A Village in the Middle of the City: That´s the Neighborhood Where I Live..

I wake up every day to the sound of birds, the neighbors know me by name, children play in the streets, and there´s always a friendly neighbor offering me products from their garden.

I live in a calm and peaceful neighborhood where people still leave their keys in the door, and kids roam the streets freely. But don´t be mistaken, this neighborhood isn´t located in a countryside village. Surprisingly, it´s just a little over 20 minutes away from Lisbon.
Casal Novo, situated in the parish of Caneças (the oldest parish in the municipality of Odivelas), is a quiet neighborhood predominantly made up of houses. The older ones were built during the founding years of the neighborhood in the 1920s when it was still a cluster of houses without proper infrastructure, essentially clandestine.
The new houses, which are now coming up across my neighborhood, offer an opportunity to families seeking a quieter life. They aim to swap cramped apartments and the hectic noise of the big city for the calm and serenity of living on the outskirts of Lisbon.

Distant, yet not far
Distant, because most of the time I feel like I live in the countryside where bread is still delivered to the door by the baker´s van, and if I´m short on cash when buying fruit at the grocery store, the owner quickly reassures me and lets me pay the next day. Not far away, because I have the advantage of being able to travel to the metropolis in a matter of minutes, thanks to the access roads built in recent years, just 5 minutes from CRIL or CREL, which swiftly take me to Lisbon or any area along the Cascais or Sintra lines.
If we want to go to the cinema or shopping at a mall, no problem. Just "turn right," and within 10 minutes, I´m at UBBO, or if I "turn left," within a short 10 minutes, I´m at Strada. Both by car and public transport, we can easily reach wherever we want, whether it´s for leisure or, for instance, to go to a hospital (which is also 10 minutes away).
My neighborhood allows me to combine the best of both worlds: I can have my daughters walk to school, ensuring they maintain friendships since their school days and easily meet up with their friends to play at our home or theirs because they are so close by. But if I crave the excitement of the capital, I can quickly get to Lisbon and enjoy all the wonderful things our capital city has to offer.

Architecture
We can say that the houses in Casal Novo still have a semi-rural status, with some small agricultural plots alternating with residential buildings of 2 to 3 floors, mainly single-family units.
Despite being a neighborhood, as mentioned earlier, of illegal origin, most of its homes are already legalized, and the balanced dimensions make the neighborhood quite harmonious.
The neighborhood still has green spaces and playgrounds, providing pleasant hours with the little ones.

The Village of White Clothes
Caneças is a village full of stories and traditions, the most striking of which is its history of washerwomen and water carriers. The village supplied water to the city of Lisbon, in clay pots distributed door to door in the capital. It was also known for its washerwomen who spent hours in the sun washing the clothes of Lisbon´s bourgeoisie. From this history came the movie known to all, "The Village of White Clothes," starring Beatriz Costa, which told the story of the lives of the inhabitants of the area.
In my neighborhood, close to a big city, it´s easy to find the peace and tranquility of a "village." If you value family well-being and want to live with your family in a welcoming and serene neighborhood, just a short distance from all services, commerce, and cultural and leisure spaces, you´ll find a good option in this area.
New houses have prices ranging from €400,000 to €800,000, and below these values, there are older houses ready to welcome you and turn them into the perfect home for your family.
In the neighborhood, you can also find spacious apartments that are more affordable than in the big city. Between €150,000 and €350,000, you can acquire a beautiful 2-bedroom apartment to start living in your new neighborhood.

If you want to know more about this area or if you´re looking for a property to change your life, don´t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Author: Cláudia Ferreira