... because of the architecture (Pagoda house)

Pagoda House

I must have passed tens of times by this magnificent Pagoda house on the corner of Nahmani and Montefiori streets, but until now I never stopped by to take a close look and appreciate its splendor. This building was built in 1925 and renovated in the 2000s. Today this is a private residence. With all the gorgeous old Tel Aviv buildings in a very sad state, this renovation is truly inspiring.

I took a couple of minutes to admire the Pagoda house from the tiny and shady King Albert sq. - such a wonderful place in hot summer day! I've instantly added it to my list of Tel Aviv's hidden gems :)

King Albert sq.

In addition to the Pagoda house, from the square you can see a charming "Ben Ami" corner cafe.

Cafe "Ben Ami"

I'm so happy to be back on this blog! Happy Sunday everyone :)

... because there's pretty in its ugliness

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 its former glory

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).