I love Tel-Aviv

... because it's one of Airbnb's Top Ten Destinations for 2012!

2012-02-02T22:59:00.000+02:00

Airbnb, a popular online service that matches people seeking vacation rentals with those with rooms to rent, had listed Tel Aviv as one of its top ten destinations for 2012! To be exact, Tel Aviv is listed the second in this list. Right above Sydney. Right below London... Nice neighborhood to be in!
I'm a big fan of Airbnb. Last year we used it to find a place to stay for two short vacations we went to, and both times we found a really cool, hip places, where we felt like locals. And I think this would really be the best way to explore Tel Aviv: live in an apartment like a local, go to the corner cafe in the morning, take a stroll on the nearby boulevard, rent a bike and ride on the promenade, and watch the sunset on one of the beaches...

... because of curiosity of a foreigner

2012-01-30T20:45:00.001+02:00

The "Shorashim" gallery on Habima square had opened yesterday a new exposition called "View from here - light from there". The exhibition includes the works of painters from the former Soviet Union who work and live here, in Israel, but who naturally bring their background, education and culture into their creations. Kind of a boiling point in the form of art.
In the opening speech, the curators talked about a newfound love to the Israeli landscapes seen in the presented artworks. This got me thinking about a "curiosity of a foreigner".
This is a line of the poem by Anna Akhmatova, Russian poet of the first half of 20 century. In the poem Akhmatova describes a newfound sense of happiness when she looks on the streets of her beloved city, St. Petersburg, "with a curiosity of a foreigner". Then everything that she was long accustomed with, looks fresh and wonderful and new.
And so the artists who hadn't been born here in Israel look on everything with a curiosity of a foreigner. They keep this fresh perspective and wonder for the things that to people who were born into this reality might look mundane: Israeli landscapes, streets of Tel Aviv, the Mediterranean sea.
My friend Lesya Bershov is one of the artists of the exhibition. Good luck Lesya and thanks for your curiosity of a foreigner for Tel Aviv streets, cafes and people!

...because the street is everyone's front yard

2012-01-25T19:07:00.001+02:00

If you walk along Nordau boulevard in the morning hours of a fine winter day, you'll see a bunch of people sitting on the benches, drinking coffee, reading newspapers, talking - getting their day started in the open air.
One of the things I like about Tel Aviv is that people actually consider street as an extension of their home. It's not unusual to see someone sitting on a park bench, drinking a coffee from a mug, talking over the phone. So like almost unconsciously one is going from room to room while talking on the phone, one can just as easy go outside. The street is just another room. The city is an extension of the apartment.
One early Saturday morning Lesya and I were taking a walk on Pinsker street. It was pretty early, the street empty, most of the people still asleep. Suddenly one of the doors opened, and out went this guy with a cup of coffee. He sat on the staircase leading to the building, drank his coffee, and then returned inside. And I thought how cool was it that the outside stairs were his porch, and that the city is everyone's front yard.

... because of sunlit winters

2012-01-21T14:28:00.001+02:00

Elisabet, my French tutor, gave me an assignment: write a poem about Tel Aviv, inspired by the hit song "A Paris" by Riff Cohen that tells about ... well, Paris, in a "grocery store list" style.

Here goes:
In Tel Aviv, there are
Beaches and boulevards
Cafes and toddlers
Bicycles and surfing boards
And parks and dogs

In Tel Aviv, there are
Sunlit winters and endless summers
Banana beach and Gordon pool
The old Jaffa and Neve Tsedek
And flip flops and swimming suits

And balconies and rooftop gardens
Tiny flats and lack of space
Noisy streets and greasy alleys
And hummus and hamsin

And Bauhaus and Opera house
Allenby and Shenkin
Hacarmel market and holy land souvenirs
And poets and snobs

In Tel Aviv, there are
Beaches and boulevards
Cafes and toddlers
Bicycles and surfing boards
And parks and dogs

And reins over this all
The Mediterranean sea

Elisabeth, I'll have this in French for our class :)

... because of the metro

2010-11-01T00:09:00.002+02:00

A "Dan" bus on Ibn-Gabirol street, on quiet Friday afternoon

Tel Avivians have many dreams about the future of their city and the ways they want it to become. Tel Aviv underground transportation system (AKA "Tel Aviv Light Rail") is, without a doubt, one of the most common, the most persistent and the least realistic of those dreams.

Actually the public transportation in the city center of Tel Aviv is quite efficient. You can pretty much get anywhere you want using the bus system, operated by four bus companies, major of which are national "Egged" that runs from North to South of Israel, from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat; and local "Dan", serving all of the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area ("Gush Dan" in Hebrew; here, according to the Bible, was the land of the tribe of Dan). In addition to the "traditional" buses (like the one on the picture above, driving along Ibn-Gabirol street on a quiet Friday afternoon), we have a "share taxi" system (called here "service taxi"), with minibuses that follow the major bus routes - and operate also on Saturdays and holidays (when other public transportation is closed).

