Shopping in Morningside, Rivonia and Woodmead
with Guest Appearances by Wendywood and Petervale
May 2010 Newsletter

Welcome to Megaplex's monthly newsletter alerting you, the Sandton shopper, to all that is new, fresh, and exciting in Wendywood, Woodmead, Petervale, Rivonia, Morningside, Morningside Manor and Gallo Manor!  Please feel free to support our advertisers!  To subscribe, see our subscription page.

Links on This Page:
Editorial Focus
New on the Block
Restaurant Review
The Gone Dogs
Checking Out

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Links to Other Pages::
Megaplex Home – Overview of Shops, Facilities, and 2010 Accommodation in Woodmead, Morningside Manor, Gallo Manor and surroundings

Shopping Centres in and near Rivonia:
Rivonia Central
Rivonia Village Centre
Rivonia Junction
Mutual Mews
Early Dawn Mall
Shops in the Rivonia Area
Petervale Shopping Centre

 Small Business?

 Oppressed by SARS
 and Big Government?

There is strength in numbers! Join

Tel: 011 805-0151  e-mail Carol

Shopping Centres in
Greater Morningside:

Morningside Shopping Centre,
The Wedge, Morningside,
Morning Glen Mall
90 Degrees on Rivonia
Morning View

Shopping Centres in the Woodmead area:
Wendywood Centre
Woodmead Value Mart
Woodmead Super Value Centre
Woodmead Commercial Park
Woodmead Retail Park
Woodmead Square
Dunwoody Centre
Other Shops and Shopping in Woodmead

Are your Accounts in OrderQuickBooks, the system for
non-accountants, is your Answer.

Software Africa: 011 802-2685
www.softwareafrica.co.za
judith@softwareafrica.co.za

Restaurants:
Restaurants in Rivonia,
Codfather Village of Restaurants,
Restaurant reviews for Rivonia/Morningside

Other Places of Interest:
Sandspruit Hiking Trail,
Ernest Ullmann Park Recreation Centre,
Rivonia Village Vet,
Montrose Nursery Garden Centre and Gia's Coffee Shop,
Manor Medical Centre,
Morningside Country Club,
Apartment To Let June/July 2010

Be Seen by Sandton Shoppers – Put Your Advert Here!

Contact us to place an advert in this e-newsletter or the megaplex site at very reasonable rates.
Deadlines to book for newsletter: Noon on Friday 18 June and Friday 22 July.

The Demise of Rivonia?

If you have been around Sandton for a few years, you remember Rivonia as "Restaurant City", with a huge selection of eating places, shops and night spots.  Morningside, in contrast, had the pokey little Morningside Shopping Centre (Morningside Cycles and Fido's Flying Chicken), Morning Glen (which had been there forever), and little else.

How times have changed!  First came The Wedge, Morningside, then the new Morningside Shopping Centre (so "upmarket" that Morningside Cycles and Morningside Butchery weren't welcome anymore), and now phase 1 of the redevelopment of Morning Glen Mall.

Half the space in Rivonia Square is standing empty.  The upper restaurant level in Rivonia Village is untenanted.  Mugg and Bean's space remains unfilled.  Our favourite bookshop is moving from Rivonia Square to Morning Glen.

How did this happen?  Sleaze Centre next to Rivonia Square hasn't helped, though one must give credit to its late owner who at least took an interest in civic affairs.  Rivonia Square's Centre Management is almost non-existent, and Rivonia Village's is not very visible.  There is no marketing, and security is poor: Creative Craftsmen is set to close after their fourth robbery.

Come on, Rivonia: Morningside is showing you how to do it!  Shop owners, get yourselves organised and put pressure on your centre managers.  Managing agents, take an interest: Have an office on site, give free parking, promote your centres!  Shops can relocate –malls can't.

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Overheard:

The Protestant minister, the Catholic priest and the Rabbi were debating when life begins.

"At conception", opined the Catholic priest.

"No, at birth", argued the Protestant minister.

"You're both wrong," said the older Rabbi: "Life begins when the dog has died and the children have left home!"

