts scene.

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www.facebook.com

3. Excellent Boutique Shopping

Harare is also home to some excellent boutique shopping. Zimbabweans are famous for their craftsmanship in everything from jewelry to sculpture to ceramics and there are a number of excellent shops and markets around the city. My favorite for fashion is Zuvva by Joyce Chimanye in Borrowdale’s Sam Levy Shopping Village. I purchased the above dress and Joyce custom tailored it for me – all for $80, which is quite a bargain!

www.nomadicwax.org
www.nomadicwax.org

4. A Great Reading Culture

If you want to experience all that is progressive about Zimbabwe, visit the Book Cafe, which has been open in the central business district since I attended the University of Zimbabwe more than a decade ago and still provides a live forum for everything from political debate to local jazz.

@PlanetBlond
@PlanetBlond

5. Vibrant Traditional Dishes

Harare also features a vibrant restaurant and bar scene in both its business district and outer suburbs – would you find this kind of good eating in an inhospitable city? Don’t think so. Grab a Zimbabwean meal for dinner from Garwe, located in Eastlea. It serves traditional dishes like sadza, peanut butter kale and goat stew among other favorites, in thatched roof environs. Return to the business district after dark and hit up Stars, which is part of the Sheraton Rainbow Hotel. It is a classy club that has been popular for more than a decade, and plays a mix of the latest hip hop and house hits.

By Becca Blond, @PlanetBlond
By Becca Blond, @PlanetBlond

6. The September Jacaranda Bloom

In September when the Jacaranda trees bloom purple the city looks positively royal with its wide streets and tidy buildings. Hardly the stuff of nightmares. And speaking of green spaces, pay a visit to Harare Gardens in the city center. The large park is well worth a stroll for both its local ambiance and gorgeous Shona sculpture.

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www.en.wikipedia.org

7. The National Gallery of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s National Gallery is home to rotating monthly exhibits showcasing everything from contemporary local to pan-African art in various media – everything from stone sculptures to masks, photography to oil paintings. After you’ve finished browsing the gallery, head straight to the attached shop, where you can purchase high-quality Zimbabwean crafts and books on local art before grabbing a coffee (where many expatiates do) in the house café.

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www.planetblond.com

8. Vibrant Suburbs

Harare’s suburbs are even more vibrant than its downtown. Each suburb usually has a small shopping village at its heart, and here you’ll find a number of restaurants, bars and boutique shops. Borrowdale is one of the most affluent – this is where President Robert Mugabe lives – and its heart is the Sam Levy Shopping Village, home to excellent restaurants and a lively après dark scene.

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9. Rich History Right In The Middle Of Town

Harare has a lot of history and its colonial odyssey is well chronicled at the city’s poshest hotel, The Meikles, located downtown across from Africa Unity Square. Cheeky historical trivia buffs should note the two lions keeping watch from the cupola over Second Street. According to a tale highlighted in the leatherbound information manuals found inside the colonial-era rooms, when the hotel opened in 1915, these jungle kings would roar their approval every time a virgin passed.

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www.flickr.com

10. Handicraft Junkie’s Paradise

Stretching for more than a few blocks, the Newlands Art & Craft Market is a handicraft junkie’s paradise – here you’ll find miles of stone sculptures, wooden salad spoons, hand painted batiks and all the other handicrafts Zimbabwe is famous for.