As Cairo’s southernmost district, Maadi is physically and mentally far from the chaos of Downtown. With its mazes of quiet tree-lined streets, majestic old villas peaking out from behind well-manicured hedges, and a large foreign population, it really doesn’t seem possible that this peaceful area is in Cairo. But the verdant suburb, nicknamed “Little America,” does exist only 12 kilometers upstream from Downtown. For decades it has been attracting the expat community, offering all the benefits of city living minus the concrete, noise and congestion.

It was the railway built in 1904 connecting Cairo to Helwan that gave birth to Maadi. Wide tracks of land on both sides of the line were sold to the Egyptian Delta Land and Investment Company, and in 1905, a retired English-Canadian officer by the name of Captain Alexander J. Adams took on the task of planning the town. Strict rules governed residential development in Maadi, including the size of houses and how much of a property could be occupied by the house and how much had to be left for the garden. Maadi steadily grew, and thanks to Adams’ visionary efforts, the wide shady boulevards and large villas still exist today.

It feels as if everyone in this community knows everyone else — but don’t worry, you won’t feel like you’re living on the gossipy Wisteria Lane of Desperate Housewives. Not all the time, at least.

The relatively small size of Maadi (compared to the rest of Cairo’s neighborhoods) and its geographical isolation lend it a distinctly suburban atmosphere. Mothers or nannies stroll along the roads with baby carriages, sports fans gather for softball games at Victory College Ball Park, and families pour out of their Jeeps and Land Rovers to overrun the popular Lucille’s diner on Road 9. In shady yards, children giggle and bounce on trampolines behind the safety of gated or enclosed compounds, with walls that serve more for privacy than for safety. Maadi has a very low crime rate but the security checkpoints located at the major entrances add an extra sense of comfort.

The air really does smell cleaner in Maadi thanks to all the trees, which are also pleasing to the eye, but beauty and tranquility can have drawbacks. At first, it may be difficult maneuvering the streets as they all look the same: tree-lined and lots of identical roundabouts. Streets are laid out mostly in a grid pattern and most are not named; they are simply numbered. Unlike other parts of Cairo however, more times than not, you can hop into a cab in Maadi and find a knowledgeable, bilingual driver who knows the street you want.

Despite its serene environment, Maadi is not completely cut off from the rest of the city. Nestled between two of Cairo’s major traffic arteries, the autostrad (connecting Maadi to Nasr City and Heliopolis) and the Corniche, driving to any part of the city is easy. Cairo Metro’s Line 1 also serves Maadi and has three conveniently located stations along Road 9.

As tempting as it may be to hole yourself up in your beautiful old villa or bougainvillea garden, suppress the urge, for there is much to do in Maadi.

While retaining its old charm, Maadi has gained some of the characteristics of any urban center, including fast food chains, supermarkets, department stores and gyms. Maadi’s original commercial strip, located along the metro line, still exists today. Road 9 offers a number of stores, shops, restaurants and coffee shops, but throughout Maadi you can find an eclectic range of eateries from Italian (try La Rosa on Road 231) to Asian (Gaya on Road 253). Café Greco (Road 9) is popular for providing the caffeine-addicted with their morning fix, while garden seating makes Euro Deli (Road 232) a neighborhood favorite. Lucille’s (Road 9) serves the best hamburgers in all of Africa and fantastic breakfasts to boot. Places along the Nile such as TGI Fridays and Fusion also offer a great atmosphere and spectacular view. And if you’re in that area around sunset, a felucca ride should not be missed.

The nightlife and club scene are lacking — but that’s what Zamalek is for. You can still go out in Maadi and have a nice time. Some restaurants serve alcohol and there is always the Red Onion Restaurant and Pub (Road 276). Tabasco on Road 7 is also a good option for a night out with friends.

The services in Maadi are greatly geared toward the expats. The city-wide Metro markets grocery chain offers a wide variety of imported foods, while Miriam and Kimo market are favored among Maadi’s smaller local stores. The larger grocery stores do of course sell produce but many of the street fruit stands will have just as colorful a selection, often at cheaper prices.

Bank branches, ATMs, gas stations, florists, even Christmas trees during the holiday season — Maadi has everything you might need. Carrefour is only a few minutes drive from central Maadi, Road 9 offers a variety of smaller shops (and you can find a repairman for whatever type of problem you’re encountering) and there is always the Maadi Grand Mall (although it’s a bit of a misnomer).

There is an assortment of churches of varying denominations and even a synagogue. For entertainment, check out the Family Cinema Complex showing the latest foreign films. There are community magazines and newsletters catering to the very large expat community and numerous bookshops offering publications in a variety of languages (Volume 1 bookstore is definitely one of the best).

A variety of community organizations and centers such as CSA offer a wide range of classes from language lessons to cooking and ceramics classes. Maadi is also home to some of the best schools in Cairo including CAC, Lycée Français du Caire (LFC) and Maadi British International School (MBIS). For the younger family members, numerous nurseries offering care in a variety of languages are readily available. Gold’s Gym and Samia Allouba are very popular among the expat community and offer a variety of classes, but many foreigners take advantage of the quiet streets and run or bike in the early morning hours.

Originally a home for artists, literati and the upper classes, as well as drawing a colorful bouquet of foreign nationalities (including a number of embassies), Maadi to this day remains an exclusive, first class district — and is of course on Cairo’s first class price list.

Maadi can be roughly subdivided into three major neighborhoods: Sarayat (Old Maadi), New Maadi and Degla. The streets of Sarayat are graced with private Mediterranean-inspired villas reminiscent of times past. There are some with a more modern, Frank Lloyd Wright feel to them but the entire area stretching from the railway line west to the Nile boasts beautiful architecture in a serene setting. Sarayat is the most expensive area to buy or rent a villa. The price for buying a villa in this area ranges from LE 6,500 per square meter to LE 10,000. Renting a flat can start as low as LE 1,200, depending on furnishings, but if you find a livable place at this rate consider yourself very lucky.

New Maadi, situated west of the rail line, and Degla in the east, have comparable starting prices for both renting and buying. Expect rent rates to begin at about $1,000. The area surrounding the Cairo American College (CAC) in Degla is more expensive because the school is such an attraction to foreign families. Paying upwards of $5,000 is not uncommon.

Nerco, a subdivision of New Maadi, is a modern imitation of Sarayat but lacks the grandiose feel of the latter’s shady streets and palatial villas. The newer developments in these two areas offer rental rates starting at LE 3,000 and range up to $1,500. Buying in this area starts at about LE 2,300 per square meter.

Although there are now plenty of flats in Maadi, it is still the least densely populated neighborhood in Greater Cairo. Most of the flats are in low-rise buildings and the majority of Maadi’s high-rises are down near the Nile — but be forewarned that finding a flat with less than two bedrooms will be difficult. If a room with a view is what you desire, buying Nile-view property starts at $3,000 per square meter.  et