Karen was previously within Ngong County. After Nairobi received city status in 1950 the counties were redefined. In 1963 Karen was placed under the Nairobi City Council's administration. It is generally considered that the suburb is named after Karen Blixen, the Danish author of the colonial memoir Out of Africa; her farm occupied the land where the suburb now stands. Blixen declared this in her later writings that "the residential district of Karen" was "named after me," although it has never been formally recognised. Blixen's home has since become a museum and is still standing and is a localtourist attraction, other tourist attractions are the giraffe center, the exclusive giraffe manor and the ololua nature trails.
Cityscape
Karen is a vibrant residential suburb characterized by big mansions, many trees, tranquil atmosphere, and plush gardens this is due to the areas minimum acreage requirement for all homeowners. Karen is also a center for many upscale restaurants and hotels in the city, offering cuisines from around the country and the world. There is a branch of the Red Cross in Karen.
Government
The Karengata Association manages Karen and Langata. It was organized in 1940 and by 2010 it had begun to manage the area's infrastructure.
Demographics
Karen is mainly populated by the wealthier demographic of Kenyans, as well as American, British, German, Japanese, and Scandinavian immigrants who work in Kenya. Other residents include white Kenyans of European colonial ancestry. Until 1980 the residents of Karen were chiefly British nationals.
De Lame, Danielle. "Grey Nairobi: Sketches of Urban Socialities." In: Charton-Bigot, Hélène and Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres. Nairobi Today: The Paradox of a Fragmented City. , 2010. p. 167-214., 9789987080939. The source edition is an English translation, published by of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in association with the French Institute for Research in Africa of Nairobi. The book was originally published in French as Nairobi contemporain: Les paradoxes d'une ville fragmentée, Karthala Editions. French version article: "." p. 221-284., 9782845867871.
* Includes a section on Karen and Langata, titled "Karen and Langata: Gardens and Suburbs", p. 174-179.
