Like most parts of Cardiff, Grangetown is a place with a mixed reputation. For many years, 'Strangetown' was seen as a bit of a no-go area by some people in the capital, with an unfortunate reputation for crime and violence hanging over it.
But recent times have seen the suburb undergo significant changes, with the Grangetown that many residents grew up in transforming before their very eyes. While some community favourites such as cons clubs and chip shops have sadly been lost, shiny new businesses, including vegan cafes, charming toy stores and cult ramen restaurants have opened their doors in the last five years and the sense of strong community spirit remains as ever.
These changes have brought new residents to the area too. Many of those who may have previously turned their noses up at living and working in Grangetown have had a change of heart after getting to understand an area about which so much is said but so little is actually known by people outside it. To get the latest news from across Cardiff subscribe to our newsletter here.
Read more: What it's like to live next to Grangetown's much-loved Taff Embankment swans
Of course, it would be wrong to think that it is the new cafes, restaurants and shops that make Grangetown great. There have always been great reasons to be here, whether it's the numerous inspiring community projects taking place or the beautiful green spaces plonked between the busy residential streets.
It is certainly a Cardiff community like no other - but what do people who live in Grangetown love about it? We asked a handful of local residents and groups what their favourite thing is about the area and here are the top 11 suggestions. Well, 10 just wasn't going to be enough, was it?
Diverse shopping streets
While the big brands of the city centre are just a short walk away, there are plenty of hidden gems on the streets of Grangetown. There is a real diversity too, with Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East just some of the regions represented on the main arterial street, Clare Road.
Among the top picks for shops are Polish supermarket Delikatesy Mis, long-standing grocers Clare Foods and Chinese store Man Fung. If you're looking for a bit to eat, there are more options from all over the globe, with charming Italian restaurant Merola's serving customers for over 35 years, along with slightly newer additions from India, the Caribbean and the Middle East. You can read our review of the restaurant serving the best Yemeni food in Cardiff here.
"There are lots of small businesses I like visiting in Grangetown," said Chris Krik. "Such as Veggie Food Studio, Blend, Delikatesy Mis, Honeycomb, Clare Foods and Man Fung." Catrin Parri added: "Clare Foods and the Polish Supermarket make Grangetown great place to live and cook."
The buzzing local pub
You can tell about an area from its local and Grangetown is blessed to have one of the best pubs in Cardiff right in the heart of it. A community pub through and through, the award-winning Grange Pub on Penarth Road has a warm, homely feel, aided by its welcoming, chatty staff and cosy interior.
As well as serving a wide range of real ale, craft beer and fine wine, you can also enjoy some classic pub meals with a few twists, including fried chicken, beer-battered cod and a host of delicious vegetarian and vegan options. As the summer heats up, there will also be few better spots in the capital to relax than the pub's large beer garden.
There's a very popular quiz held at the pub every Wednesday, where you can not only test the old grey matter but enjoy free chips too. If you're looking for something different, a Morris dancing night was recently held at the Grange, while there's even a darts team you can join, which you can read more about here.
An absolutely stunning new community centre
A once-dilapidated bowls club, the hugely impressive Grange Pavilion opened rather silently during the pandemic, but has breathed new life into the local area. After launching digitally in October 2020, it has already played host to a vast array of projects and clubs, with residents attending lessons or sports sessions on the 3G pitch and bouncing between The Hideout Café with coffee and cakes in hand.
The multi-purpose indoor and outdoor community hub has also now won a Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) Award. Judges for the prestigious design award said the project "demonstrates exemplar collaboration, which has transformed the lives of its residents". They added: "It replaces an underused and deteriorating Bowls Club with a new multi-use building which can adapt to the needs of its community."
After being in the works for 10 years and following a series of delays, the pavilion is finally ready for its grand opening on Saturday May 21. The launch promises to be a day of music, dance, sports, spoken word, activities and partnership stalls as those who have supported the Grange Pavilion over the last decade are celebrated.
Local heroes
Who could forget the Grangetown Spiderman? At a time when the world needed a hero, local Gareth Berry took it upon himself to spread a little joy to residents young and old who were stuck inside during the first coronavirus lockdown.
After being furloughed from his advertising job, Gareth used his daily exercise to don his Spidey suit and take on a 10km circuit around the local area. He even released a rota ahead of every day, ensuring that families could be at their doors and windows ready to see him go past.
On his patrols, he met everyone from starstruck children to police officers on the beat to those celebrating their 86th birthday in isolation. Through his sterling work, Gareth not only became the highlight of people's day but also will be forever remembered as a Grangetown hero, of which there are many, many others.
Incredible community spirit
I moved to Grangetown myself earlier this year, and the thing I love most about living here is how much residents care about their community. Whether it's individual acts or team efforts, there is always something happening to protect or improve the local area.
