Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 when sixty-six families drew lots for plots on empty dunes north of Jaffa. It now holds about 470,000 people in the city and four million in the metropolitan area, and it functions as the economic and cultural capital even though the political capital is elsewhere.
The White City
Between the 1930s and 1950s, architects trained at the Bauhaus and other German schools built more than 4000 buildings here in the International Style, adapted to the climate with balconies, brise-soleil and raised pilotis. It is the largest concentration of such buildings anywhere and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2003. Bauhaus Center Tel Aviv runs walking tours; the best streets are around Rothschild, Bialik and Ahad Ha'am.
The beach
Fourteen kilometres of sand along the Mediterranean, with a promenade running the whole length, free to use and busy from morning until late. Gordon and Frishman are central, Hilton Beach is the gay beach and the surf spot, Alma is quieter, and there is a separate religious beach with segregated days. Matkot, the beach paddle game, is the constant background sound.
Markets and eating
Carmel Market is the big one, loud and central. Levinsky in the south is the spice market and the better food. Sarona and the Port have been redeveloped into food halls. Tel Aviv has more vegan restaurants per head than almost any city, a fact residents mention frequently and accurately.
Museums and culture
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is strong on Israeli and modern European work. ANU, the Museum of the Jewish People, at the university, was rebuilt in 2021 and is excellent. The Palmach Museum and Independence Hall cover the founding period.
Nightlife
The city goes out late and stays out. Florentin is the young, scruffy district; Rothschild and the Port are more polished. Nothing much happens before eleven.
Practicalities
Ben Gurion Airport is 20 minutes by train. The city is flat and cycling on the rented bikes and scooters is the fastest way around. Unlike Jerusalem, Tel Aviv runs partly through Shabbat, with some restaurants and shared taxis operating.
The name
Tel Aviv means hill of spring and was taken from the Hebrew title of Theodor Herzl novel Altneuland, itself borrowed from a place name in the Book of Ezekiel. The city was originally called Ahuzat Bayit and renamed a year after its founding.