STREETS OF NAIROBI

Biashara street
The word meaning commerce, in Swahili, its a street within the city centre off Koinange street by pass Muindi Mbingu street up to Moi avenue. This one of the busiest streets in Nairobi city, it is where you can find Textile and carpets, all types of shops for fabrics and the best place to buy mosquito nets as well as Unisex wear. Most shops are open 6 days in a week from 8am to 5pm , Monday to Fridays. On Saturdays, the shop opens for half day and on Sunday they stay closed.

Koinange Street
Being a busy street and named after a politician, Koinange street serves as one of the Nairobi streets with night entertainments such as Disco, Casinos, it is as well a busy street for the commercial workers. If you are fun of music New Florida and Dolce is one of the place where you can never get tired since there is music from 9pm till dawn and the charges are from Ksh300 and above. It is not advisable to walk along these streets at night, on your own as a tourist, but best recommended to take a taxi if from a hotel. Across the streets up is a Standard charter Bank ATM where you can withdraw money if needs. There are also several beauty shops open during the day from 8am to 5pm from Monday to Saturday then closed on Sundays. Many Big and small Banks are located on this street. The newest Restaurant along this street is Kengele’s and also highly recommended especially for Lunches or evenings (Dinners)when they have live bands for entertainment’s. Other restaurants along this street includes Nandos, The Tucks Restaurant, Hot Pot Restaurant next to Standard Bank, etc. If you like to have fun drive by the street after 11pm, …interesting!. "then we can talk."
Behind Koinange is Loita street. where there is a Barclays plaza with an ATM just in case you are out of money, A big super Market store "Uchumi", and an Ice cream shop just at the corner.

Kenyatta avenue
This was named after Kenya’s first president and is one of the most busiest street. during the day with Banks, Forex bureaus, Super markets "Nakumat", Casinos, book shops, Stationeries, and most of all the General Post office at the far end which opens from 8am to 5pm, while the Banks open 5 days in a week from Monday, and each 1st and last Saturday of the Month. There are also several restaurants such as wimpy, simmers, Hotel 680, for both hot and cold drinks as well as ready food.

Kaunda St.
This is where you get hundreds of curio shops which you can make a good deal at almost any of them. First class butchers and fishmongers, also the best selection of Kenyan & South African wines are on the same street, Clothes shops with high-fashion outlets and the best toy shop, full of standard imports are all on this street.

Moi avenue
Named after the former 2nd head of state, President Moi, this is where you can get good and cheap value footwear as well as Art Galleries e.g. "Zanzibar Curio Shop" which has always a wide range and can arrange for shipping in case you buy plenty of souvenirs.

Market Street
This is where you can get high-quality range of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you’re buying , the best value stalls are on the outside main hall on the right. Fish and meat are on either side of the main building. There are also variety of stalls selling curios, it is advisable to decide what you want to buy before stepping into a shop or looking at a stall. My advice to you is to go round first, comparing prices and then decide on the best quality and price lest you upset yourself. Avoid buying curios from strolling vendors. This stalls are open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays then on Saturdays from 8am to 3pm and on Sunday from 8am to 12. There is also one branch of Uchumi Supermarket which is right opposite the Market. It is open daily from 8.30am-8.30pm and on Sundays they open from 09:00 am. Pay a visit to the first and famous Curio shop in Kenya (African Heritage on the north, merely a minute walk on the sides of the Market and opposite the Post Bank, which has a taste of Curio, ornaments and antiques, al whole bunch of beautiful things, mostly at absurdly inflated prices.

University Way
This is right across the Koinange Street, Muindi Mbingu street and right opposite the Nairobi University, and most of all, the Nairobi Central Police. Walking along here is a little more safer during the day, and not to the far ends, due to the nearness of the police station/quarters.

River road Street
This is the most famous/busiest street of all, and not the safest! This big street starts from behind the Akamba bus services and the Marble Arc Hotel. This is where you see all kinds of local people, from idealers, very serious and busy people as well as pickpockets, you are always advised not to walk with your cameras, video’s, or expose any jewelry along this street unless you are ready to give a broad day light show among many passerby’s! Mostly cheap retail/wholesale shops, big Jewelry shops(Dajin Patni Jewelry etc) are along this street. Majority of the crowd here are local people, street Hawkers, idlers, with Asians dominating the majority of the big shops around. There a few of Cloth Exhibitions which a large number are run by Kenyans.

