AviaRothschild Boulevard is one of the main destinations to travel around Tel Aviv. It’s unique architecture and bohemian style attracts many tourists and locals alike.
Edmond James de Rothschild lived between 1845 and 1934 and is best known here in Israel as The Baron. He was a French member of the Rothschild banking family and a big supporter of a Jewish state in the territory defined as the historic Land of the Jews. His donations were a huge support and helped establish the state of Israel. No wonder he got one of the best streets in Tel Aviv to be named after him!
Our day started on the end of that street – Habima Square. Like our trip to Ehad Ha’am street, we rested here for a bit before starting our walk. Actually, Ehad Ha’am street and Rothschild Boulevard are two parallel streets with a line of buildings separating them, but this time, instead of turning right, we just kept walking straight from Habima.
Walking from Habima Square toward Rothschild Boulevard you could already feel the change of environment. Suddenly there’s life everywhere, people hurrying to get to places on different vehicles on the bicycle lane, others running, power walking, or just wandering around on the pedestrian lane. But most are just resting and enjoying the little squares of nature everywhere on the street, having a picnic or resting their head under a shading tree.
One of the things that make this street so special are the many, huge, old trees that cover the boulevard, giving the feeling of nature in a very urban environment. Their canopies spread out above your head, shading you at all times and giving safe haven from the strong glowing sun on a hot summer day.
This is one of the defining features of some old areas of Tel Aviv called the White City. This area is a UNESCO heritage site and accommodates more then 4,000 buildings that were built in the international architectural style.
Going along this boulevard, you can’t miss those unique buildings – they’re usually painted white, built in straight lines or simple curves with no additional decorations. Now, almost a century after, most of those buildings gained a little bit of color and a lot more personality.
Some are renovated and perfectly white, giving you the feeling of a fancy area while others are old, abandoned looking and not so far away. Yet both are equipped with huge balconies for their residents to enjoy the nice warm breeze on a summer day.
Occasionally you can find a kiosk in the middle of the boulevard, selling refreshing juices and many baked goods, but we decided to try a store we wanted to check out for a while. Simple Happy Market is a vegan store but is definitely not for vegans only. It has all kinds of food from snacks to full meals and breads, natural juices, interesting spreads and puppets, magnets and coloring books all based on the vegan way of living.
After exploring the whole store front to back we bought an orange juice and a cinnamon bun and enjoyed it while watching the movement of the street on one of the many benches along the boulevard. An occasional driving car, people moving all around, birds chirping in the trees and you can really stop and let your mind wander.
This street is also full of history, with the museum of the first Jewish army at the beginning of it and the house where the first Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, announced the establishment of Israel in May 1948. This street perfectly captures both young and old Tel Aviv, and is brimming with life, from locals zipping along on scooters to tourists gawking at the massive trees and gorgeous architecture.
If you’re interested in history or architecture go visit Rothschild Boulevard but even if this was a very long day and you’re just looking for a place to hang at all hours of the day, this place is just for you!