A "service taxi" on Ha-yarkon street

However while inside the city center it's really easy to manage with the buses and the "service taxi", the situation is quite different in the suburbs. The bus routes are not sufficient to make an easy "door to door" trip; the railway system isn't developed enough... and so many Tel Avivians have to keep private cars in the city and to drive to work every day - very not green, very not urban; if only we had an underground system that would easily take us to the most popular places of the metropolitan, we keep saying.

Planned "Tel Aviv Light Rail" map - if everything else fails,
this would make a great T-shirt design!

This picture from the Wikipedia article on Tel Aviv Light Rail shows us how cool the life would be if only this long planned project would have been realized: underground and above-ground train system, connecting the major parts of the metropolitan, with connection points at major transport hubs... In the meanwhile, however, the light rail project keeps postponing again and again. The optimistic Tel Avivians keep their hopes high for the metro - even though, given the example of Jerusalem tram system (a disaster project that is under work for around a decade, and still hadn't been finished - Dina is writing about it from time to time in her Jerusalem blog) - we might be better off without it... My personal dream is to have a job with the office within the city center - how cool would it be to ride a bike to work!

Public transportation is the November's theme of City Daily Photo. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

... including Allenby street

2010-10-23T15:28:00.000+02:00

"Shmuel-David" building, est. 1923, on Allenby 79

Me: "Doubtless, Ibn Gabirol is one of the most aesthetically unpleasing streets of Tel Aviv."

Lesya, with apparent astonishment: "Seriously, Ibn Gabirol? Really? What would you say about Allenby then?"

She's got a point. Allenby street, in the south-central Tel Aviv, is a crowded, noisy, generally pretty unattractive place. Allenby is: Tel Aviv's central market - the Carmel market - with its loud and jammed rows; tasteless jewelery shops; striptease clubs; countless cheep clothing stores with fake "Gucci" or "Chanel" shoes and bags... But Allenby also is: numerous book shops that sell new and secondhand books - in Hebrew, English, Russian, French, Spanish, German!; affordable clothing and home furnishing stores; architectural "remains of the former glory" - unfortunately not renovated yet, but still beautiful buildings of 1920-30 years, with tracery balconies and arabesque arches. That's why I have a warm spot in my heart for this street, and do hope that one day the city authorities would renovate and revive Allenby.

Spanish bookstore, Allenby 81

"Unlikely", - responded Lesya to the above wishful thinking, - "I believe that Allenby is one of those places that just have a bad luck about them. Nothing useful would ever come from it."

She's probably right. But I prefer to remain optimistic about the future of Allenby street!


Corner of Allenby and Bialik st.

... because of home selling parties

2010-07-23T17:24:00.001+03:00

Anat and I were walking on Dizengoff st. last weekend, when something unusual caught our eye. We came closer and stared at a fancy dressed mannequin, standing in front of "Jeremiah" cafe, with a little sign attached to it: "Home selling party. Design clothes. 10 - 19." The address on the sign was nearby, so of course we went.
Recently home selling parties became somewhat of a trend in Tel Aviv. On every lamppost at the city center you can find advertisements of upcoming home selling parties. They are held in the yards, rooftops, or, in this case, in this cool apartment on Ezekiel street. (On the picture: an advertisement of a jewelry home selling party.)
There is something pretty special about home selling parties: each one is unique, each one stands apart. After you buy a dress on such sale, you don't need to worry too much about stumbling into a girl wearing the exact same piece. Also, the atmosphere of these places is really different. When you walk into a regular store, you look around, try on, buy at the counter - everything is very banal, very routine. Here at the home selling party the very fact that we've arrived was an event to be noticed. Tal, the hostess (it turned out that she also has a "real shop", but she decided to host this home selling party to promote her designs and other stuff she brings from abroad) welcomed us, offered us a refreshment and a tour on the premises. We picked up some clothes, tried them on, and of course bought a whole bunch... We had our doubts on some of them, but Tal said magic words "these I brought from my last trip to Paris", and we were completely convinced and charmed.
"You see, - told me Anat, as we walked away, tired from all the excitement and going to and from the ATM, but happy nonetheless, - this is what we should be doing. Traveling to Paris bi-monthly, arranging home selling parties and finding easy buyers such as ourselves. I can't see what possibly wouldn't work with this plan."

