Yesterday, I learned that Beit Safafa, where I live, used to be two different villages and it became one in 1967. There's two parts to Beit Safafa: the '48 part and the '67 part. One of them used to be a part of the West Bank, but after the '67 war both parts were reunited under Israel. It is still an Arab neighborhood, though. It is mostly Israeli Arabs that live here- most of them come from Northern villages (just like my roommates) to study and work because there are no jobs where they live. From my experience, together with people's reactions when I tell them where I live, I think it's a pretty nice and reputable place to live (if you're Arab).
There are, however, some problems due to the fact that it is an Arab village. Don't freak out! It's a safe place and the houses here are great, but the infrastructure of the neighborhood is pretty bad. First, the streets have no names or numbers, so the mail doesn't get to this part of town. Also, some of the roads are paved, others not so much, and others are just dirt roads.
Another thing about living here is that the Israeli bus system does not pass through this neighborhood- the closest stop is at about a 20 minute walk from my house, right outside of Beit Safafa. To try to make up for the lack of service provided in this area, there is a mini-bus that takes people from these not-so-well-communicated areas to the rest of Jerusalem. The bus costs less than the Israeli bus, but it doesn't pass by that often. It makes being independent (in terms of transportation) a real challenge.
I love living in Beit Safafa, but sometimes it can be a pain.
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