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Ahad Haam & Nahmani streets

Ahad Haam & Nahmani streets are located in the heart of Tel Aviv, and you should make note of them as part of your “getting to know Tel Aviv” tour, either fitting them into your Rothschild Blvd excursion or dedicating them some time of their own.

Ahad Haam (a.k.a Ehad Ha’am or Echad Ha’am) means “one of the people” and is the pen name of Asher Ginzberg, a Jewish Russian who was one of the founders of Zionism. The street named after him runs parallel to the famous Rothschild Blvd, and hosts a mix of restaurants, cafes, art galleries and more. It meets with Nahmani Street half way through, and continues towards north with similar offering of typical Tel Aviv Bauhaus buildings and great atmosphere.

Some of the recommendations for this heart of Tel Aviv neighborhood include:

Sightseeing

Some of the nicer Bauhaus buildings of the city are located on Ahad Haam and Nahmani streets, so when you walk around the neighborhood, don’t forget to look up and enjoy the wide porches, small windows and smooth lines of the International architectural design, which gave the city of Tel Aviv its “white city” UNESCO World Heritage site title.

A landmark attraction for every walking tour is the Pagoda House on the corner of Nahmani and Montefiore streets, designed by architect Alexander Levy in 1925. Inspired by a cafe in the United States, the Pagoda House merges Oriental and Western styles. Since it’s privately owned you won’t be able to see it from the inside, but sitting on the lovely King Albert Square, just across the street, will allow you to appreciate it just the same.

Coffee Shops

The famous Café Tamar, which has been serving stale coffee to a mix of Israel’s top politicians, journalists and artists for over 40 years, is located in the corner of Shenkin and Ahad Ha’am streets. A popular kosher coffee shop, Cafe Ginzburg, can be found at 55 Ahad H’aam St., and a small library-café, popular with local writers and artists is Café Noah, at 93 Ahad Ha’am St., where you can enjoy the small garden when the weather permits (which is almost all the time). Another great place to enjoy the morning sun is Café-bakery Ben Ami, at King Albert Square, 22 Nahmani St.

Restaurants

One of the best Italian restaurants in Tel Aviv is Pronto, at 26 Nahmani St., a “Trattoria Italiana” serving great seafood and typical dishes for two decades. Just around the corner is Café Noir at 43 Ahad Ha’am with huge breakfasts and large bistro food throughout the day. If you happen to be vegetarian, Mezze at 51 Ahad Ha’am is a small neighborhood joint just for you.

Art Galleries

Noga Gallery at 60 Ahad Ha’am St., Gallery 39 at 39 Nahmani St.

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Basel Street

Basel Street is one of the most popular places to sit and have a cup of coffee in Tel Aviv. In the middle of this small area there is a large square with shops and cafes scattered around it, and though there are no special attractions, the laid back atmosphere makes it a very pleasant area to sit and have a cup of coffee and a croissant in the morning or in the afternoon. Basel Street is considered to be a hangout area for the high society of Tel Aviv. The area itself is surrounded by parks and large trees, giving the location an isolated feel, few blocks away from the busy Dizengoff Street. The area offers a variety of shops, quality cafes and restaurants, including Japanese, Italian and Israeli cuisine, as well as a bar serving alcohol until late at night. Cafe Basel (42 Basel St.) is popular amongst the locals, serving basic menu and good coffee, right in the middle of the street. Alkalay (1 Alkalay St.) is another popular café with a casual atmosphere and regular customers. Arcaffe, in the middle of Basel square at 35 Basel St., is a self service café with excellent Italian coffee and delicious cakes and sandwiches, and Lulu (5 Alkalay St.), one block away, is yet another beautifully designed place with a lovely atmosphere. If you visit Basel Street, try to make a stop in one of the jewelry and gift shops scattered around the plaza. In the jewelry stores there's a wide selection of local and antique pieces, and in the lovely Del-Arte gift shop (9 Ashtory Hafarchi St.) there are some stunning handmade items.

The Trumpeldor Cemetery

The Trumpeldor Cemetery is the first cemetery of Tel Aviv, and it is where many of the national Zionist leaders and famous Israeli artists are buried. For an historic journey in the center of Tel Aviv you should pay a visit to the Trumpeldor Cemetery at 19 Trumpeldor Street. The cemetery is named After Yosef Trumpeldor, a famous Russian Jewish war hero from the beginning of the 20th century, and is the first cemetery of the city and where many of its founding fathers, as well as central Zionist and cultural figures, are buried. Like many old cemeteries, the Trumpeldor Cemetery tells the story of Tel Aviv and its people in the past and present. The Trumpeldor cemetery was built in 1902 in the southern part of Tel-Aviv by Shimon Rokach, one of the city's founders and leaders, seven years before the foundation of the city itself. Since then, is has become a pantheon for major politicians and figures of Zionist movements, as well as Israeli artists and authors. Once visiting there, look for a relatively small area in which you will find the gravestones of some of the famous national figures of the country. Amongst others, you will spot the gravestone of the national poet Bialik, the city's first legendary mayor Arlozorov, some famous Zionist leaders, such as Sheinkin and Nordao, and some famous poets and writers, like Tshernichovski and Ahad Ha’Am. In many ways, the Trumpeldor cemetery is where the city's streets come back to life, and if you visit there a couple of days after wondering around the city center, surely you will recognize many of these names. Hotel Metropolitan is located on the very same street, at 11 Trumpeldor St. It is an affordable yet elegant lodging option right next to the beach and is very close to the city center. A second hotel in this area is the Sun City hotel, at 9 Trumpeldor St., which is very well kept and quite intimate. It has great location, too - right next to the city's lively markets and shopping areas, and only 500 meters from the Mediterranean promenade.

Ben-Gurion St. Tel Aviv

Ben-Gurion St. is one of Tel Aviv's nicest places to have a walk and a cup of coffee in the middle of the Street. There are a couple of places along the boulevard worth visiting. Ben-Gurion's house (17 Ben-Gurion St.) is the former residence of Israel's first Prime Minister. It is a very modest house converted into museum, and has an impressive library that contains thousands of books. The design of the house is interesting, and reflects the simple lifestyle of its former residents which were the common values at the early years of the state of Israel. Alongside Ben-Gurion St., you will see many small outdoor cafes, with people sitting and chatting. All of them serve quality coffee and sandwiches. If you are looking for a nice restaurant in the area, Goocha (171 Dizengoff St.) is probably the place you were looking for. It is situated at the cross point of Ben-Gurion St. and Dizengoff St. and serves nice seafood dishes. The restaurant is well known for its pleasant atmosphere and reasonable prices. Kikar Atarim, a small plaza with nice seafront view, is a popular hangout place for tourists during the summer months, and is situated at the west end of Ben-Gurion St. In the middle of the plaza there is a successful Mega-Bar named "La Kikar", which is jammed every evening with fine looking crowd. The Marina hotel, overlooking the plaza and the Mediterranean, is located in the northern side of Kikar Atarim, and offers renovated rooms and underground parking lot for its guests, which is a rare feature in Tel Aviv. For couples traveling with small children, there is the Dyada center at 17 Ben-Gurion St.. It offers a wide selection of children pass-times throughout the day and many types of amusements for kids. In Dyada the young ones can have some fun while you are sitting in the garden and having a peaceful light meal in the restaurant located inside the complex.

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