It’s a lively, modern, and increasingly cosmopolitan destination that, if it’s not on your travel list, should be.
Named after the utopian town envisioned by Zionist author Theodore Herzl in his turn of the century novel Altneuland [The Old-New Land], Tel Aviv certainly lives up to its lofty moniker. Founded in 1909 by the Jewish population of nearby Jaffa, Tel Aviv immediately became an immigration hotspot among both bourgeois Eastern European Jews and artists from all backgrounds.
Located on the scenic Mediterranean coastline, the Tel Aviv of today is still a hub of economic and creative activity in the Middle East: Browse the trendy shops lining several of its major streets or don your bathing suit and bronze on its beaches; spend some time visiting museums and historical sites or sip coffee in small cafes still populated by literary types. Come nightfall, Tel Aviv kicks up the energy a notch, with fine dining, music lounges, and nightclubs that rival those found in London, New York, and Paris.
MUSEUMS
Tel Aviv boasts several museums, including the sprawling Eretz Yisrael Museum, which sits atop an archaeological site that is still being excavated. While more on the brochure than off, and at times a bit crowded, this museum has something of interest for nearly everyone. Of its eight pavilions, the Glass Pavilion boasts one of the finest and most eye-catching collections of glassware in the world. Also worth stopping into is the Nehustan Pavilion, which, through its cave-like entryway, transports you into the ancient copper mines [or so it feels like] of Timna, otherwise known as King Solomon’s Mines.
Just across from the Nehustan Pavilion is the Kadman Numismatic Pavilion, in which a collection of coins spans the length of the region’s history. Finally, before you leave, be sure to check out the Man and his Work Center exhibition, where you can see the traditional tools used in agriculture, crafts, and household chores and walk through a reconstructed bazaar. The museum is located in Ramat Aviv, the northern most part of Tel Aviv. 972-3-641-5244, www.eretzmuseum.org.il
For a more off the-brochure museum experience, visit the David Ben Gurion House, once the private home of Israel’s first prime minister. Indulge your inner voyeur and peruse the books, pictures, and other personal items of Ben Gurion for a more intimate window into Israeli history. Read letters from Ben Gurion to John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and Charles de Gaulle, and then head next door to the Hillel Cohen Lecture Hall to glimpse the late prime minister’s passports and salary slips. The on site library has nearly 20,000 books in various languages; for those particularly interested in history and politics, seminars and lectures are conducted here as well. And as if that weren’t incentive enough, admission is free. 17 Ben-Guiron Ave.; 972-3-522-10-10
SHOPPING
The shopping in Tel Aviv is among the best in the world, featuring everything from large American inspired malls, to street shopping and local flea markets where you can find great bargain buys. Generally speaking, the more ritzy shops can be found along Dizengoff Street and Sderot Nordau, while trendy [and only slightly less pricey] boutiques and jewelry stores line Sheinken Street.For a more down and dirty shopping experience, head to the Shuk Ha Carmel, located at the intersection of Allenby Road and King George Street. Street vendors line the road here, peddling inexpensive clothing, sandals, and other similar wares to passersby. Farther down Allenby Road, you can pick up fresh fruits and vegetables at rock bottom prices from the many small street stands. Located very close by [parallel to Allenby and one block closer to the sea] is Nahalat Binyamin, where a local street fair boasting jewelry, paintings, pottery, and more is held each Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Similarly cheap shopping can be found nearby at Jaffa’s flea market, Shuk Ha Pishpeshim, which sits between Olei Tzion and Beit Eshel Streets. Merchants here offer Persian carpets, leather and brass goods, nargilah [water pipes], hand-dyed clothing, figurines, and the like from the several rows of roofed stalls. The market is busiest on Fridays and is closed on Sundays, so head there earlier in the week to put your haggling skills to the test.Finally, shopping and the arts converge in Tel Aviv’s several specialty bookstores, where unique and even rare titles can be found on many different subjects and in numerous languages. One such bookstore is Bookworm, located in Basel Square, which offers an English language selection that that covers architecture, design, psychotherapy, and more. 30 Basel Street, 972 3 546 2714.
Or, stop in Praza Modan on Dizengoff Street, a bookstore cafà that specializes in theater and the arts, but also has many titles on travel and cooking, as well as a sizable selection of children’s books, available in both Hebrew and English. 163 Dizengoff Street.
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