Living in Kızılay, Ankara

Kızılay is the central core of Ankara, in the Çankaya district, built up from the 1920s onwards after Ankara was declared the capital of the new Turkish Republic and a planned modern city centre was laid out around Atatürk Boulevard. The neighbourhood takes its name from the Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılayı), whose headquarters once stood on the northwest side of the central square; the building was later demolished, but the name stuck and now defines the busiest part of the city. Today Kızılay means the square, the surrounding grid of office blocks, shopping arcades and ministries, and the dense student streets just off the main avenue.

Who lives here

A young, central, mixed crowd. Kızılay is one of the most popular areas in Ankara for students and young professionals, partly because it sits at the centre of everything and partly because it is well connected to the city's universities - Ankara University, Hacettepe, Gazi and the language schools are all within easy reach by metro or on foot. Civil servants working in the nearby ministries are a constant daytime presence. Because so much of the building stock is offices, shops and older apartment blocks, a lot of residents are renters sharing flats rather than long-settled families.

What it's like during the day

This is the busiest part of Ankara, full stop. The square and Atatürk Boulevard heave with people, shops and cafés; Güvenpark - the public park beside the square, laid out in the 1930s with its Security Monument - is the main patch of green and a constant meeting point. Office workers, students and shoppers fill the streets through the day. Old shopping arcades sit next to glass-fronted towers, and you can find almost anything within a few minutes' walk. It is loud, dense and central rather than pretty.

What it's like in the evening

Kızılay is the heart of Ankara's nightlife, and most of it is student-driven and affordable. The bars and pubs on and around Sakarya Caddesi fill in the evening with a young crowd - small rock bars, taverns and live-music spots, relaxed rather than glossy. Cafés stay busy late, and the area keeps moving well after dark. The atmosphere is informal and youthful; prices are low compared to fancier districts. If you want a night out without a big budget, this is where Ankara goes.

Getting around

Kızılay is the single most connected point in the city. It is the main interchange of the Ankara rail network, where the Ankaray (A1) light-metro line crosses the M1, M2 and M4 metro lines, all underground in the same connected complex - you change between them without going up to street level. From here you can reach the intercity bus terminal, the university areas to the west, and the residential and government districts in almost any direction. Add dense bus routes and the fact that the centre is genuinely walkable, and you rarely need anything else.

Eating and shopping

Everyday and student-friendly rather than fine dining. The streets around Sakarya are full of cheap eateries, meyhane-style taverns, bakeries and cafés; fish and meze spots cluster near the bars. For shopping, Kızılay mixes modern stores along the main avenue with older covered arcades where you can hunt for clothes, books and second-hand finds. Groceries, pharmacies and everything practical are never more than a short walk away - convenience is the whole point of living here.

When NOT to pick it

If you want calm, green or quiet, this is the wrong neighbourhood. Kızılay is busy and noisy day and night, with crowds, traffic and bar noise in the central streets. Much of the area is offices and commerce rather than residential, so green space is limited to Güvenpark and some apartments sit above shops and bars. The square has also historically been a focal point for demonstrations, given the surrounding ministries. Kızılay is at its best for students and young people who want to be in the absolute centre, pay less, and have the whole city a metro ride away - and who don't mind that it never really goes quiet.