When Hunter first moved to Jerusalem he lived in an apartment a few minutes walk away from the neighborhood of Bak’a/Baka/Baq’a. Baka is south and slightly downhill from the old city – a solid 30 minute walk. Baka became popular in the 1920s after Jerusalem’s first railroad station was built. Wealthy families built large homes in this neighborhood, conveniently located close to the new commercial hub of the city. First station, which is no longer accepting trains, is the northern marker of the Baka neighborhood, with a central business district of bookstores, coffeeshops and a movie theater heading along Emek Refa’im [street].

There are many cute cafes in this neighborhood, but for me the selling point was the calm and serene nature of the streets. Coming from Nachlaot, I can only compare it to how I feel when I leave Brooklyn and arrive at my aunt and uncle’s house in New Rochelle. Nachlaot is busy, dirty and crowded, while Baka has tree lined streets and private houses with gardens. There are apartment buildings as well, and small interconnecting streets similar to alleys but far more charming, a great way to peak into the gardens of fancy private homes. Hunter and I walked around the neighborhood and explored after a delicious lunch at one of the aforementioned cafes. We agreed that if the opportunity arose, we would love to live here.

Hunter pointed out a running path that he used when he lived in this neighborhood. The running path leaves from first station and heads south, exactly over the course of the former train tracks. The trail itself runs between the train rails, similar to the high line walkway in New York. First station is a social center complete with a children’s play area, cafes and restaurants. Sometimes there are concerts at night, which we will check out sooner or later.