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The scenery here is beautiful! Everyone here looks great! Smooth, sun-kissed skin, athletic, muscular, and effortlessly cool. Both men and women. God's creations in snug workout shorts - the men preferably shirtless - jog, skate, or gracefully cruise along the Tayelet promenade, unabashedly showcasing their youthful model bodies. Tel Aviv, a beach city - a calming sea in front, 14 kilometers of fine sand in between, and a bustling city behind - practically invites a fashion show.
Not all beaches are created equal here. In fact, the different sections have names, vary in quality, and attract different user groups. In the north, for example, at the foot of Independence Park, there is a section of beach designated for Ultra-Orthodox individuals. They travel from all parts of the country to Tel Aviv, the most secular city in Israel. Right next door, at Hilton Beach, the LGBTQ+ community and large families soak up the sun. Under God's sun at the beach, everyone is the same after all.
The Gordon Pool and the beach of the same name are reserved for the sporty youth. Sweat drips, making the flawless skin appear even more radiant. Delightful black curls cling elegantly to damp temples. No signs of elephantine stampedes and ruddy heads, as I encounter on Sundays in the English Garden.
Those who aren't moving in some way casually tuck a surfboard under their arm, aim for pull-up records, or pump weights at the open-air gyms. Those who are done with that or aren't into sports chill with a cigarette in their mouths, preparing for a night of dancing, drumming, or juggling a bit while looking, of course, impressively good.
Israelis say that in Jerusalem, people pray, in Haifa they work. And in Tel Aviv? They live and dance. So here I am, at the headquarters of hedonism, an island of civil joy.
Tel Aviv, meaning 'Spring Hill,' is a young city. It's just over 100 years old, and most of its population is under 45. Since its founding in 1909, the city has exploded and embodies the departure into a new era. Today, as Israel's second-largest city, Tel Aviv houses 430,000 people, with the metropolitan area nearing 4 million. The economy and modern life of the entire country are significantly driven by this city. It is alive 24 hours a day.
Before they plunge into nightlife, you're more likely to find Tel Aviv's residents at the beach - a simultaneous living room and heartbeat of the city - than in the synagogue. Lifestyle discussions are more intensely debated than the Torah. However, when you ask Israelis about Tel Aviv, almost everyone agrees. The city is not Israel; it's a country unto itself, a bubble. Whether this is good or contemptible can be discussed.
The most vibrant life happens on Friday evenings when the Sabbath begins, though Tel Aviv supposedly never sleeps. Here, they confidently compare themselves to New York.
I don't have much confidence. Slightly intimidated, I squint at the fading red ball on the horizon and dip my toe into the water. Bathwater temperature. I allow the still summery October air to caress me gently, but I don't dare show off my 'North Sea tan' today.
Instead, something hard hits me on the back of my head. Click, click, click. Anyone daring a walk on Tel Aviv's beaches risks not life and limb, but bruises. Approaching the water's edge is like an obstacle course. Adults face off in pairs, batting a kind of squash ball back and forth with large wooden paddles. Click, click, click. They play Matkot, the unofficial but passionately practiced national beach sport.
Sparkling white teeth, green eyes, broad grins, and an apologetic shrug. 'Sorry, lisromm lady!' the scamp calls after me.
Lisromm? Don't get upset, relax, take it easy! He's absolutely right. I've decided to just go with the flow. My hunger guides me.
All the delicacies of the Orient are available in Tel Aviv in inexhaustible variety. Dining out is a true (and pricey) delight. The freshest ingredients, seasonal products, regional spices, and the entire Mediterranean flavor palette. The country's chefs cook as their parents did, and they hailed from over 80 different countries. Accordingly, Israel's cuisine is colorful and intensely flavorful.
When it comes to hummus, Israelis make no compromises. Hummus is a culinary cultural asset, ingrained in the country's menus, and it's highly political. Especially with the Lebanese, Israelis argue over chickpea sovereignty. Who invented it first?
