This small, pastoral neighborhood is located in the heart of Jerusalem, at the triangle formed by Katamon, the German Colony and the Katamonim.
By JOHN BENZAQUENThe Greek Colony neighborhood in Jerusalem.(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Ask 10 Jerusalemites for directions to the Greek Colony neighborhood and chances are only one of them will even know such a place exists at all.But it does, and is very much alive and kicking.This small, pastoral neighborhood is located in the heart of Jerusalem, at the triangle formed by Katamon, the German Colony and the Katamonim. It really deserves more respect than it gets.“Although most of the buildings seem run-down, with neglected facades, this is in many ways a potential investors’ paradise,” states RE/MAX Vision agent Susan Lerner, who specializes in the Greek Colony.Savvy investors will realize the potential value of properties due to their proximity to more prestigious and higher-priced areas. Many of the buildings were built in the 1930s and ’40s, and thus offer much charm.In addition, they are only two or three stories high – unusual in a time in which the municipality regularly issues permits for buildings up to six stories high – meaning it is possible to add one or two floors; or if the plot of land on allows, to enlarge the existing apartments. By taking time to research what is on sale, buying property here can be a very profitable investment; it is also a very pleasant place to live.The neighborhood was founded at the dawn of the 20th century by Greek Orthodox Christians, on land they bought from the Greek Orthodox Church. Primarily affluent families, they were encouraged by Archimandrite Euphthymios of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to create a Greek Orthodox neighborhood outside the Old City walls.Greek Orthodox architect Spyro Houri designed the first 20 homes and a community center before World War I.Most of these Christian residents left during the War of Independence. The empty buildings were then used to accommodate large numbers of Jewish immigrants, many from Morocco; the large, singlefamily homes were subdivided.Before 1948, this was an area of elegant houses built with a distinctive Middle Eastern flavor; after, it became something of a slum.Recently the area has been undergoing gentrification, and is gradually coming into its own.Many of the residents are the original owners who moved in after the 1948 war; they are dying or moving out, as a younger generation is moving in. Young middle-class couples are realizing that they can afford this small niche, whereas the surrounding neighborhoods have priced them out of the market.A small average apartment of up to 60 sq.m. sells from NIS 1.2 million to NIS 1.4m. Apartments larger than 100 sq.m. cost NIS 2m. to NIS 2.5m. Much depends on the building, whether it is historic and the state it is in.In 2007, area excavations conducted by the Antiquities Authority revealed remains of ancient walls, found to be the debris of farming terrace walls.Some of the findings revealed ceramics that can be traced back to the Byzantine and Roman periods.One of the area’s popular attractions is the Greek Community Center, built in 1902 on what is now Yehoshua Bin Nun Street. Originally meant to serve Greek Orthodox Christians, it is used for social gatherings, meetings and other events such as dance lessons, cultural celebrations and national holidays.The modern community center Beit Elisheva, at the corner of Hizkiyahu and Elazar Hamoda’i streets, was built in 1962; the Working Women’s Council (today’s Na’amat) inaugurated it as a women’s training and cultural center.Like other public Histadrut buildings from that period, Beit Elisheva was architecturally unique and evinced a fascinating connection between a local tradition of building in stone and the Bauhaus style.Over the years, it has served the community’s cultural needs.