Walk one street away from the noise of Oxford Street in Osu and the city changes. In Labone, the roads are lined with trees, walls are covered in bougainvillea and the loudest sound at midday may be a hawker calling out. The neighbourhood has been one of Accra’s favourite residential areas for decades, and it has kept more of its calm than most of its neighbours.
A planned residential area
Labone lies east of Osu, south of Cantonments and west of La, close to the coast. Its main roads connect to Ring Road East, the Osu area and La Road, making it central for people who work in the Airport, Ridge or Osu areas. Labone developed in the mid-twentieth century as a residential area with larger plots and bungalows, many built for civil servants, professionals and expatriates. The layout, with generous spaces and side streets, still shapes its character.
Embassies, schools and social life
Several embassies, diplomatic residences and international organisations have offices in Labone and the surrounding area. Their presence brings security and some of the city’s better-maintained streets, but also traffic restrictions around certain buildings.
Labone is home to Labone Senior High School, one of Accra’s well-known public schools, and to several private basic schools. Families choose the area partly for easy access to schools in Osu, Cantonments and Airport. Small restaurants, cafés, bars and spots serving local and international food are scattered through the neighbourhood. Many are tucked into converted houses. It is quieter than Osu’s nightlife strip, but a short drive from it.
Streets, rents and getting around
Like much of central Accra, Labone has seen older bungalows replaced by apartment blocks and offices. Residents worry about the loss of green space, parking problems and pressure on water and drainage. Labone is one of the more expensive areas of Accra, though usually less costly than Airport Residential or parts of Cantonments. Rents for apartments and houses are often quoted in dollars, and long advances are common.
Taxis and ride-hailing services are easy to find. Trotros run along the main roads nearby. Walking is pleasant on quieter streets, though pavements are uneven in places.
Near the beach and who lives there
The area is a short distance from the coast and from La Pleasure Beach, giving residents easy access to the sea on weekends. Labone attracts a mix of long-time Ghanaian families, professionals, diplomats and expatriates. Many residents describe it as a place where neighbours still greet each other. Labone’s best feature has always been what it lacks: the constant noise and crowds of the streets around it. Whether that survives the next wave of apartment blocks is the question residents now ask.