... because of the White Night

2010-07-16T10:47:00.007+03:00

The citizens of Tel Aviv always knew there's something special about their city, but they couldn't always find the right words to express it. Even Natan Alterman, one of the greatest Israeli poets and a Tel Avivian for the most of his life, hardly knew how to put it into words. In his poem "Still there's something in it", he said (in a very free translation) "True, it hasn't got any professors, prophets or history; there's no seriousness, no weight; still, it has some grace that others don't..."...

7 years UNESCO helped us a great deal to define what, after all, is so special about our city. Turns out that there is for sure one truly special element: the Bauhaus architecture style, that is typical to the Tel Aviv center. Bauhaus is an art movement that was very popular in Europe (Germany) in the beginning of 20 century. After the rise of Nazism in Germany, many Bauhaus artists of Jewish descent fled from Germany to Palestine. The newly founded city of Tel Aviv was like a giant empty canvas to try and apply this style they brought from home. And so today over 4,000 Tel Aviv buildings are built in Bauhaus (or International) style, and in 2003 UNESCO declared Tel Aviv a city of World Heritage as "an outstanding example of new town planning and architecture in the early 20th century".

And so, every year Tel Aviv celebrates this recognition of its uniqueness during the White Night: "the city that never sleeps" sleeps this night even less; there are tens of concerts and street performances big and small; art galleries are open until very late into the night; central streets are beautifully illuminated and decorated.

We went to celebrate to Rothschild boulevard (the pictures above are of "Levin's house") - Tel Aviv celebrations are always at their best on Rothschild.

... because of Shenkin street

2010-06-18T19:19:00.007+03:00

Seems that whenever I feel like exploring Tel Aviv, I wound up going to Shenkin street. This is probably because it got a really great atmosphere of coolness and unique character. Everything is special about Shenkin: the cafes, the shops, the buildings are different, not quite like those in other parts of the city.
The store on the picture is called "Candy drugstore" - one of those stores in which you can pick from various sorts of candy, only here, in this small shop on Shenkin 30, the shop is "dressed up" to a pharmacy, and even sales persons are dressed up to pharmacists, wearing white gowns.

... despite of the embassies

2010-05-14T16:30:00.001+03:00

In Israel, most of the foreign embassies are located in Tel Aviv, rather than in our capital Jerusalem (due to unfortunate reluctance in accepting Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel). They usually reside in nice buildings, thus slightly upgrading the overall outlook of the city (even though they hide behind thick fences, but this is an understandable security need).

So far, I've only had to visit only two embassies, and very different ones: US and Ukraine's. And every time I've been to one, I was pondering on exactly the same subject: what it is in the embassy rules that makes the overall experience so very unpleasant?

It's not that the personnel is terribly rude and discourteous to their customers. (Even though sometimes some total lack of any human empathy peeps through the blanket of cold idistant politeness the embassy employees wear.) I think that it's the total disregard of the visitors needs that makes it so disagreeable. A harsh thing to say, but this is the only explanation I found so far to the fact that embassies lack elementary facilities available in any typical post office.

When you stand for hours in a long airport-security-style snake-shape line, in a cramped hall of US embassy, or are dehydrated under the hot Israeli sun near the pointy fence of Ukrainian embassy (see picture above), you can't help but wonder: why the embassy authorities couldn't think of introducing a system where you take a number, sit on a bench, and read a magazine while waiting for your turn? Or make some arrangements for pregnant women and senior citizens that would allow them to skip the line? And so on...

Sure, I love the fact that the embassies are in Tel Aviv (it's so convenient), but every time I walk by one, I recall what a dreary place it is. "You think this is bad? - asked me a friend when we walked by the large crowd of people waiting to come in to the Ukrainian embassy on Yirmiyahu st., - You should have seen me standing in a line of Israeli embassy in Moscow - 6-month pregnant, in November, while it was snowing!"

... because it loves to party

2010-04-20T00:19:00.004+03:00

For me, the Independence day is the most joyful Israeli holiday. This is not a religious holiday, so the most of the places are open: the stores are working, the public transportation is functioning, and the city looks more alive than ever. The streets are decorated with flags and banners, and even clothes' shops decorate their windows with the clothes in blue and white (Israeli national colors). In Tel Aviv, every holiday is a reason to party, and more so on Independence day. Every balcony, and every rooftop hosts a happy, noisy, cheerful party.
This year we celebrated Israel's 62nd Independence day. Happy birthday, country!

... because of the city strolls

2010-04-12T01:06:00.008+03:00

The streets of central Tel Aviv are great for walking, for so many reasons. The weather is near perfect all year long (sure, it gets quite hot in the summer, but the city residents are already accustomed to this, and tourists accept it as a part of the Mediterranean charm). The streets are filled with open cafés, fashion shops of the local designers and art galleries. The crowd is cool and easygoing. And then, there's the sea...
The girls on the picture are strolling along the Ben Gurion ave. - one of my favorite avenues in the city, and one of the greatest for walking around.

