Karen is a suburb ofNairobi inKenya, lying south-west of Nairobi's central business district.The suburb of Karen borders theNgong Forest and is home to theNgong Racecourse. Karen andLangata previously formed a somewhat isolated area of mid- to high-income residents, but the two suburbs have become increasingly interconnected and linked to the rest of Nairobi through the expansion of the eponymous Langata Road andNgong Road, the latter project completed in 2021.
Karen was previously inNgong County. AfterNairobi received city status in 1950 the counties were redefined. In 1963 Karen was placed under the Nairobi City Council's administration.[1]
It is generally considered that the suburb is named afterKaren Blixen, theDanish author of the colonial memoirOut of Africa; her farm occupied the land where the suburb now stands. Blixen declared in her later writings that "the residential district of Karen" was "named after me," although it has never been formally recognised.[2]
Blixen's home is still standing and forms the centerpiece of theKaren Blixen Museum, a key local tourist attraction.[3] Other tourist attractions are theAFEW Giraffe Center, the exclusiveGiraffe Manor, theSheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage, and theOloolua Forest nature trails.
On 1 September 2017 the first interreligious conference of theDIMMID in Africa took place at the Subiaco Center of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing.[4]
Karen is a vibrant residential suburb characterized by big mansions, many trees, a tranquil atmosphere, and plush gardens this is due to the areas minimum acreage requirement for all homeowners.[5] Karen is also home to an increasing number upscale restaurants, hotels, and malls such as The Hub and The Waterfront. There is a branch of theRed Cross in Karen.[5]
The Karengata Association manages Karen andLangata. It was organized in 1940 and by 2010 it had begun to manage the area'sinfrastructure.[5]
Karen is mainly populated by the wealthier demographic of Kenyans, as well as the political class.[6]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(August 2013) |
TheWest Nairobi School is located in Karen. The current campus opened in 2000.[7]
TheNairobi Japanese School is located in theLang'ata area,[8] in proximity to Karen.[9]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
1°19′11″S36°41′56″E / 1.3198°S 36.6988°E /-1.3198; 36.6988
