7. Cadde (Aşkabat Caddesi)

About 7. Cadde (Aşkabat Caddesi)

7. Cadde is the everyday name for Aşkabat Caddesi, the main street of Bahçelievler in the Çankaya district and one of the best-known places for an evening out on Ankara's west side. Its official name is Aşkabat Caddesi, but locals and visitors mostly call it 7. Cadde, "Seventh Street". Bahçelievler grew out of a planned expansion of the capital towards the west, and its first buildings date to the early years of the Republic; the name comes from a building cooperative that put up detached houses with gardens. Most of those garden houses had gone by the 1980s as apartment blocks took over, and from the 1990s, helped by university faculties nearby, shops and businesses opened and the area became an economic and social centre. Today the street and the blocks around it are lined with shops, restaurants, cafes and bars, popular above all with students and young people, and the quarter is one of the city's liveliest entertainment areas in summer. Travel guides note boutiques, fashion stores and gift shops along the street, as well as plenty of cafes and restaurants. The idea of closing the street to traffic and turning it into a pedestrian street served by a heritage tram comes up from time to time. Practical notes: 7. Cadde is best for a stroll, coffee and casual shopping rather than big-name malls. It runs through Yukarı Bahçelievler towards Emek, so combine it with the surrounding Bahçelievler side streets.