Mekanisa (Old Airport)

This wealthy area, popular with the large expatriate community, is south of old Lideta airport, from which it takes its alternative name. Numerous diplomatic missions have their offices and/or residences here. Housing is mostly in villas in large, secure compounds; however, here as in other parts of the city security is typically low-key. Property is older than in Bole and CMC, the areas of new expansion also popular with foreigners, although there is also some new development, especially in the less populous area to the south. There is a cluster of more exclusive homes around Bisrate Gebriel church (Ethiopian Orthodox) in the heart of the area. The International Community School (US curriculum, pre-kindergarten to grade 12) is just a few steps away. Traffic on the main thoroughfares is heavy at all times of the day but away from the roads the area is quiet. Herds of goat being driven along the lanes or grazing by the roadside give a rural feel. Fantu supermarket and Shoppers Mart near the Old Airport offer a good selection of local and imported products; the latter is open 24 hours a day. Both have community notice boards for local news and events. Nearby on Pushkin Square is Adams Pavilion, a glistening new - but largely empty - shopping mall with four floors of boutiques, a bookshop and Kaldis Coffee (a kind of Ethiopian Starbucks) among other things. The African Union building is located on Roosevelt Street just to the north. The international tennis club and the Addis Ababa golf club are both to be found here.

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Address Mekanisa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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Mekanisa (Old Airport)

Mekanisa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia