Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel and along the Mediterranean coast, Haifa is known as an easy-going, multicultural city. You’ll find a large number of English-speaking people here, and it’s a place where Jews, Christians, and Muslims co-exist in peace. Haifa is a city that welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds.
The people here enjoy miles of beautiful beaches, stunning views, and plenty of sunshine. Dado Beach is a popular place for people to enjoy the water, go out to eat, or get together for a drink. On Mount Carmel, you’ll also find a dense forest of oak, pine, laurel, and olive trees. In fact, The Mount Carmel range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Haifa is an Active City
While Haifa is a popular place to retire, it’s a vibrant, family-oriented city with an economy centered around technology. Tourism is also a growing industry in this ancient and historic city. The stunning Bahai Gardens, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracts one million visitors every year. The city is home to more than a dozen world-class museums too.
Living in Haifa, you’ll enjoy film festivals, live theater, and the New Haifa Symphony Orchestra. There is always something to do here in this sunny, friendly port city.
If you love the NFL, Haifa has an American-style football team, the Haifa Underdogs. The Underdogs play against the eight other teams in the Israel Football League, such as the Jerusalem Lions. If you like basketball, you’ll be able to cheer on Hapoel Haifa and Maccabi Haifa, the city’s two professional teams. They’re both parts of the Israeli Basketball Super League and play at the 5,000-seat Romema Arena.
Haifa’s Neighborhoods
The neighborhoods of Upper Hadar, Ahuzza, and Neve Shaanan are popular with English speakers. Each is unique and offers something different.
Upper Hadar is close to the Hadar shopping district, and housing prices here are reasonable. You can walk to shopping, and public transportation is readily available. If you don’t have a car, Upper Hadar is a great place to live.
Ahuzza is an affluent suburb of Haifa, close to Haifa University. It’s not only popular with ex-pats, but also international students attending the university.
Neve Shaanan is home to many shops, supermarkets, and restaurants and could also be a great place to live without a car. Like Ahuzza, Neve Shaanan is a college town home to the Israel Institute of Technology. It’s a lively place with an international population.
Living in Haifa is both laid-back and packed with things to do. While prices of the real estate in Haifa are moderate here, they are on the rise, making the time to move now.