Home and garden

Originally established as a leafy neighborhood for modern Orthodox residents, Bayit Vagan is now attracting affluent haredim.

By JOHN BENZAQUEN
Bayit Vagan homes apartments palm tree 521 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Bayit Vagan homes apartments palm tree 521
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
If you are very religious and want to combine a haredi neighborhood with a gracious and spacious living area, then Bayit Vagan is the place for you.
It is not a coincidence that it is called Bayit Vagan, which means “home and garden,” because it was planned to be both a home and a garden. Today it is more a home than a garden, but when it was planned 85 years ago, the green aspect of the residential element was predominant.
Bayit Vagan was designed in 1926 by German architect Richard Kaufman, who specialized in the Bauhaus architectural concept, which originated in Germany and Austria. The British Mandatory authorities wanted to develop the western part of Jerusalem, mainly inhabited by European Jews, into a modern, leafy area. The result was six garden neighborhoods all designed by Kaufman under the auspices of the British Mandatory administration and the Jewish Agency. Bayit Vagan was sponsored by the Mizrachi Organization, the political movement of the modern Orthodox.
Located in southwest Jerusalem, Bayit Vagan is bordered by Rehov Bayit Vagan in the north, Rehov Harav Frank in the south, Harav Uziel in the east and Sderot Herzl in the west. At 836 meters above sea level, Bayit Vagan is at the highest point in Jerusalem.
Bayit Vagan has some interesting archeological sites, the most important being a 4,000-year-old Canaanite cemetery. It covers an area of more than 2,000 square meters, and burials are believed to have taken place there mainly in the Bronze Age circa 2200-2000 BCE to 1700-1600 BCE.
Although Bayit Vagan was originally built for modern Orthodox residents, the haredi element seems to be increasingly moving in. But whether national religious or haredi, the area is very well suited to the needs of both communities because over the years, many religious institutions have been built in the neighborhood. Among them are the Afikei Torah Seminary, Ateret Yisrael Yeshiva, Horev High School, Yeshiva University’s Gruss Kollel and Michlalah – Jerusalem College for Women. Furthermore, because of the religious ambience, many rabbis have established their centers in the neighborhood.
How are these developments influencing the real estate scene in Bayit Vagan? Shelly Levine, a veteran Jerusalem real-estate broker and proprietor of Tivuch Shelly, told In Jerusalem, “The real-estate scene in Bayit Vagan at these times is influenced by the demographic makeup of the community, by its character and ambience. This is the deciding factor for families who decide to make it their home. It is also the deciding factor for development companies that are building in the area. For decades, Bayit Vagan has been one of the capital’s premier religious communities. The name of the place says it all – comfortable, desirable homes surrounded by unusually good urban planning and greenery, a magnet for observant families.”
THE BIRTHRATE among haredi families is very high.
Consequently, there is a constant need for more housing that is suitable for their needs. And Bayit Vagan is one of the areas where haredim can feel they are in comfortable surroundings, hence demand is brisk. Furthermore, it can be described as the abode of the more affluent haredim because prices are not cheap. A second-hand three-room apartment costs NIS 1.7 million on average and a four-room apartment costs about NIS 2.2m. A four-room apartment in a new development can cost up to NIS 2.5m., while a penthouse can cost as much as NIS 5.5m.
In the new El-Ad project, there are two 18-story apartment buildings. This project, marketed exclusively by Tivuch Shelly, is within walking distance of one of the light rail stops and thus will be within easy access of the commercial and religious centers of Jerusalem.
Prices in this development, which will be completed in April 2013, range from NIS 1.82m. for a threeroom apartment to NIS 2.5m. for a four-room apartment and NIS 3.4m. for five rooms.
At present, those who are buying real estate in the area are newly married couples who can afford to spend NIS 2m. Most are helped by their parents or a mortgage.
Many of these couples have parents living in Bayit Vagan, who want their offspring living near them.
Among those purchasing apartments in Bayit Vagan are middle-class haredim moving from more crowded, less comfortable neighborhoods, as well as local Bayit Vagan residents who want to improve their quality of life. In addition, there is considerable demand from overseas buyers. These include young couples where the husband attended yeshiva in Israel and has decided to remain in the country and buy an apartment. It also includes parents of young couples who have made aliya and decided to join them, and haredi families from Europe, North America and other parts of the world who have decided to immigrate to Israel and consider the religious ambience of the neighborhood suitable for their needs.
Says Levine, “I believe that prices in Bayit Vagan will increase during the year. This is because we are in the midst of increasing demand from overseas haredi Jews, which exerts upward pressure on prices.
Furthermore, the young haredi couples who are moving into the neighborhood have affluent parents, and this is also pushing prices up.”