The Marker, Yael Belkin, 27.11.2020
Yotam Weissman and his family moved from the center to the Jezreel district neighborhood in Afula about four years ago, and according to him, they have no longing for the center. The neighborhood is located between Upper Afula and Old Afula, and it borders Road 65. Construction in the neighborhood is characterized by mixed construction of ground-level buildings, alongside saturated construction of buildings up to ten floors.
Everything you need to know about the Jezreel district, Afula
Deals in the last year
5-room apartment with yard - NIS 1.65 million
4-room apartment with parking - NIS 986,000
Two-family cottage 5 rooms with roof and parking - NIS 1.37 million
average price
Purchase – NIS 987,000 Rent - NIS 2,600
Good to know
The train station was a few minutes drive
north of the neighborhood and a new neighborhood is expected to be built
How much does it cost us?
"We moved to the neighborhood in 2016 after eight years in the center. In 2013 we bought a 4-room apartment with a balcony for NIS 800,000, and a year ago we decided we wanted a garden apartment, so we moved to a 5-room apartment with a garden that cost NIS 1.24 million, right next to the school. It's a bit older building, but the advantage is that it has a garden and the house itself is bigger. We were both originally from Afula, and when we returned to the city it was important for us to move to this neighborhood because it is a developing neighborhood. Today the neighborhood has reached saturation. NIS 2,600-2,700 a month, and the property tax in the neighborhood ranges from NIS 600 to NIS 1,000 for two months.
Photo: Google Maps
Why should you live in the neighborhood?
"There is a school next to the house. There used to be a congestion in terms of the number of children in the class, but a year ago a new growing elementary school was opened for first and fourth grades, and the number of children dropped from 32 to at least 28. The neighborhood is characterized by young couples with small children. And there are plenty of gardens here. There is no division or high school, for that you have to leave the neighborhood for the city, there is transportation for those who need it. There are also classes in the community centers and community centers and a youth center with youth movement.
"The neighborhood has HMO branches and a neighborhood supermarket within walking distance. Outside the neighborhood, within walking distance, there is the Emek Center complex which has cafes, restaurants and shops - some are also open on Saturdays. There is a large and well-kept park that serves the entire area, with a living area. Sports facilities, a climbing wall and a small ninja compound, and the neighborhood itself is littered with public parks with games for different ages. "
Why not live in the neighborhood?
"I work at Kibbutz Yifat in the Jezreel Valley and get there by car within half an hour if there are no traffic jams. Public transportation is problematic because you need one bus to get out of the district, and another bus to the train or station leading to Haifa. Inside the city itself you can not just rely on buses, if you do not want a car then you need an electric bike or a scooter.
"The neighborhood is very cohesive, there are many WhatsApp groups for the residents of the neighborhood that meet different needs. The thing that annoys the residents the most is when other residents allow themselves to do karaoke for hours.
"In the past, there were conflicts in the neighborhood following a resident who sold his house to non-Jewish residents. There was tension in the park as well. Residents were angry that many non-Jewish families came outside the neighborhood and 'took over' the park. "This is to live in the neighborhood, although there are still families moving here. Afula is not a mixed city and not close to it."