Check out "That's my world" for more city strolls around the globe.

... because of the boutiques

2010-04-10T23:18:00.004+03:00

While Ben Yehuda street is less fashionable than nearby Dizengoff, there are some interesting boutiques of every kind and size. Naturally, "I love cupcakes" drove my attention (it was closed - Saturday - but looked very pretty nonetheless). Check out their beautifully designed website!

... because of the beaches

2009-06-23T08:50:00.000+03:00

The sea is certainly the best feature of this city. And thanks to the Mediterranean climate, one can enjoy it all year long.

In the winter, it's walking on the beach and surfing.

In the summer - well, it's just about everything: swimming and tanning... and wandering about... and enjoying a cold drink in one of these places with tables right in the sand... and playing beach volleyball or football or beach paddleball.

This gorgeous place is a part of my world; visit "That's my world" for other gems from all over the globe.

... because of the surfers

2009-06-21T23:56:00.002+03:00

So it's hot, and days are long, and sleeves are short - since the beginning of April. But you really know that the summer is here when you see them on the street: young, pretty, tanned, barefoot, with their surfing board under the arm - on the way to the beach, the waves, the surf. Sometimes I wish I could surf - and be a part of this joyful community.

Summer Solstice is here - happy summer everyone! Make sure to visit Scenic Sunday for more beautiful scenery.

... when the sun sinks into the sea

2009-06-19T10:43:00.006+03:00

"Sunset" in Hebrew is "shkiya", literally meaning "sinking". The saying goes that since the sea is westward to Israel, each evening we witness the sun "sinking" into the sea.
It's hard to believe it, but at the dawn of the city, the city officials were actually considered having an industrial zone right by the sea! Luckily, the idea was abandoned in favor of a promenade and beaches (with some help of the influential national poet Hayim Nahman Bialik who persuaded the mayor Meir Dizengoff that the sea line should be used for recreation and welfare instead).
I admired this dramatic sunset on Gordon beach. Check out what other sky watchers are admiring today.

... because it enjoys a good read

2009-06-16T22:30:00.010+03:00

[Another attempt to revive this much neglected blog.]

Hebrew book week is an annual celebration of books, literature and writers. It happens every summer, and lasts ~ 10d. During this time, book stores and publishing houses hold huge outdoor book fairs all over Israeli towns and cities.

In Tel Aviv, the central book week fair is on Rabin square, near the City Hall. I'm a fan of a written word, and seeing so many books together is always exciting. We bought several books, got one of them signed by the author, and loved to learn that this year the book week, like many other events in Israel, is dedicated to Tel Aviv centennial. Happy birthday, city!

Today, June 16, it is impossible to write about books without mentioning Bloomsday. It was on June 16 1904 when Leopold Bloom, the main protagonist of "Ulysses", had made his notorious journey around Dublin. It was a walk of one day, 250,000 (!!!) words - and also endless fascination, complexness, and wonder - for generations of readers. I hadn't managed (yet) to finish the whole book, just chapters here and there. In a way, I live it through my brother - he's a real fan, having red "Ulysses" several times, back and forth and vice versa. Here's one of Mr. Bloom's many stops on Dublin's pavement.

Visit "That's my world" - who else is celebrating Mr. Bloom's journey?

... despite the lack of the seasons

2009-03-20T14:18:00.004+02:00

The upper picture represents the most "extreme wintery" weather in Tel Aviv, and the lower - the "normal winter" weather (the pictures were shot within a few days one from another).
Normally, I LOVE it that it's always sunny and bright, and the weather is great 80% of the time (with ~ 5% of really cold rainy days, and 15% of insufferably hot "khamsin" days; "khamsin" is a dry, hot and dusty weather, caused by wind storms in North Africa deserts). But besides that, I find the weather really gorgeous. You can walk on the beach sand barefoot all year long. You can wear practically the same clothes all year long. You don't own a "serious" coat, or a scarf, or a hat, and you have to borrow this stuff from someone when you travel to Europe or North America in the winter.
Having said that... sometimes I miss "proper" seasons. It's so much easier to appreciate the sunshine when it comes after a storm.

Watch other skywatchers to appreciate the seasons around the world.

... because there's pretty in its ugliness

2009-03-17T07:47:00.000+02:00

I love this city, but I have to admit - it could appear pretty ugly to an untrained eye. The building on the picture (on a prestigious Nordau ave.) represents a standard city architecture - not the best, but also not the worst that Tel Aviv can show:

- Unmatched plastic windows' shutters - some (the newest) still white, other in all shades of stale beige and grey and yellow

- Air conditioners' bodies hang outside of the apartments

- Wires, cables and pipes, installed on the walls instead of inside them

... and so on and so forth...

