Jerusalem’s Ramat Eshkol/Givat Hamivtar neighborhood, a quiet area, slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the city center, was established soon after the Six Day War in 1968, on what was once the a battlefield between Israel and Jordan.
Ramat Eshkol is located in northern Jerusalem bordering the communities of Maalot Dafana to the east, Sanhedruia Murhevet on its west side, and its northern border is the neighborhood of French Hill. The convenient location allows for easy access to the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University, the Kotel Hama’aravi and Old City of Jerusalem as well as city center.
Sderot Levi Eshkol (Eshkol Boulevard), the main thoroughfare of the neighborhood was named for the Israeli Prime Minister, Levi Eshkol. The government planned the area in order to create a link between West Jerusalem and Mount Scopus; from the Shmuel HaNavi neighborhood to French Hill and then on to The Hebrew University’s Mount Scopus campus.
Several parks in Ramat Eshkol stand as a testament to its history. After the Six-Day War, Ammunition Hill was restored and turn into a park welcoming visitors from near and far. Gan HaHamishah Asar (Park of the Fifteen) was built in 1969 to commemorate fifteen soldiers that were killed in a single day of fighting during the War of Attrition. Yet another park in the area is dedicated to a Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, for his selfless acts in saving Jews during World War II.
The first residents who arrived in 1970, before roads were built or bus service established, would hardly recognize Ramat Eshkol today. Its original inhabitants were mostly secular Jews while today it is one of Jerusalem’s most sought after locations for young Orthodox families with a large contingency of Anglos. Ramat Eshkol is one of the major stops along the Jerusalem light rail system servicing commuters throughout Jerusalem with a free of charge “park and ride” parking lot. At the center of the neighborhood is their well-established shopping area that serves not only the immediate community, but enjoys customers from all over with easy access whether by bus, car, or light rail and a variety of stores with plenty of adjacent parking.
According to Katherine Amrani, ramat eshkol real estate agent for Re/Max Vision who works in the area, most of the buildings in the area are of newer construction and all types of housing are available from small 40 sqm, 2-room apartments to spacious villas with private gardens in the Givat Hamivtar section and the exclusive street of Ramat HaGolan, where most of the houses were privately built. Like most neighborhoods in Jerusalem, prices in Ramat Eshkol have been on the rise for this desirable area. But you can still find some great buys which is a real draw for investors form Israel and overseas, and for families looking to live in this gem of a community.
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