Yeka

This mixed-income area east of the city centre offers a variety of housing from modest bungalows in small, gated compounds to shanty dwellings. There is a higher population density here than in neighbouring Aware and traffic is heavy along the one main road. Elsewhere in the area, infrastructure is poor. Yeka Park, just a few steps from Yeka Mikael church (Ethiopian Orthodox), offers a haven of peace in a lush, well-tended environment; facilities include a childrens playground and a bar, popular with students in search of an alternative to the citys crowded libraries. Entrance costs 1 Birr; the park can also be booked for private functions. Basic goods can be bought from the numerous shops and stalls along the main road; otherwise it is necessary to make the six-kilometre trip into town. Yeka also marks the start of the new ring road linking the east of the city with Bole international airport in the southeast, the industrial area in Nefas Silk to the south, Old Airport (Mekanisa) to the west and Gulele in the northwest.