When I first came to live in Tel Aviv's area (from Jerusalem, which is so different and much more aesthetically appealing), this was quite a shock for me. Since then, I've adjusted, and found a good deal of things to like about Tel Aviv, and today I won't change it for any other place, but sometimes I just look around - and this ugliness hits me once again. Usually I find it familiar and almost cute, especially when there are decorations that soften the overall look, like these nice wind vanes.

This is a part of my world; take a look on other worlds at That's My World.

... because of the kiosks

2009-03-13T14:50:00.002+02:00

According to Wikipedia, kiosk as a building type was invented in Turkey, not far from here... there are lots of kiosks in Tel Aviv; some sell coffee, some sandwiches and beverage, some local food like falafel, some even sushi; most, like the one on the photo (which is called "The family kiosk") - sell newspapers and magazines, ice cream, soft drinks, cigarettes, parking and lottery tickets.

Kiosks were first introduced to Tel Aviv (and to Israel) during 1920s, when the big wave of the "Fourth Aliyah" ("Aliyah" = Jewish immigration to Israel) induced a rapid development of the major cities, mainly Tel Aviv, but also Jerusalem and Haifa.
I like kiosks on the avenues (like this one - on Nordau ave.), where you can stop by while you walking or biking around the city (or double-park your car on you way to the office) to get some quick bagel or soda or coffee.

Make sure to visit Skywatch Friday to look at the skies around the world!

... because of its former glory

2009-03-10T21:34:00.001+02:00

This is one of many beautiful, and sadly neglected, old buildings that you can see all over Tel Aviv city center. The one on the photo is on the corner of Frischmann and Ha-yarkon... the plaque under the front balcony says "Rachel Friedman house" - does anybody knows what's the history of this building? Looks like there is a story around it...

Update: in my defense to the city of Tel Aviv, there also are some well-restored old buildings... sometimes the former glory is still glorious - a story for another post.

Map (Hebrew).

... despite the image of indifference

2009-03-06T20:11:00.006+02:00

The residents of Tel Aviv are often accused of being indifferent to the problems of the rest of Israeli citizens. A Hebrew slang expression calls the city "the State of Tel Aviv" - meaning to say that Tel Avivians have their own state withing the state of Israel, with its own norms, life style, and rules.

I pondered on this when I saw a book of Robert Capa photography. Robert Capa had been in Israel in 1948-9, portraying the Israeli War of Independence and the arrival of the new settlers from the post-WWII Europe. One page of this book has two pictures (links are to these pictures reproductions on the awesome site of Magnum photos agency):

The Negba Kibbutz in Negev, south Israel. Tired people eat in the kibbutz dining room, under a wall damaged by shell fire holes from Egyptian artillery fire.
Armon Café, on Hayarkan Street, Tel Aviv. May, 1949. Smartly dressed fancy ladies sit in a typical Tel Aviv café.

I guess it was true then and true now. One country, sometimes two worlds.

Map (Hebrew).

... because of the dogs (2)

2009-03-02T22:08:00.005+02:00

A friend of mine had an idea for a urban photo project: dogs and their owners (in this order; she's a very dog person). Of course the fact that that people look like their pets is very will known and boring... but all the same, it's nice to watch how people resemble their dogs in manners, appearance... style, may I add!
Map (Hebrew).

... in the sunset

2009-02-27T17:59:00.005+02:00

Park Ha-yarkon is one of the greatest places to admire a sunset in the city: huge open space, pink-y sky reflects in the calm creek water... and I swear, that at the night you can see the stars almost as bright and clear as if you were in a desert, far-far away from the big city.

Check out Skywatch Friday to see the sky as seen by people all over the world.

... when it rains

2009-02-24T20:41:00.009+02:00

Back to my blog after a loooooooooooooong break... changing jobs after 10 (!!!) years in one company was (is :) more challenging for me than I imagined it would be, leaving practically no free time for any hobby at all... But enough with the excuses!

When it rains, the city changes its color, its mood, its habits: cafés pull inside the tables, streets get empty, people tend to remain inside... they don't know what they are missing.

Map (Hebrew).

... because of Mediterranean sea (2)

2008-06-22T23:12:00.004+03:00

Another summer sunset over the Mediterranean. For me, this is perfection.

... because of the Art

2008-06-13T10:01:00.003+03:00

Today, for the first time after a very long break, I visited the Tel-Aviv museum of art, and was pleasantly surprised. I somehow had this memory of a very disappointing visit. I don't know what went wrong the last time I was there, but now I learned that the museum proudly presents:

Impressive collection of XIX-XX c. French art
Some great Chagall's
Old masters works: Italian art of the 16th-18th centuries; Flemish and Dutch art of the 16th and 17th centuries
And many more!..

