Dizengoff St., Shenken St. & Rothchilde Ave

February 20th 2015

New York has Fifth Avenue and Broadway. Paris has The Avenue des Champs-Élysées. London has Downing Street and Piccadilly Circus. Jerusalem has Ben Yehuda Street, King George Street and Jaffa Road. And Tel Aviv has Dizengoff Street, Shenken Street and Rothschild Boulevard. Located right in the heart of Tel Aviv, Dizengoff, Shenken and Rothschild are the three most well-known and popular thoroughfares for recreation and commerce in Tel Aviv.

Dizengoff Street was named after the first mayor of Tel Aviv, Meir Dizengoff. At the peak of its popularity, it was referred to as the Champs-Élysées of Tel Aviv. This artery is best known for its coffee shops, clothes stores and swanky bridal boutiques. At the southern end of the street lies Dizengoff Square, a famous landmark, as well as the Dizengoff Center shopping mall.

Shenken Street is known for its vibe of urban hipster cool. The home of designer clothing shops, such as Ronen Chen and Banot by Loulou Liam, and designer jewelry by the likes of Michal Negrin, Shenkin is a shopper’s paradise. If designer clothes are not your style, The Third Eye shop features clothing that is inspired by the styles of India. And if you’re looking for something other than clothes or jewelry, try Luchy, which sells more modest goods. Café Tamar has been a landmark coffee shop for decades, although sentiment over the java served here is a bit divided among connoisseurs – try it and decide for yourself. And locals highly recommend Orna and Ella as the very best restaurant on Shenkin Street.

Rothschild Boulevard was named for Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, whose donations to the Zionist movement helped establish the earliest beginnings of the State of Israel. Specially designated lanes for walkers and bike riders surround the wide center of the boulevard, notable for its tall trees. Real estate properties on Rothschild Boulevard rank among the most expensive in Tel Aviv, and the thoroughfare is also the heart of the Tel Aviv financial district. Independence Hall, where David Ben Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel in 1948, is right here too. If you’re going to stop and grab a bite on Rothschild Boulevard, expect it to be at an upscale and pricey establishment.

Whether you want to shop, eat, stroll or people-watch, take a whole day just to explore these three streets, and you will definitely have experienced the “Tel Aviv spirit.”