Inner city stalwarts: Age and beauty in the old town

I took a short left into an inner city transformed from a bustling commercial centre to a crime-ridden no-go zone and back to a place that attracts the coolest trendsetters.

In that time, many have come and gone, but some inner city stalwarts have remained and their establishments are much the same as they were decades ago.

A cut above

After taking over the shop from their father, Victor, who in turn inherited it from his father Victor, brothers Victor and Victor Villa say their barber shop is for gentlemen only. Fortunately, my mohawk look didn't scare them and I had the honour of becoming the first female client at Johannesburg's oldest barber shop.

"We only cut gents because we can't joke with ladies," says one Victor. He and Victor wear white coats, which they refer to as their uniform. Both - bald - men believe their dedication to carrying the family's name with pride has kept their grandfather's legacy alive.

Trendy salons and spas are popping up all over the city but Victor's Barber Shop looks the same as it ever did. Styled with vintage furniture, including antique barber chairs, the shop is an ideal spot to soak up old-school barber vibes. The Villa brothers say their loyal clients - some have been with them for more than 80 years - are the reason the business still exists.

• The Tramway Building, Market Street

Bottom's up

Kitchener's Carvery Bar in Braamfontein is the second-oldest bar in town. The oldest bar in the CBD is the Guildhall, originally frequented by scruffier types denied access to the Rand Club around the corner. The Guildhall opened its doors in 1888 and its bar counter has been there ever since. Owner for the past seven years, Fernado Coimbra, kept it as original as possible.

Drink on the balcony and enjoy the street view - or protests as the case may be (Luthuli House is diagonally placed).

Some people have been drinking at the pub for 50 years, but the bar also attracts younger patrons from the nearby banks, legislature and courts.

• Corner Market and Harrison Streets,011-833-1770

Books and more books

The Collector's Treasury is one of the city's oldest book stores. Owners Geoffrey and Jonathan Klass have been collecting and selling books since 1974 and customers can get lost in the more than 2million books they stock. The Klass brothers say they have overseas clients who fly into Johannesburg to look for books at their shop.

The seven-storey CTP House building has four floors that can be viewed by the pubic and one that is storage space. The brothers' parents were collectors and they grew up with more than 100000 books around them.

Their fascination for books is based on their ability to collect information. "Books are the cohesion between things and the pathway to information," says Geoffrey.

"They record what people have thought and said."

• The Collector's Treasury, 244 Commissioner Street, 011-334-6556