Unfortunately, it's forbidden to take photos inside the museum, so this one is a traditional front entrance view. Other than that - definitely worth a visit!

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art was established in 1932 by Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, in commemoration of his late wife Zina. The present building was inaugurated in 1959.

... because of the bikers

2008-06-11T19:45:00.004+03:00

Even though Tel-Aviv is no Amsterdam or Copenhagen, it certainly can boast some very nice bike culture. Several years ago (conveniently scheduled around city mayoral elections) a great effort was done to create a lot of designated bike paths along the major streets and avenues of the city, and, of course, in the parks. This is a corner of Ibn Gvirol and Nordau - both streets have bike paths.
Map (Hebrew)

... because of Nachalat Binyamin craft fair

2008-06-08T16:14:00.002+03:00

"Nachalat Binyamin" is a pedestrian zone in central-southern Tel-Aviv. It hosts street bazaars on Tue and Fri every week. This is a great place to shop for holiday gifts, to buy some knick-knacks and to get into a "holiday everyday" spirit.

Nachalat Binyamin st. is called after Nachalat Binyamin neighborhood, that was established at 1911. Neighborhood's authorities hoped to get a funding either from Zionist Organization (inspired by Binyamin Ze'ev Herzl), or from Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild. Eventually, no funding was given, but the name already stuck. Arts and crafts fair is hold since 1988.

... because of Dizengoff center

2008-05-04T22:55:00.003+03:00

Dizengoff center, or simply "the center" - one of the largest shopping malls in Tel-Aviv.

... because of the coffee & coffee shops

2008-05-03T23:41:00.003+03:00

Tel-Aviv is a coffee paradise. When you stroll the streets of the city, it seems that the majority of the population either are drinking their Java on the go, or are indulging themselves in numerous coffee houses.
It's funny though that this abundance is only a recent development, and that some 15 years ago it was almost impossible to find here a cup of a decent coffee. Then in ~ 1994 Ilan Shenhav had opened "Ilan's" coffee shop, first on Ibn Gvirol street here in Tel-Aviv, and then, as a chain, in more locations, and taught us all good coffee what it is. Since then many Israeli and international coffee chains were opened and flourish in Israel, mainly in Tel-Aviv. The woman on the photo drinks a cup of "Arcaffe", brought from a Bazel street branch of this chain.

... despite Dizengoff square

2008-05-02T16:59:00.001+03:00

This square and this fountain (or, according to its official name, "Fire and Water" kinetic sculpture) are some of the most controversial pieces of Tel-Aviv architecture and town-planning. A long time ago Dizengoff square was actually a square, connected to the streets around it, but then it had been decided to perform square's re-design due to a heavy traffic problem it posed.
In 1978 the square was elevated above the ground, so that the traffic will go beneath it. The traffic issue had most probably been solved, but somehow disconnecting the square from the ground made it quite a sad place, with lots of homeless people around.
The text graffiti on the bottom of the fountain says: "Establishment = criminals = death to the little man!!!"...
On the bright side, a rumor has it the square will be rebuilt again. Fingers crossed!

