A “Must See” in Tel Aviv

Neve Tzedek, my favorite little neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Got off the bus solo and wandered around Tel Aviv’s first and oldest neighborhood away from the “balagan”, the chaos of city life. A tangle of narrow streets and limitless eclectic portraits, the “artsy section” and oldest of the city with a rich, cultural history.

Neve Tzedek was established in 1887, over 20 years before the City of Tel Aviv was created. Similarly, though, it was created by a group of families seeking a peaceful life outside of overcrowded Jaffa. They built low-slung and colorful buildings with expansive gardens and winding alleyways. It was long a bohemian escape. By the start of the 1900’s Neve Tzedek became an oasis for many artists and writers. This includes future Nobel prize laureate Shmuel Yosef Agnon, and the famous Israeli artist Nahum Gutman.

From The Tourist Israel Guide

As time went on, though, and the City of Tel Aviv developed, Neve Tzedek fell into decay. The North of the city, developed by the wealthier Ashkenazi (European Jews) attracted many of the richer residents of the south. As they left, buildings began to fall into neglect. By the 1960’s, city officials deemed Neve Tzedek, which was now part of the city of Tel Aviv, a rundown slum-like area, incompatible with the bustling North. They planned to demolish the neighborhood and construct high-rise apartment blocks.  Thankfully, however, these plans never came to fruition. As many buildings were placed on preservation lists, a new breath of life came into the area as restoration works began in the 1980’s. The result has been that now it is an oasis of tranquility in the bustling city. It’s also a real estate and cultural hotspot.

Met a friend outside of a coffee shop in the neighborhood who was kind enough to pose for a photo.