Country Bus
Situated at the famous Nairobi Gikomba area, This is the head of all second hand cloth godowns/wholesalers in Nairobi.
This is quite interesting to see if lucky to get there safely. This is the Major Nairobi Stop over, from the Upcountry comers/goes each day. The Big buses of 60 passagers, here are transformed into carrying more than 120, passengers, while the 9 seaters Nissans are always carrying around 20 or morer. This daily commotion is even worse during the public Holidays when every one has to travel back home. After six it is quite dangerous to be around here unless familiar with the site. You are always advised not to go to this area weather during the day, or not without a guide. For your safety don’t carry valuables or baggage with you while you visit this place. Most commuter vehicles depart from here from all over Kenyan rural/remote areas, e.g. to Matuu, Machakos, Embu, Kitui, /Mwingi, to Kisumu /Kakamega, Eldoret, Garisa etc. The best thing with this stop is that you don’t need to book in advance, "just the first come, first serve policy" and they don’t have a certain departure time, normally they leave when they are full, leaving the departures on the availability of passengers. Sometimes if there is a shortage of vehicle or if passagers are many; you have to push your way to the bus, this is where the "might and strong" benefit into getting sited otherwise miss a chair, depending on your energy! The situation is not better any way if there are not many passengers and in fact have to be extra careful that the touts don’t ferry you to the wrong Bus, due desperation and scarce of passengers!

Interesting Sites in Nairobi

Maasai Market/Village Market.
Famously known as the Maasai Market, If you’re after Maasai traditional wear, and souvenir’s, this is the place every Tuesdays from 9am-3pm. This is where you can get cheap beaded jewelry, baskets and many more. You can bargain and the beauty of it all is the absence of hassles from brokers . In an event of missing theTuesday’s events the same market also operates at Village Market near Gigiri every Fridays. You only need your taste and a reasonable amount of cash for a worthwhile.
Other community crafts centres are a little way out of town but well worth making special journeys to visit - good tonic if you’re suffering from curio shop fatigue
We have Kazuri bead centre, close to Karen Blixen Museum open from 8.30am-4.30pm on Monday to -Saturday, here you can get variety of handmade jewelry and beads. A visit to the "Naivasha Curio Ebony Shop"in the nearby Naivasha town will give you a full Kenyan Curio Taste.

The Spinner’s Web
This is on Kijabe St. behind Norfolk hotel, it’s a large shop, with a germanic influence, selling a lot of good stuff, crafts, textiles, woolen goods and jewelry much of it handmade by self-help groups.

Ostrich Park & Crafts Village
Off Langata road, it’s a curious combination with a small entry fee. On the other hand an ostrich farm , on the other a community of craft workers manufacturing a wide range of items from soapstone carvings to fishing flies. Good for picnic site and ideal for kids, who can feed the ostriches and play in the play area. There are also tortoise and a small herb garden. It is open daily from 9am-5.30pm.

Utamaduni Crafts Centre
Meaning traditional, it’s on Bugani East road between Ostrich Park and Giraffe Centre, Langata open from 10am-6pm daily. There are about eighteen individual craft shops in one large house with every thing that you might want, much of it made from street-kid projects although prices are high.

Co- Operative House.
Located just along the Hailselasie road, and opposite the Kenya Railways, the Co-operative Bank Building faces the Kenya’s 7th August 1998 Terrorist Attack site.
This is where many Kenyan’s lost their lives, friends, and relatives from the terrorist attacks of the then US Embassy site opposite Ufundi Co operative house. A monument now stands at the site in respect of those Kenyan and a few Americans who lost their lives the tragedy. A visit to this site will give a full history of the Park and a list of names of all the people who died at the site. There is a small fee per person of Ksh: 20 which is paid at the entrance of the Park. The money is used for the up keep of the Park, which also provides a resting gardens to those touring the park.
Any contribution from willing donors is highly appreciated.