New Kids on the Block Back to top

  • Bookdealers of Rivonia is moving from Rivonia Square to the upper level in Morning Glen Mall on 1 June.  In the meanwhile they have a 20%-off sale.
  • Rage (Shop 20 in Rivonia Village) – High-class ladies' boots and shoes.
  • Mane Attraction & Mane Accessories  – Hairdresser, Hairstylists. Recently moved from Rivonia Square to next to Woolworths in Rivonia Village.
  • Vasili's at Morningside (in The Wedge, Morningside, replacing Adega) – Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant; also sushi. Live music Friday and Saturday nights, Lounge-house music on deck on Sunday afternoons.
  • An-An (in The Wedge, Morningside) – "Soothe your soul": Body butter, bath salts, room sprays, body sprays, candles, soaps, towels and bathroom things.
  • Charn-Lee’s Chop Chop (Shop 3, lower level in Morning Glen Mall) – African-Oriental take-away foods. A unique Africasian taste, a medley of South African and Asian flavours. Beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian.
  • Exquisite (Shop 66 in Woodmead Retail Park) – Adult Fashion. Men's and ladies' sunglasses, shoes, handbags.
  • Miss Sixty Energie (Shop 62 in Woodmead Retail Park) – Teen Fashion, boys and girls. Less 50% on sales: Jeans, tops, shoes.
  • Packwise (Shop 61 in Woodmead Retail Park) – Specialised bag shop: Ladies' handbags, men's wallets, kids' bags.
  • Flight Centre (Shop 67 in Woodmead Retail Park) – Travel Services.

Eskom's Reliance on Coal and Nuclear is Dangerous!
Join Earthlife Africa and add your voice!  e-mail us

Restaurant Review (***) by Judith Back to top

Green Peppercorn, in the Morningside Shopping Centre (22 May 2010)

This is an unusual restaurant as it has a loyalty programme and will give you one free breakfast a month if you join!  The night was cold and, after a long day of meetings, I was cold and tired!  Morningside Shops are not exactly organised for Winter and we were grateful for the gas heater at our table.  Even so, the wind blew cold around our feet.  However, the great attention from the waiters and the owner proved good draught excluders!

The menu here is very different – firstly it is presented as a newspaper and secondly the dishes are unusual.  I ordered the Tom Yum Chicken Stir Fry and my partner the Lamb Burger.  (We won't mention the chips).  The Lamb Burger arrived - a healthy, beautifully presented piece of lamb topped with a balsamic onion marmalade.  The chips went back for crisping.  The Tom Yum Chicken was unfortunately extremely salty from the soy sauce and was returned and replaced with the Porchini Risotto.  This dish was lacking in something and the wilted Rocket did nothing to uplift it nor did black pepper.  I would suggest nutmeg or cinnamon and basil to finish it.

The house wine from Franschoek was good and the coffee excellent.  Portions were such that afters were not required.  A special touch was the bread served with hummus!  Friendly service and a warm atmosphere did a lot to mitigate for the Porchini and Chicken dishes.

Another Opinion on Green Peppercorn (Sunday Night, 9 May 2010), by Sagi Bazar

Food was excellent. Of 4 mains and 2 desserts, no one could find fault with any item. The service was friendly, but it sometimes was difficult to get the waiter's attention. This was not to standard for an establishment of this calibre. (I am a man of few words)

Contact Details for Green Peppercorn.

Watering in the Rain

Julius tells his gardener to water the garden. 

"But Sir," protests the man, "it's raining!"

"I'm not an unreasonable employer," says Julius, "here, take this umbrella."

Fly ScareLink: Daily flights from Polokwane to Johannesburg; weekly flights back.

ScarelLink - Freedom from the African Skies!

The Gone Dogs  Back to top

Please Give R10 to Guide Dogs for the Blind!  SMS 'see' to 38051

Tail-ender...

In advance of the World Cup, with the convenience of overseas visitors in mind, an extensive study of South African toilet paper has concluded that it is good on the whole.

PS

Don't be disparaging about our jokes –treat them with respect:  One day you, too, will be old and weak!

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Newsletter Issued May 2010 – Last Updated: 22 December 2022. – Contact us.