Tel Aviv is consistently ranked as one of the coolest (or hottest) cities on the planet, and even though Mike and I are not in a position to judge the nightlife here (which I gather is a key component in this evaluation), I am going to agree that this is the case.
And while Tel Aviv has any number of trendy, hip, cool neighbourhoods, the most achingly Uber-cool of them all is currently Florentine. It is home to the Levinsky market (spices, dried fruit and nuts, olives etc), countless artist studios and old workshops, (often in disrepair), wonderful mid-century modern furniture stores, extensive graffiti, and a nightly party that starts soon after Mike and I go to bed. The neighbourhood is a blend of long-time residents (who are somewhat bemused by all this) and the newly arrived young, creative, partying class. I am not sure that new residents are allowed to move there if they are over 40. Think “La Boheme” or “Rent” in Hebrew (minus the fatal illness).
Needless to say, this has attracted all kinds of gentrification projects, so the neighbourhood is now an odd amalgam of ramshackle workshops, old gritty walk-up flats, brand new mid-rises, and future brand new mid/high-rises, aka construction sites. It could not be more different from the quaint neighbourhood of Neve Tzedek which is right next door. After the almost Disney-like charm of Neve Tzedek, it is at first jarring, and then refreshingly real, to step across Eilat Road into Florentine. How long this will last is anyone’s guess, since prices are rising here as new buildings go up. On the one hand, not everything old is worth saving. On the other hand, too much new could ruin the atmosphere.
On a recent walk-through I took some photos of the graffiti, (pardon me…street art), for the which the neighbourhood is justly famous.
The next one looks like nothing much but if you look closely you will see that it is in Braille!
I also went to THE ABSOLUTELY MOST ON TREND place to get coffee, and more importantly vintage “GAZOZ”, sparking cold seltzers, blended on the spot with fresh herbs, fruit preserves, and other delicious ingredients. This was once a tradition in Tel Aviv, and is now single-handedly being revived by one Benny Briga, a former chef (of some renown). A tiny and humble looking kiosk, with seating in a truck parked out front, see pics below, it attracts people from all over town. (I was introduced by Ben who has a friend that works there, and given its size, only one person at a time CAN work there.) Café Levinsky 41…the only one of its kind.
Finally, I went by the original workshop of the family that makes the wooden rackets, for the game of Matkot (beach paddle ball), that is ubiquitous on Israel’s beaches. You can often hear it before you see it, and the distinctively loud sound is due to the fact the paddles are hollow! (Thankfully I was with my Hebrew teacher, otherwise I would not have known that this was the original family that started making these, nor would I have been able to understand anything the young man tried to explain). Needless to say there are several grades of these rackets from the everyday plain wood, to the carbon fused, often custom decorated, “Mercedes” versions for the serious player. I am always a sucker for buying things from the original source, so I bought a pair of the “starter” paddles…which I hope to see in action when my nephew and niece come to visit.