... because of bus line 5

2008-05-01T21:00:00.002+03:00

~~~ May Theme Day - Numbers ~~~

Bus line 5 connects most of the old Tel-Aviv, staring from central rail station, and going via one of the city's main arteries - Dizengoff street. Here it is, riding through the night, at the corner of Dizengoff and Nordau.

Check out other 181 Daily Photo cities with numbers as the theme:

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Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Arradon, France by Alice, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Busan, Korea South by iamnbinb, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chesapeake Daily Photo (VA), USA by ptowngirl, Chicago (IL), USA by Focused Light, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by 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... because of street murals

2008-04-30T21:42:00.002+03:00

Street murals make otherwise grayish and dull Tel-Aviv walls much merrier. Most of them (and the best of them) are made by a famous graffiti artist Rami Meiri. This one is on a falafel kiosk on Nordau ave.

... because of Mediterranean sea

2008-04-29T21:31:00.004+03:00

The picture actually taken a bit northern of Tel-Aviv, in the historical site of Apollonia, but the sea in the city is just as breathtaking.

… because of the open living rooms

2008-04-26T12:25:00.005+03:00

Open living rooms, with a large glass window (sometimes with shutters) facing the main street, are very typical all over Israel, including Tel-Aviv. On warmish winter day or hot summer evenings, people slide these glass panels open to bring in some warmth or a little breeze. This is maybe a little lack of privacy, but a very convenient air-conditioning.

This openness virtually makes your couch a street bench, and you can hang out on a street without stepping out of your door!

I wonder if this is typical mainly to Israeli cities, or maybe it’s the same in other warm client countries.

P.S.: And here is another mark of patriotism – an Israeli flag hanging out of a window.

... because of the changing seasons

2008-04-21T19:15:00.006+03:00

Even though sometimes it might seem that the tropical climate of Tel-Aviv has no changing seasons, here they are: look at these autumn leaves in the middle of the spring!

... despite lack of parking space

2008-04-05T23:42:00.007+03:00

If you will ask an average Tel-Aviv resident what it is that bothers him the most, the lack of parking space will probably make it to the top 5, somewhere between the air pollution and high real estate prices. It's unbelievable how much energy, time and nerves takes parking a car in a big dense city. Despite many obstacles, people of Tel-Aviv don't give up on using a car - public transportation and biking are not really common here.
On the picture - a parking supervisor prepares a ticket to an innocent victim :( , on a sunny and relaxing Friday morning.

... because of Purim's "Adloyada"

2008-04-04T21:22:00.006+03:00

Purim holiday adds a lot of color to Tel-Aviv. This is a holiday of costumes dressing, parties, and streets "Adloyada" carnivals.
This picture is taken in Hatikva neighborhood, which is especially festive during Purim thanks to the students from the local Yoram Levinstein Acting School.

... because of Tel-Aviv port

2008-04-01T23:52:00.006+03:00

Tel-Aviv port is, without a doubt, one of the coolest places in the city. Restaurants, night clubs, shops and even a yoga center - the port has to offer everything to everyone. My favorite time of day in the port is the early evening: imagine walking the deck, or sipping a cup of coffee, while watching a sunset... Perfection.

... because of Ramat Ha-hayal

2008-03-23T14:33:00.008+02:00

Ramat Ha-hayal is a wealthy neighborhood in northeast Tel-Aviv. It has 2 very different faces: from one hand, this is a small village inside the city, built mostly of 1 or 2-store villas. From the other hand, it's a bustling and rapidly growing industrial district. I happen to work in this area for about 10 years now, and it's fun to watch it changing its shape: roads are built, traffic lights added, old humble garages knocked down to make place for modern steel-and-glass buildings. (Quite like the opening scenes of "New Amsterdam" TV series, where the immortal hero watches New-York's Time Square changing its shape for a period of 400 years :-)

I love this place because it is so full of memories to me. And I love the fact that there are tons of nice restaurants around my office, and sometimes when I leave the work late, I watch nicely dressed people hurrying to a music club or a restaurant.

About Ramat Ha-hayal:
This neighborhood had been established after Israeli War of Independence, in 1949. ("Hayal" - Hebrew abbreviation for "Jewish Infantry Brigade" - a unit of the British Army that was composed of Palestinian Jews, and that served in Europe during the WW II.) It was built to accommodate families of demobilized Israeli army soldiers, that were injured during the War of Independence. At first this was a humble neighborhood, with lack of schools, shops, and even electricity and roads. Little by little, the place flourished, and became a green picturesque postcard, with gardens and shingle roofs.

... because of patriotism

2008-03-22T16:22:00.006+02:00

This patriotic graffiti is found all over the city, on prestigious avenues and poor neighborhoods. It says "Am Yisrael chai" - "The people of Israel live". This is a traditional phrase that has been sung, danced to, and has uplifted generations of Jewish people.

Here it is, looking quite symbolic on a wall of this demolished building, in the heart of "Ha-tikva" ("The hope") neighborhood, at the corner of Etzel st. and Ha-haganah road.

Haganah ("The Defense") was a Jewish paramilitary organization in the British Mandate of Palestine, and became the core of the Israel Defense Forces. Etzel (Hebrew abbreviation of "National Military Organization") was a militant Zionist group that was established as offshoot of the Haganah.

... because of the markets

2008-03-17T23:01:00.006+02:00

