Photo: Hagai Agmon-Snir حچاي اچمون-سنير חגי אגמון-שניר, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
One of Jerusalem's largest neighbourhoods: bigger apartments for the money, strong religious communities and a long bus ride to the centre.
Short answer: Ramot is one of Jerusalem's largest neighbourhoods, spread over hills in the north-west of the city and divided into sub-neighbourhoods that are very different from each other. English-speakers are a large part of the population (the municipality puts them at around a fifth of Ramot's roughly 60,000 residents), across chareidi, chassidic and modern Orthodox communities; some parts, such as Ramot Polin, are almost entirely chareidi. Apartments are bigger and cheaper than in the south and centre, which is why families come; the trade-off is distance: buses to the centre take 30 minutes or more until the Blue Line reaches Ramot, not expected before the end of the decade.
At a glance
- Who lives here: large religious and chareidi families, with a big English-speaking community spread across the neighbourhood; some secular and traditional households.
- Housing: apartment blocks and terraced cottages from the 1970s onwards, many with extra rooms added over the years; larger apartments than in the centre for the same money.
- Price band: mid to value, varying by sub-neighbourhood.
- Getting around: frequent buses along Golda Meir Boulevard to the centre and the central bus station (30 minutes or more at rush hour). The Blue Line will end in Ramot when it is complete.
- Everyday shopping: the Ramot Mall on Golda Meir Boulevard and local shopping centres in each sub-neighbourhood.
- Green space: the Ramot Forest and nature areas around the neighbourhood's edges, and many parks and playgrounds.
The sub-neighbourhoods
Ramot is made up of several sub-neighbourhoods (Ramot Alef, Bet, Gimel and Dalet among them), built in stages from the 1970s. They differ a great deal: some are mixed, with religious-Zionist, chareidi and traditional families side by side, while others, such as Ramot Polin with its honeycomb-shaped buildings, are almost entirely chareidi. Ask about the specific street: the community, the shuls and the feel of Shabbat change from one part of Ramot to the next.
Community and religious life
Ramot has hundreds of shuls and an extensive network of chareidi and religious institutions, and English-speaking kollelim and minyanim in several parts of the neighbourhood. Our mikvah directory lists the mikvaot in Ramot across the sub-neighbourhoods. Finding your community explains how people plug in.
In our directory
Entries in Ramot include Rami Levy and La Pâtissière on Derech HaHoresh, the Ramot Mall's shops (City Best, Fox Home, Yefe Nof Feldheim, Optica Halperin, Chen Fashion), the Clalit Ramot Alef clinic and the Ramot Pool. See groceries and home goods.
Pros and cons
- For: larger apartments at lower prices, strong religious and English-speaking communities, green surroundings, a mall and services on the doorstep.
- Against: distance from the centre and a long bus ride until the Blue Line arrives, hills everywhere, and a character that varies sharply between sub-neighbourhoods.
Who it suits
Religious and chareidi families who need space and a strong community and are happy to be away from the centre; English-speakers who want an established Anglo network.
Before you sign
Visit at different times: a weekday morning, Friday afternoon and Shabbat tell you more than any listing. Check the building's mamad or shelter, the stairs and the heating. The renting guide covers the contract, the bills guide covers arnona and the va'ad bayit, and the city-wide neighbourhoods guide compares every area. Nearby alternatives: Har Nof, Ramat Eshkol, French Hill.
Common questions
Is Ramot a good place for English-speaking families?
Yes. It has one of the city's largest English-speaking religious communities, bigger apartments and lower prices than the centre. Which part of Ramot suits you depends on the community you are looking for.
How long does it take to get from Ramot to the centre?
About 30 minutes by bus, longer at rush hour. The Blue Line will end in Ramot when it is finished, not expected before the end of the decade.
Is Ramot chareidi?
Parts of it are almost entirely chareidi, such as Ramot Polin; others are mixed. Check the specific street.
Live in Ramot and think we have something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.
