When I was learning in yeshiva in the early ‘80s, I remember visiting rebbeim and family friends in Bayit Vegan, and recall a lot of English being spoken in that quiet and scenic neighborhood. I recently was given an exclusive to sell two luxury apartments in a brand new building on Harav Frank Street, and obviously my interest was piqued: What is the status of this neighborhood today? And who is the most likely buyer of these apartments?
Situated in the western part of Jerusalem, Bayit Vegan is over 830 meters above sea level – the highest of all Jerusalem neighborhoods – and offers panoramic views of the Judean Hills (the spectacular views in the adjoining photo are from the building in which we are selling the apartments), yet is only a 15-minute bus ride from the center of town.
Bayit Vegan has a population of over 4,000 of which 25% are English speakers. It offers many conveniences: it is adjacent to Shaare Zedek Medical Center; it has a relatively new hotel and a renovated guesthouse; and has plenty of supermarkets, bakeries, banks, and pizza stores. The neighborhood boasts numerous yeshivas and seminaries that cater to the English speaking population, and is renowned for its many high-powered Israeli yeshivas.
Bayit Vegan’s uniqueness, though, emanates from its heterogeneous yet warm and accepting population. When asking residents to describe the neighborhood, I frequently heard adjectives such as “lovely,” and “respectful,” reflecting a sense of shalom bayis within the community. The neighborhood is predominantly yeshivish, many of whose residents are professionals, but also has a dati leumi (Religious Zionist) crowd. It offers an array of shuls, including Litvish, Chassidish, Sephardic, Religious Zionist, and shtiebels galore. There is an English speaking shul, and many English classes for men and women are offered there and throughout the neighborhood.
So who is my target buyer for these apartments? I believe it will be an overseas buyer who wants to maintain a first or second home near their children who have settled in this neighborhood, and/or a family that wants easy access to central Jerusalem, yet desires to live in a warm community that offers many shiurim in a frum and tolerant environment.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.