Ankara - Post Report Question and Answers
Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
When I was single, I much preferred Istanbul- far more variety of people to meet and things to do there. Married with small kids -> Ankara all the way. Easy city to navigate, great parks and playgrounds, etc - Nov 2023
I can only speak for families. It is a nice place to live. The weather is good, the food is great and the sites are fantastic. - Jan 2023
Great for everyone I think. Lots of restaurants, travel, outside activities. There are many parks. Turks are very friendly and love children. - Nov 2021
Thus is a great city for couples and in particular for large or young families. Turks love children and kids can do no wrong here. It is affordable, easy living and the weather allows for outdoor play for most of the year. There is a playground on every block. Single people might be a little bored here, as Ankara lacks some of the culture and nightlife of Istanbul. - Sep 2020
We enjoyed the multitude of travel opportunities around Turkey. Turkish Air (and Pegasus) flies domestically almost everywhere from Ankara for under $100 a seat round trip. The flight to Northern Cyprus is considered and priced as a domestic flight. Daily cheap, fast trains travel from Ankara to Istanbul (3.5 hours), Konya (2 hours), and EskiÅŸehir (80 minutes). Singles seemed to have no trouble finding watering holes or eateries at which to gather. Turkish language ability is often necessary if not doing a guided tour. - Oct 2018
Fine for both. - Oct 2018
Our community tends to be "family-heavy." However, I have not seen single people having a hard time finding dates. - Sep 2018
This is a not a good option for singles. I think it would also be a challenge if you are here without kids. There is literally no social scene here. I would only come here if I had elementary school aged children. The upper levels do not have many kids in their grades. - Jul 2018
We have kids, and we love Oran with its playgrounds, easy to walk to malls and supermarkets, availability of help, and good schools. Ankara is not an exciting cultural place, but Turkey is, and Ankara is cheaper and easier than Istanbul, if not as interesting a city. Think of Ankara as Philadelphia to Istanbul as New York. - Oct 2017
Yes, yes, and yes. This is a great city for everyone. I met my wife here and love it. The dating scene is a little different than in the US and casual dating doesn't really exist. It's OK to go out in a group, but you don't go out on a one to one date unless you are serious. - Sep 2017
This is a great city for all. Dating here is very interesting. Casual dating doesn't exist in the Turkish culture, so if you're going to date a local you need to find out if things are going somewhere. That said I met my wife here and a number of others have gotten married here as well. - Jun 2017
Fantastic for families. Turks love kids and I honestly can't imagine having these young kids anywhere else. Turks will pick up your child when she is crying and let you eat a meal -- there are play areas EVERYWHERE. My kids have become totally used to being doted on and loved everywhere we go. It is just heaven for kids. - Sep 2016
I would think this would be a boring city for singles/couples unless you found a like-minded group of people. It is good for families in that there are parks and activities and schools, but it is not an INTERESTING city overall. - Aug 2015
Very good city for families and couples. I don't know much about the single scene. Turks love children. - Jun 2015
Families, yes. Couples, yes. Singles, it depends. Ankara is not Istanbul, but there are bars, clubs, restaurants, and lots of activities around the embassy community and its social organizations. It would depend on exactly what you want. - Apr 2015
Yes. Ankara is a conservative capital and very government heavy, but there are ways to get out and be involved in what you enjoy: hiking groups, expat groups, religious activities, travel, parks (small but there, with some playgrounds suitable for the younger crowds). Malls are big and everywhere with movie theaters, arcades, lasertag, and restaruants. There are paintball parks too. You could choose to be miserable here (especially when the wind blows strong and freezing) but you can easily choose happy here as well. - Feb 2015
Yes, mostly. Single women have a harder time than single men do, as usual. Families seem to really enjoy Ankara. - Jun 2014
Yes for all. - Apr 2014
Yes for all. - Mar 2014
Ankara is a boring city except for the times of unrest caused by local politics. Very few activities available for children and too few green areas. - Mar 2014
Ankara can be a good city for families or singles or couples. Like most posts, it is all in what you make of it. That said, you quickly run out of things to do here, whichever category you fit into. - Jul 2013
It's great for couples and families with kids. For singles without Turkish, it's a little more difficult. - Aug 2011
I think families and couples like Ankara much better then do singles. There is a large American community here -- both diplomatic and military. Kids enjoy Ankara and all the activities the DOD school offers. Single men seem to have a good time here. It's mixed feelings for single women. - Jul 2010
