Where to live in Lagos: 5 best places.
Maya’s valuable lesson.
It was day 7 of house hunting, Maya was standing on a curb, this was the third time that she had almost gotten hit and each time the bike man followed her exclamations with a barrage of curses. Everything here was weird and even now she didn’t know if to laugh or get mad at the audacity and the heft of the curses that came with the passing motorcyclists on a pedestrian curb. She had little understanding of Yoruba but Oloriburuku seemed to be the most insulting word she was used to now.
She had managed to get off the curb and began to cross the road, weaving through the traffic of impatient motorcyclists and mad drivers.
Her friend had said she was looking in the wrong places for great housing options, today she was going to be looking in places that mattered. He had started calmly in that serenading baritone voice, “See here Maya, I am going to be telling you a lot maybe you should get a jotter.”
There are very few places in Lagos that have great houses, many houses in Lagos are beautiful houses without water but with prices through the roof, or landowners that are bat-eyed crazy, often the best way to get one is by referrals. Approaching friends, family or Property tech companies (like Hiyalo) is often a great choice for you — Follow the Hiyalo publication to learn more: http://www.medium.com/hiyalo.
However, even then you need to recognise that the area of choice is important, which is why I’ll be talking about 5 areas on the mainland for people like Maya who work on the island and what the pros and cons are.
- Yaba: If you’re looking to have a fun life in Lagos and don’t mind a little discomfort there’s Yaba with its proximity to the island for those who work on the island but can’t afford the housing prices there. The nightlife however compensates a lot but like any other house in Lagos. It cuts right through your throat! But accessibility is one of the selling points for this area. And just in case Lagos makes you lose your mind there’s a psychiatric hospital nearby.
- Ikeja: The capital and business hub of Lagos is one of the few places in Lagos which is strategically built, with clean water to say the least. Expensive, yes, I mean what house in Lagos isn’t expensive or overpriced? But at least you’re sure of being in a protected neighbourhood with such great proximity to many key places in Lagos and even an industrial hub within its region. Ikeja city mall has diverse shopping options to help ease the stress when you’re overwhelmed.
- Surulere: Not exactly the safest of places, however, this area is often referred to as the centre of Lagos, often people joke about how you can get anywhere in Lagos from Surulere. If you’re on a budget but somehow have to be on the island every morning you might want to look for houses around here. With its bubbling activities, you are sure not to experience the real Lagos!
- Maryland: The debate is that there’s no light in Lagos not in Maryland though, they seem to beat the odds most times. The roads may yet be the closest you get to working roads, an excellent area to consider. Maryland shopping mall allows you to live like a proper Lagosian: grind hard, spend plenty.
- Festac: Recently, there’s been a huge influx of people to this area, there’s a reason for this. Festac is one of the few places in Lagos which is properly planned and can boast of infrastructure that maybe be absent in several areas in Lagos, unlike other areas that may segregate a class of Nigerians, the rich and poor seem to find affordable housing in the area. And with proximity to big markets like Ojo, you couldn’t ask for a better living experience.
“Comot for road o, e no get brake” screamed another motorcyclist jumping her thoughts. “Shey this place na road”, she retorted. If only she knew who would take this stress of house hunting off her.
Join the waitlist here
Well, she soon makes an interesting discovery that changes her life forever. This solution might interest you, Join the waitlist and follow the hiyalo publication to learn about Maya’s discovery! You don’t want to miss this one!