Usually I'm not a big fan of markets. I'm not one of those tourists that strive to see all the markets in the place they visit to make sure to catch some local color. One always keeps in mind that many people have to shop here, not for the colorfulness, but because of affordable prices.

Never-the-less, markets in Tel-Aviv are great. You can get here stuff they don't keep in boring supermarket chains: watermelon in winter, strawberry in summer (yes, from some unknown reason, winter is the strawberry season in Israel). Exotic sorts of tea and delicious pastry. Spices and even clothes and toys.

This picture is from Ha-tikva ("the hope") market. One of the sellers in the market insisted he's got a match for me. "Thanks, but I already have a boyfriend." "Hey, if your boyfriend is a sugar, this is honey!" I asked if I can take his picture. "Better not, sweety - I'm wanted by the police." So I ended up taking a picture of my potential match :)

... because of dogs

2008-03-15T18:57:00.006+02:00

Residents of Tel-Aviv LOVE dogs. Of all shapes, sizes, and kinds. The dogs are usually very nice and friendly, not of killer breeds like a Rottweiler or a Mastiff. At any hour of a day, when you walk the streets of the city, you will meet lots of people with their pets. It's quite an unusual characteristic for the big city.

But then, Tel-Aviv is not really a big city. And we do have lots of parks and avenues where you can walk a dog. (On the picture above - on Rothschild ave.) And an average Tel-Aviv resident has quite a lot of leisure and loves nature and animals.

... because of hidden gems

2008-03-12T18:55:00.006+02:00

Every city has these wonderful, unknown to many, hidden places. The fun of being a local is to know them, and to be able to proudly present them to visitors. That's what I'm doing right now :)
Hill square, near Park ha-yarkon, is a tiny charming square with a couple of benches, a lot of cats, and a fountain. The square is named after British General Hill, who fought the Ottoman Empire army during the WW I and crossed Ha-yarkon river in 1917 right here, by this small hill.

... because of Flame trees

2008-03-11T20:35:00.010+02:00

There are many names for this tree, the official one being "Royal Poinciana", but Flame tree is the most poetic and suits it the best.

This beautiful tree was first brought to Israel by Templers, religious immigrants from Germany, to their settlement named Sarona. Sarona was a small village outside Jaffa with a sad history. Its residents had been deported twice: in 1917 (WW I), and again and finally in 1944 (WW II). The city of Tel-Aviv had taken over Sarona, and today very little of it remains.

This picture was taken on Rothschild avenue - the oldest and by far the coolest of Tel-Aviv's avenues.

... because of the Avenues

2008-03-10T21:38:00.012+02:00

They are not as famous and glamorous as Parisian boulevards, but Tel-Aviv's avenues are also full of charm. They make Tel-Aviv a city that is actually nice to walk about, while you enjoy the scenery, watch the happy lazy crowd and breeze some oxygen.

Nordau ave. is my personal favorite, from a lot of reasons. First, I live nearby. Second, even before I lived in Tel-Aviv this was my route to the sea beach (famous "Metzitzim" - "Peepers" - beach). And also, because in summer weekends this is everybody's route to the beach - look at these stylish girls at the picture!

... because of Reading Power Station

2008-03-09T18:23:00.012+02:00

Reading power station is located in the Ha-yarkon park, near the new Tel-Aviv port. It is a recognizable part of the Tel-Aviv seascape and is one of the icons of the city. For me, it is THE ICON of the city - sort of Tel-Aviv's Eiffel Tower or Tel-Aviv's Golden Gate. (I'm not exaggerating, am I?!?)

When you fly to or from Israel, you can clearly see it when the plane takes off or lands. "Here's Reading. Here's home!" This is a plain simple chimney, but when I see it, it always takes my breath away.

About Reading power station:
Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, was a prominent English politician and jurist. He was a founding chairman of Israel Electric Corporation in the British Mandate of Palestine. After his death, it was decided to call the newly opened power station (and one of Tel-Aviv's streets) in his honor.
Reading power station was opened in 1938, and was one of the major sources of electricity of Israel (up to 30%). Today, fortunately, it almost completely stopped to function as a power station (due to environmental reasons).

... because of Park Ha-yarkon

2008-03-08T16:30:00.010+02:00

Ha-yarkon ("greenish" in Hebrew) park is the largest park in Tel-Aviv. It's a green paradise for strolling, jogging, biking, kids, pets, birds - just for everything and everyone.

The park is perfect when it's empty, like this quiet summer evening, and when it's overcrowded during the sunny winter weekends; at dusk and at evening; in every weather and every hour.

The park is just outside our place (this is a source of a constant pride and bragging :), so we see it practically every morning. This is one of my favorite places in the city.

... because of the globality

2008-03-06T19:04:00.011+02:00

My friend took me to a French cafe, called "C' si bon", next to her apartment, on Bugrashov street. Everybody but us spoke French: the owners, the waitresses, the customers! Our waitress asked us which language are we speaking. "Russian". She learned Russian in high-school; they read Turgenev's "First Love" ("Premier Amour") in the class.

This is a typical Tel-Aviv evening: coffee, mix of different languages, a reminder that it really is a small world.

About Bugrashov street:
Haim Burg (Bugrashov) was a teacher, one of the founders of the first Hebrew High School - Herzeliya, that still exists here in Tel-Aviv. After the WW I Bugrashov helped to establish a Tel-Aviv neighborhood called Nordia that provided home to people in need. Bugrashov st. is the main street of this neighborhood; it was called after Bugrashov while he still lived (not a very unusual habit in Tel-Aviv :). Later he changed his name to Burg, but the street name hadn't been replaced.