Living in Çukurambar, Ankara

Çukurambar is a neighbourhood in the Çankaya district of Ankara, roughly three and a half kilometres south-west of Kızılay, the city's central square. Its story is one of the most dramatic transformations in the capital: from the 1960s through the 1990s it was largely a gecekondu area - informal, self-built low-rise housing on the edge of the city. From the 2000s onward an aggressive wave of urban renewal turned it into one of Ankara's largest and most upscale neighbourhoods, a forest of post-2010 towers with open-plan layouts, tall ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass. Together with the neighbouring Söğütözü axis it now forms Ankara's premier corridor for finance and modern living.

Who lives here

A predominantly higher-income, professional population. The neighbourhood is small - on the order of twelve thousand residents - and skews towards executives, corporate employees, civil servants and diplomatic staff, helped by the cluster of office towers and the nearby American Embassy. The new towers attract young professionals and couples, while the area's reputation for security and modern infrastructure also appeals to families who can afford it. It is not a student-priced district, but its proximity to several universities means academics and well-funded students do appear.

What it's like during the day

This is one of Ankara's working business districts. Government offices and corporate headquarters sit close by, and the Söğütözü-Çukurambar corridor is the capital's new corporate heart, home to landmark office buildings such as the YDA Center. Days are busy with office workers; ground floors of the towers are filled with cafés, bank branches and services. The metro station area was redeveloped with a large urban-park plaza of nearly 13,000 m² woven between the stations, offices, cafés and restaurants, giving the neighbourhood a rare bit of open public space.

What it's like in the evening

Çukurambar has a genuine evening scene, which is unusual for a business-led district. It is known in Ankara for its modern meyhanes - social restaurants built around rakı and meze - alongside cafés, sports pubs and bars. Venues fill with after-work crowds and weekend groups; it is a place locals go specifically to eat and drink rather than a sleepy residential pocket. The mood is contemporary and mainstream rather than alternative or studenty.

Getting around

Transport is one of Çukurambar's strongest cards. It sits on Ankara's metro network and is served by Çukurambar station, putting Kızılay and the wider city within a short ride; Söğütözü station is also within reach on the western edge. Numerous city bus lines stop in and around the neighbourhood. With the centre only a few kilometres away and the metro on the doorstep, many residents commute without a car - though the wide boulevards and tower garages mean driving and parking are also designed in.

Eating and shopping

The neighbourhood is dense with places to eat. Modern meyhanes and restaurants cluster among the towers, with sports pubs and cafés filling the gaps; the YDA Center development even includes a rooftop restaurant with panoramic city views. Everyday shopping is easy: ground-floor retail, supermarkets and family health centres are built into the residential blocks, and the business district brings hotels with full meeting facilities. For bigger retail, the surrounding Çankaya and Söğütözü area adds malls and corporate amenities a short hop away.

When NOT to pick it

If your budget is tight, Çukurambar is hard to justify. As of early 2026 it had among the highest property prices per square metre in Ankara, and rents track that premium - this is one of the capital's most expensive places to find a room, far above neighbourhoods like Mamak, Sincan or outer Keçiören. The building stock is almost entirely new high-rise, so if you want old-Ankara character, leafy low-rise streets or a bohemian student feel, this is the wrong address. It is also business-district modern by nature: polished and convenient, but not historic or quirky. Çukurambar is at its best for professionals who want a new, secure, well-connected flat close to Ankara's corporate core - and who can pay for it.