The first initiative that springs to mind are Keep Grangetown Tidy. Launched in 2015, the group organises monthly community litter picks in an effort to bring local residents together and make the area a "nicer, cleaner, greener place to live". Each month, a small army of volunteers descend on the area's streets armed with litter pickers and bin bags, often filling over 50 of them in the process. You can read more about them here.
The group themselves said the best thing about living in Grangetown was its "great community spirit," adding: "There are lots of fantastic friendly people who care about their neighbourhood & local environment. We’ve got so many amazing volunteers! Plenty of green spaces, parks & river walks too."
Exciting new businesses
Several new businesses have opened their doors in the area in recent years, more customers out of the city centre and other suburbs like Pontcanna and Canton to give Grangetown a go. Cardiff favourites and award-winning businesses are just some of those finding a new home here.
Among them is The Caribbean Way, which opened on Clare Road earlier this year having been based in a portacabin in Butetown for the past two years. Established in 2014, the Caribbean restaurant and takeaway has won a legion of fans, including rappers, footballers and reality stars - and after tasting the food, it's not hard to see why. Read our full review here.
Another announcement that has got Grangetown foodies excited is the imminent arrival of the hugely popular pop-up and ramen kit producer Matsudai Ramen. It is set to take over the former site of Natwest Bank on Clare Road later this year in what will be its first permanent restaurant after being founded two years ago. With places like these on your doorstep, who needs the city centre?
Peaceful green spaces
The centre of Grangetown is usually full of noise and hubbub, just hang around the Penarth Road/ Clare Road for a few minutes. But there are also places just a short walk away where you can really get away from it all.
In Grange Gardens, this community has one of the most charming parks in the capital, while Sevenoaks Park and Grangemoor Park mean we're often spoilt for choice. That's also not forgetting the Taff Trail which runs along the embankment.
"I love Grange Gardens and our wonderful community around Grange Pavilion," says Rachael Freedman. Rob Simkins adds: "[Grangetown has] Sevenoaks Park, Grangemoor, close to the Ely Trail, close to town…it’s just a nice place."
Rich and proud history
"Our working class heritage and the different communities that have contributed to the multicultural ‘Old Towns’ demographic make up," suggested Sarah for the best thing about Grangetown. "And the fact that our houses are built from bricks made from clay dug up from the Marl where our legendary Baseball teams once played. And we have the Clarks Pie shop!
There is plenty of history in and around Grangetown. For example, while Grange Farm is now surrounded by streets of terraced brick houses, 800 years ago, it was the only building in a sea of marshland, and for hundreds of years was said to be the only building between Cardiff and Penarth, with legend claiming that monks were sent there from Margam as penance for drinking and gambling.
And that's not forgetting the aforementioned Clarks Pie shop. Established more than a hundred years ago in 1913 by Mary Clark, this family company is known across the capital for their oval-shaped minced beef pies. You can read what we made of the iconic pies here.
Handy location
"Best perhaps is its geographical location," suggests Wiard Sterk. "It is close to the city centre and Cardiff Central station, close to the Bay and close to the Vale." Mike Houghton adds: "Everything you want and need is within walking distance".
With two train stations a few minutes on either side of the main residential streets and the Princess Katharine water taxi passing by Taffs Mead Embankment every day, we're not exactly hard up when it comes to public transport either. That's not to mention being within 15 minutes walk of theatres, concert halls, shopping centres and sports stadiums!
Friendly neighbours
After moving to Grangetown from another part of Cardiff, I was taken aback by how friendly everyone is around here, from shop owners to people walking past on you the street. Even the security guard in Tesco gives you a cheery smile when you pop in for some milk.
People actually say 'good morning' to you here and while that is a small thing, it makes a big difference. It makes you feel part of a community, one where people are kind and look out for one other. In my experience, that's exactly what Grangetown is.
As Claire Vaughan puts it: "I lived for eight years in a house in another part of the city and barely met my neighbours. Within the first couple of weeks of moving to Grangetown I knew everyone on my street and this was before the pandemic!"
A melting pot
One of Grangetown's biggest strengths is the diversity of the people who live and work here. In fact, it's the most culturally diverse ward in Cardiff and has a proud population of Somali, Asian and mixed-race residents. "It's a melting pot of people," says Chris Krik.
This multiculturalism has benefitted the local community in so many ways, not just from the businesses it has brought to the street , but for the opportunity for people from different backgrounds to learn about each other's cultures and form strong bonds, with this starting as young as primary school age.
There is also a "great Welsh language community," adds Cerys Bowen. "There are some fab initiatives happening at Grange Pavillion, there’s a new Welsh language choir called Côr Trelluest."
