Exploring Tel Aviv off the beaten path: south Tel Aviv neighborhood guide

Prior to the last few years of artist-fueled-economic development, south Tel Aviv existed as a run-down, industrial section of the city. Home to many, but understood by few, the land south of Salame encompasses an esoteric nature only visitors and inhabitants can truly understand. With the an ever-expanding creative scene and more artists, musicians and designers taking up residency in massive loft spaces, south Tel Aviv has emerged as one of the most dynamic neighborhoods in the city, boasting contemporary galleries, hipster-savvy resto-bars and creative concepts geared towards travelers and locals who are privy to artful exploration.

Places To See

Crossing over Salame Street to Kibbutz Galuyot and as far south as Abarbanel Street, the rectangular prism of south Tel Aviv boasts some of the city’s most refined and progressive art galleries, including Contemporary by Golconda (117 Herzl Street/ 03-682 2777, contemporary.co.il) Feinberg Projects (3 Ha-Mif’al Street, 077-345-2115/ feinbergprojects.com/) Raw Art (3 Shvil Ha’Meretz St. /03-6832559, rawart-gallery.com) and Herzl 140 (140 Herzl Street), among others. Once a month on Thursday nights, each gallery and adjacent private studios open their doors for a festive night of exhibition openings, artist-led lectures and an all-around dynamic social setting replete with beer and wine, on the house, of course. For gourmets, south Tel Aviv boasts the locally-lauded vegetarian-friendly Alla Rampa (21 Ha’Amal Street / 03-546-1506). The asparagus with beetroot and

Parmesan is a must-try. For lunchtime, grab a freshly prepped bowl of Humshuka (hummus and shakshuka) at Noam’s place, fava bean hummus at HuSuri. South Tel Aviv is also a hotspot for night owls and music enthusiasts. Gargarin (46 Salame Street / 054-228-6570) Duplex (10 Ha’shakh St, 058-512-5850/ www.duplexclubtlv.com) and Meshuna Gallery (112 Herzl Street / 052-224-1313) a street art-gallery-cultural and nightlife space run by local artists, all host various forms of night-fueled entertainment from live dubstep producers to house and techno DJ’s and indie rock bands.If the beach is a must, walk west on Salame Street until its end, and you will reach Jaffa’s Mediterranean promenade in no more than 20 minutes.

However, we recommend a stroll through Park Darom on Kibbutz Galuyot, boasting St. Tabitha Church, an 18th century Russian Orthodox church dressed in pink, as well as a stunning botanical garden, bicycle trails, picnic areas and a bird sanctuary, designed by Israeli starchitect Moshe Safdie. Tip to know: The lighting in south Tel Aviv is tremendously stunning at sunset. A simple saunter through the neighborhood’s graffiti and street art-laced buildings is worth the trek in its own right.