Of course, everyone in Tel Aviv knows where the best hummus in the city is served. Abu Hassan in Jaffa, an institution since 1959, is considered a top spot by many. I agree. But my heart is especially happy about Tel Aviv's massive selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. It's said that Israel has the highest per capita rate of vegans. Hardly a restaurant that doesn't have vegan options on the menu, which isn't surprising, considering you practically live in God's vegetable garden.
Hardly picked, the greens are artfully piled up at the Carmel Market. If the beach is Tel Aviv's living room, the Carmel Market must be its kitchen.
Snacking and tasting are explicitly allowed here, and haggling is a must. Before I know it, I'm holding a freshly made smoothie in one hand and bags full of fruit in the other, surprised at how little I've spent considering Tel Aviv's immense price level.
Tel Aviv lacks remarkable historical sites. Instead, you can visit the residence of state founder David Ben-Gurion. Or take a recommended tour through the 'White City' with its 4,000 buildings in the Bauhaus style. Every Saturday at 11:00 AM, the tourism office offers free (donations appreciated) tours.
What aesthetically defines this part of the city was created in the 1930s. After the Bauhaus school closed under Nazi rule, Jewish architects fleeing from the German Reich built a neighborhood of 4,000 houses in the Bauhaus style: the White City. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. Even those who prefer Art Nouveau facades to contemporary architecture can find something to appreciate in the Mediterranean Bauhaus in Tel Aviv. Additionally, chic nightlife thrives around Rothschild Boulevard.
In the eateries on Dizengoff Street further north, the bohemians easily uncork a bottle or two of wine. Not far away is the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, one of the few classical attractions.
The neighborhoods in central Tel Aviv are stylishly polished and hardly affordable, as I learn on my tour. Even bohemian areas like Florentin are considered completely gentrified. In trendy Neve Tzedek, where Yemenite immigrants once settled, real estate prices are astronomical. Boutiques and jewelry studios now line the streets. Meanwhile, Levinsky Street still offers a glimpse of an authentic and unadulterated Tel Aviv. Overflowing large bags and boxes of local specialties crowd the sidewalks. A colorful mix of oriental aromas wafts into my nose.
The renovated HaTachana train station complex, along with a former brick factory, gives off an air of relaxed charmingness now. It houses boutiques, concept stores, and restaurants, and represents another mosaic piece of the young, modern generation of the Jewish state, increasingly incorporating lifestyle into their pursuit of a western way of life.
The structural transformation is unstoppable. The allure of Tel Aviv and the vitality of its residents are simply too great, especially because it seems so detached from the issues facing the rest of the country.
Jaffa is different. Jaffa exudes oriental flair. Technically, Tel Aviv is called Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The two places have grown together, making the city both old and young at the same time. Jaffa is one of the oldest settlements in the Middle East.
Following the promenade southward, the Muhammad Mosque rises near the water. The old town, with its winding alleyways, resembles the storybook cliché of an Arab Medina. Down at the bustling harbor in old Jaffa, where the first pilgrims once disembarked into the Holy Land, people today sit in trendy fish restaurants. But it's even busier just outside the city walls. At the well-known flea market and in the surrounding alleys, Arab antiquities merchants vie for customers. The burgeoning design scene, with its small, fine boutiques, tends to practice cool restraint. However, they draw me in magnetically. My wallet is burning, but it doesn't matter; I have long inhaled the spirit of Tel Aviv and I'm completely lisromm.
Accommodation: Hotels in Tel Aviv are generally not inexpensive. This is something to keep in mind. For a comfortable and centrally located stay close to the beach, consider the Metropolitan, or hip and stylish directly across at the Brown.
Dining: At the bustling Port Sa'id, I had delicious dishes on my plate. Simple but sensationally good. Freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, as well as tasty street food, can be found at every corner. Charming delis and cafés in Jaffa, Neve Tzedek, around Carmel Market, and Rothschild Boulevard, e.g., Da, Da & Da or Benedict for breakfast around the clock.
Shopping: I am enchanted by boutiques, galleries, and home furnishing stores in the vicinity of the Jaffa flea market. At Elemento, I would gladly splurge my annual income and overhaul my apartment. Great jewelry can be found at Agas & Tamar in Neve Tzedek.