Help me pick a neighborhood in Jerusalem!

Bylu5581

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 9:07 am

Hi guys!

We are Hoping to make Aliyah and would love to settle in Jerusalem but we really need some help with neighborhoods.

A bit about us: We are Modern Heimish professionals (Dentist/Nurse) in our mid-thirties with 4 kids (Two teen boys, two little girls ages 3 & 5).

We were advised that the following neighborhoods would be of interest:
Rechavia
Lev Hair
Nachlaot
Shaarei Chessed

What’s important to us:
We want our girls to be able to play outside with friends - parks and playgrounds in the neighborhood.

A shul that has a somewhat Anglo and heimish vibe, singing and warmth.

Somewhat walkable to Kotel

My concern with these neighborhoods is that because its notoriously expensive - there aren’t many families with little kids. Is that a correct assumption? Will my kids have friends?

How does Rechavia compare or contrast with Nachlaot or Shaarei Chessed (aside from actual location)?

Any info or leads are so appreciated.
Thanks in Advance!

Success10

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 10:20 am

Try to bump this thread before you go sleep if you don't get any replies, so the israel morning crowd can weigh in. Rechavia has the Yeshiva there and there are for sure kids, but a lot of streets with cars, I don't know so much about parks. I think Har Nof has nice parks and areas for kids to play. Anglo, mix of chassisdish and Litvish. Not run of the mill chareidi, but also lots like that. Boston is based in Har Nof. Working families. Not walkable to kotel.

amother

Whitewash

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 11:02 am

Success10 wrote:

Rechavia is near Gan Sacher. There is also the park on Ramban and on King George/Keren hayesod. Besides for the Ramban park, the others require crossing busy roads which may be something to consider. Parking is an issue in rechavia...streets are narrow and crowded. I think in terms of community, rechavia and shaarei hesed are closest to what you are looking for. There are Anglo family with kids. Nachlaot is more eclectic.

amother

Ghostwhite

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 11:18 am

Did you look at Ramat Eshkol or Maalot Dafna?
Def lots of kids, Anglo presence, shuls to choose from…. Not really walkable to the kotel unless you are great walkers.
I also think worth looking at Har Nof or Ramot if you are flexible on walking distance to old city.

amother

Mocha

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 12:08 pm

They are pretty much all the same community and all walking distance to each other and send to same schools. There are a ton ton of kids in all. Would advs to see where you find the right apartment

Nachalot is a bit more like hippie and further I think you wld fit in more in share chesed or Rechavia

amother

Candycane

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 1:27 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

I would say givat hamivtar over Ramat eshkol. There are a lot of established families with older kids there so your kids will have peers in the neighborhood.
It's around an hour walk to the kotel. We've done it many times but idk what "walkable" means to you.

salt

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 11:33 pm

I would drop the criteria of walkable to the kotel if it means finding a more suitable area.

It's not a necessity when you are actually living here - there are plenty of busses/ light rail/ even a taxi to the kotel from within Jerusalem is doable every now and then - it's more of a tourist requirement, being able to walk to the kotel.

amother

Amber

Mon, Jan 01 2024, 11:37 pm

Yes all those are basically different parts of the same neighborhood in the city center.

I'm in Rechavia - it's not a place where kids can play freely or have lots of space to pay. There are a few smallish parks - although you can walk to gan sacher. Lots of traffic and cars (and hardly any parking) because it's very central. Housing prices are sky high.

As for types of people - there's a huge mix and I love that about it.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 1:21 am

amother Oldlace wrote:

Whats the price range for buying a dira in this area?

Minimum to buy? Average price?

How big is the average size of?

Look up on yad2.org

amother

Amber

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 1:22 am

amother Oldlace wrote:

Whats the price range for buying a dira in this area?

Minimum to buy? Average price?

How big is the average size of?

There are sorts of apartments and ranges, no real average - a good mixture of old style all sizes and newly renovated or built all sizes - I'd say a basic (renovated partially if you're lucky) 2 bedroom apartment would start around 3.5 million shekels, and it can go up to 10,000,000, or even 20,000,000 + for larger, new places.

youngmother6

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 1:41 am

To me Shaarei Chessed vs rechavia is basically the same thing ( people hi live there may say otherwise as there are slight differences ). Your best bet is to go based on where you find a better apartment in your price range that you like. There aren’t so many options.

Bnei Berak 10

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 3:45 am

The Kotel should be on a low priority IMHO. Once you live in Jerusalem you realize there's good public transportation to get there so it's not an issue.

Elfrida

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 4:16 am

Wherever you decide, rent for a while to get the feel of the neighbourhood before you decide to buy. It's much easier to change your mind that way.

Rappel

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 4:20 am

I've heard nice things about the family life in Kiryat Moshe. It's a long walk to the kotel, but the kids are near and many and would match your religious vibe

amother

Impatiens

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 5:00 am

Pretry much anywhere is walkable to the kotel (except har nof lol). Definitely maalot dafna is walkable not sure why someone said otherwise

amother

Steelblue

Tue, Jan 02 2024, 5:42 am

amother Impatiens wrote:

Pretry much anywhere is walkable to the kotel (except har nof lol). Definitely maalot dafna is walkable not sure why someone said otherwise

Har Nof is walkable; it just takes a long time! About an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how fast you walk. During the week the Kotel is easily accessible by bus and train, or by taxi.

camp123

Wed, Jan 17 2024, 3:20 am

Rechavia and sharai chesed are extremely close so pretty much the same thing. There are a few families like yours but not that many. Housing is hard to come by and expensive. There is netsach where yeshish people daven on ramban. Much of shari chesed and rechavia is empty a lot of the year and fill up when Americans come for Yom tov.
You really should visit to decide, and check out schools. It's wonderful to live in yerushalyim but it's a lot easier to live in rbs, or other cities outside Jerusalem where there are sidewalks, parking and many families with kids in your building.