Balletrina at Tel Aviv Arts & Craft Market @ Carmel Market

You might not think of traveling somewhere like Israel for vacation (unless you’re on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem!), but we did! We stumbled upon Tel Aviv this month, and instantly fell in love with it.

As controversial as Israel is at times, it was difficult for us to imagine what Tel Aviv would look like, but to our surprise it turned out to be very hip, chic, laid back and very VERY livable! The city felt like a perfect combination of Paris and San Francisco!
As comfortable as we were exploring Tel Aviv, we were also surprised by all the young soldiers in their late teens / early 20’s enrolled in the army, walking around with giant machine guns! Armed guards are a part of life in Israel.

Tel Aviv is a very walkable city. In fact, you won’t get a true feel for the city unless you’re on foot! There are interesting things to look at around every corner. Here are a few places that we went that were the most memorable:

Carmel Market

The Lively Carmel Market

You can find the Carmel Market on Allenby street, which is one of the biggest streets in Tel Aviv. The #4 taxi-bus runs up and down Allenby; you can wave it down for 11 shekels. The driver will stop wherever you want to get off, just say “STOP”! (View video of bus-taxi ride here

The Carmel market sells everything under the sun: clothes & accessories, souvenirs, sweets- even fruits & vegetables. One street of the Carmel market focuses on the food, while the other street is filled mostly with second hand stores and boutique cafes. On Tuesdays and Fridays, Nachalat Benjamin Street comes alive with an amazing Arts & Crafts Fair that features the works of many talented local artists, selling handmade clothes, crafts, jewelery and more.

Video of Carmel Market.

Shenkin Street

Shenkin street starts across from the Carmel market and runs for couple blocks. It’s filled, end-to-end with boutique designer shops and cafes. We can’t think of anywhere else in the world that has this many shoe stores on one block! Tel Aviv is big on indy culture, and it reflects in the stores of Shenkin street. Overall, the prices are very affordable, so check out Shenkin st. if you’re looking for a good place to get your shop-on!

Old Town / Old Jaffa

Tel Aviv is famous for its stretching beach and if you follow the path by the coast, it will bring you straight to Old Jaffa! Tel Aviv’s old town is a nice change-of-pace, especially if you’re looking to explore the more historical quarters of the city. It might look far on the map, but it’s walkable in 30 mins. (psst: Tel Aviv’s cabs are cheap, too) The walk along the sea is beautiful, with views of the downtown area behind you. While kicking around in old town, don’t forget to check out the old clock tower and the flea market or stop for a beer along the beach.

Dizengoff Street

Another great shopping district, with plenty of interesting sights along the way. Many, many, many delicious restaurants!

Rothschild Ave

Rothschild street is often called the most beautiful street in Tel Aviv, and it shows. It’s a wide boulevard with a great walkway/park in the middle. Mostly residential, but you can also find little cafes and bars in the middle of the walkway. (too cute!) It’s perfect for an afternoon stroll and people watching. (Note* People like dogs in Tel Aviv. They also like to walk their dogs. What they don’t like is to pick up their dog poop. Watch out for deadly poop bombs while walking. They’re everywhere!)

We rate Tel Aviv as a VERY livable city based on our goodfishies livability standards. It’s also a wonderful cities for foodies like us. (see our post on Tel Aviv for Foodies) We have decided to visit Tel Aviv as often as humanly possible from now on, and you should too!