Tel Aviv - The town

Opinions on Tel Aviv differ widely. To some it is a noisy and unbeautiful city, to others the lively modern metropolis of Israel. It is true that some parts of the city, particularly the outer districts, are not particularly attractive; but the central area between the sea and Ibn Gvirol Street, with its functional buildings in the international style, is handsome and imposing.

Most of the hotels - all of them in the luxury category - are on Hayarkon Street, which runs parallel to the coast, and its continuation to the south, Herbert Samuel Street (though farther south the hotels begin to become less exclusive). The principal business and shopping quarter is round Dizengoff Street and Circle. There are also numbers of smaller shops in Allenby Street, Southwest of which is the Newe Tzedek quarter, the oldest part of the town, with narrow little streets and low houses. Farther south is the old town of Jaffa (Yafo). The northern part of Tel Aviv, beyond the river Yarqon, is very different, with handsomely laid out residential districts and large parks and gardens.