The center itself: Sabail and Nasimi districts
Picture Baku as rings spreading from the center to the outskirts. Inside are old buildings, dense blocks and the metro. The farther from the center, the more private houses and open space there are, and the harder it is to get by without a car. We have split the city’s districts, together with the neighboring Absheron, into six pairs: neighboring and similar districts stand side by side so that you can compare them.
Sabail district is old Baku itself. Here are Icherisheher, the Seaside Boulevard and the city’s best-known streets. Most buildings are old. There are few new buildings, and when you do find them, it is most often on the slopes of Badamdar. Bayil and Badamdar face the sea, and the view is wonderful. But it is a slope: getting around on foot and by transport is less convenient than in the very center, and the difference is noticeable.
Nasimi district is one of the city’s most business-oriented and densest districts. Offices, banks and shopping centers stand next to each other, and there are several metro stations too. Old buildings sit alongside new ones. Demand for furnished apartments to rent is high here all year round. If you work in the center, want to walk to the metro and are not tired out by city noise, Nasimi district is one of the best places for you.
- For those who work in the center and like to walk
- For those looking for a furnished apartment or a short-term rental
- For those who like the high ceilings and thick walls of old buildings
- Keep in mind: old courtyards have little room for a car
Near the center: Yasamal and Narimanov districts
Yasamal district is called the university district. Here are universities, dormitories and libraries, so there is always demand for renting a room or a 1-room apartment. Several metro stations run through the district, and the center is a few stops away by metro. Old Yasamal is Soviet-era buildings, while New Yasamal has many large new-building complexes.
Narimanov district is calmer and better suited to families. Wide avenues, parks, schools and the area around Ganjlik are what the district is known for. The buildings are mixed. There are both well-built old buildings and new buildings from recent years, with a large choice of floors and layouts. There is a metro, but from some parts of the district you have to take a bus to the station.
Both districts are close to the center but not as noisy as the center. That is why families and people looking for a long-term rental often ask for them. The difference is mostly in the atmosphere: Yasamal is young and lively, Narimanov is calm and established.
- Students and young professionals: Yasamal
- A family with children, a quiet courtyard: Narimanov
- Those who commute to work by metro: both
- Plenty of both new and old buildings: both
The east side: Nizami and Khatai districts
By Nizami district we mean the area around the 8th Kilometer, Keshla and Neftchilar. There are many Soviet-era microdistricts here, that is, old five- and nine-story blocks. Here and there new buildings have grown up between them. There are many metro stations, so you do not need a car to get to the center.
Khatai district comes in two kinds. The areas around Ahmadli and Azi Aslanov are old microdistricts: prices are comparatively low and the metro is close. Closer to the sea come the new complexes being built along White City and the continuation of the boulevard. This is one of the newest parts of the city, and prices here match.
A buyer who wants to live closer to the center but is not ready to pay the center’s prices often settles on exactly these two districts. When you look at an apartment, ask what year the building was built and check the elevator and utilities. There are many old buildings here, and these details directly affect how much you will pay every month.
- Old building on a budget: the 8th Kilometer, Ahmadli
- New building with a sea view: the White City side
- The metro is within walking distance: in both
- Young families buying their first home
The northern exit: Binagadi and Sabunchu districts
Binagadi district is at the northwest exit from the city. Here are Bilajari, the 9th Microdistrict and Binagadi settlement. It is also one of the places where the most new buildings have been going up in recent years, so people who want to buy an apartment straight from a developer often look here. The metro reaches the Bus Station and Darnagul, while most settlements are far from the stations.
Sabunchu district begins at Bakikhanov and stretches to Mashtaga, Nardaran, Bilgah and Pirshagi. Bakikhanov is a dense residential area, with the metro close by and old buildings mixed with new ones. When you move on to the settlements, the picture changes completely: private houses, plots of land and dachas by the sea on the northern coast.
For a buyer who counts the budget and does not need to travel to the center every day, these two districts are a sensible choice. Go to see an apartment during working hours so you see the road as it really is. On the northern routes there are traffic jams both morning and evening. And “a couple of minutes to the center” in a listing is usually calculated for an empty road.
- A new building from a developer: Binagadi
- A private house, a plot: the settlements of both districts
- A dacha on the northern coast: Bilgah, Nardaran, Pirshagi
- The metro nearby: Bakikhanov, the area around the Bus Station
The seaside: Khazar and Surakhani districts
Khazar district occupies the northeast coast of the peninsula: Mardakan, Shuvalan, Buzovna, Bina and Turkan. There are few high-rises, and most homes are private houses and dachas. So the questions of whether there is a title deed for the land and whether water and gas are connected matter more here than when buying an apartment. There is no metro. Both the airport and the sea are close. In summer demand for rentals rises sharply, while in winter many houses stand empty. Neighboring Pirallahi is a separate district: it is on an island linked to the peninsula by a causeway, there are few houses there, and few listings too.
Surakhani district is in the southeast and includes Amirjan, Garachukhur, Yeni Guneshli, Govsan and Bulbula. There are many private houses, but Yeni Guneshli and Garachukhur also have high-rise areas. The nearest metro to Yeni Guneshli is Azi Aslanov, on the border with Khatai district. Some blocks sit next to old oil fields, and that affects the surroundings. So see the particular street with your own eyes.
Whoever picks this side usually wants quiet, a yard of their own and the sea. In return the road to the city gets longer, and without your own car you can hardly manage here. Khazar district is more often chosen for family life and the summer season, while Surakhani is chosen for affordable year-round living.
- A private house and the sea: Mardakan, Buzovna, Shuvalan
- Cheaper high-rises: Yeni Guneshli, Garachukhur
- Summer rentals and dachas: the coastal settlements of Khazar district
- The airport nearby: Bina and its surroundings
The outer ring: Garadagh and Absheron districts
Garadagh district is Baku’s southwest outskirts: Lokbatan, Sahil, Puta, Alat and the direction toward Gobustan. The district has large industrial zones, and its residential part is mainly private houses and settlement-style blocks. There is no metro; people travel to the city by bus or car. People who move here are usually looking for the cheapest option or work nearby.
On paper, Absheron district lies outside the city of Baku. But Khirdalan, Masazir and Sarai have in effect become a continuation of the city, so listings show them together with Baku. This is one of the places where the most is being built in recent years: new-building complexes and private houses multiply side by side, and toward Novkhani lie the dachas of the northern coast. There is no metro, but buses to Baku run often. Khirdalan also has a railway station.
In the outer ring, everything comes down to infrastructure. Schools, hospitals, shops and the state of the road differ greatly from block to block. Do not be reassured by “close to the city” in a listing; drive the route yourself during working hours. If you want to see listings for all districts and settlements in one place, open the index of places.
- The cheapest private house: the settlements of Garadagh district
- New-building complexes: Khirdalan, Masazir
- A dacha, the northern coast: the Novkhani side
- For those ready to drive or take a bus every day