Jerusalem - Post Report Question and Answers
Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Singles and couples without kids seem to have the most fun here. Families do well, but the school situation can be challenging. - Oct 2019
Best for couples and families. The singles here have a good time but the singles scene is pretty small. Not really a club or bar scene here. Jerusalem might be a good place to meet someone if you're super religious. Most people go to Tel Aviv for night life and dating. - Aug 2018
Good for all. For singles though a lot of dating social life is more centered in Tel Aviv because it's much less religious, especially if you're dating locals as opposed to expats. For couples and families, it's great. Israel is a tiny country, so it's very easy to take day trips to Tel Aviv, the beach, the Dead Sea, and lots of archaeological and natural national parks. - Apr 2018
All. Singles, young couples, families, you name it -- all find their niche. - Dec 2016
Yes for all. Great place for young families (with elementary and preschool aged kids). Those with older kids have a mixed bag - because public transportation is still off-limits for official Americans, and older kids either need to taxi (which gets expensive), get driven around (which gets old), or be able/willing to bike around (which is increasingly do-able - more and more Israelis in Jerusalem use electric bikes to get around). That said, older kids would probably appreciate the uniqueness of living in a city like Jerusalem with its tensions and history. - Aug 2015
In general, good for all of the above, though I have heard from some non-jewish singles that it was hard to find long-term dating material because of the religion issue. This is an ideal city for families - people have a LOT of kids in jerusalem (the average fertility rate in the city is 5.4) so many things are geared towards children. No one will bat an eye in a restaurant if your baby starts crying. - Aug 2015
It can be a good city for any/all I suppose but I know a lot of the families were not happy here. We were not real happy here either. The city for all its wonderful attributes is not a welcoming place to outsiders. Nor does it offer enough to keep one occupied for three + years. Two years would be great here. I have heard great things about the nightlife for singles, though. - May 2015
It is good for everyone. Plenty of things to see and do to keep singles entertained as well as families. Tel Aviv is just a 45-minute drive away if the Jerusalem night life is found to be lacking. There is a small handful of non-kosher bars and restaurants that are open on Shabbat. - Mar 2014
Definitely good for families. There are tons of playgrounds and green spaces everywhere, tons of day trips, etc. Singles find it a bit harder specially to date because of religious barriers. A lot drive to Tel Aviv on the weekend since it's only 45 minutes away. - Aug 2013
This is a city for couples or families, not singles. Most families seem to be happy, but singles consistently complain of a lack of social outlets and the difficulty of meeting possible partners. Palestinian culture is relatively conservative, and the majority of Jews in Jerusalem are also conservative. Bars and nightlife exist, but they cannot compare to the scene in Tel Aviv. Jewish expats seem to have no problem meeting people to date. On the bright side, the international expat community has gotten larger over the years due to the number of NGO workers in the West Bank. - Jul 2013
I think is good for families, if They don't want to travel frequently to the States, because the airplane for young kids is difficult. In the summer the kids really enjoy here, the American Embassy in Tel Aviv has a place like an hour away from Jerusalem where we can use with a pool, the beach in Tel Aviv is 45 minutes away. There are some public pools in hotels. We live in east Jerusalem and we use the Hyatt, they have a Kiddie pool and a nice playground. The local zoo is really a good deal if you buy the annual membership, and there is a Kibutz for kids about 30 minutes away. - Feb 2009
