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181 HaYarkon St
An apartment block with an oddly designed façade that resembles a vertical rock garden. Make sure to look at both sides of the building.
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2 Lilienblum St
The Neve Tzedek quarter is well worth a casual wander; while there check out 2 Lilienblum St, home of the first cinema in Israel.
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Almonit (Anonymous) Alley
It's easy to miss this tiny sidestreet while walking up King George St. But as a decidedly non-trendy, alternative hangout, the people that do come here appreciate its obscurity. The alley was originally named after Getzel Shapira, an American Jew who financed civic projects in Tel Aviv in the 1920s.
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Azrieli Observatory
Israel's version of the Empire State Building (but without the four-hour line for the elevator) involves a trip up to the 49th floor of the Azrieli round tower to the Azrieli Observatory . Admission includes use of an audio guide (in English or Hebrew) which describes the various buildings and landmarks around the city - you'll get a better grasp of it all during daylight hours.
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Bat Yam Beach
Mixed couples can escape to the beach just north of Old Jaffa or the city of Bat Yam, which has a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach. Bat Yam is a 20-minute bus ride from the centre of Tel Aviv, take bus 10 or 46.
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Bauhaus architecture, Cinema Hotel
One of the city's best examples of Bauhaus architecture.
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Bauhaus Centre
Bauhaus fans will want to stop by the Bauhaus Centre which is loaded with souvenirs and artwork. The centre runs a Bauhaus city tour on Fridays.
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Ben Yehuda St
A downmarket boulevard of broken dreams. Once a popular shopping street, business has moved elsewhere, with the exception of airline offices, banks and a few other essentials.
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Ben-Gurion Ave
Once considered a singles neighbourhood, it's now a popular address for families, a trend that becomes even more evident the further north you head. The bike lane running the length of Ben-Gurion Ave carries cyclists from Rabin Sq to the sea at Namir Sq, a run-down slab of concrete that sports a couple of cafés and a new nightclub.
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Ben-Gurion Museum
The historical highlight of Ben-Gurion Ave and the home that once belonged to Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. This site was maintained more or less as it was left at the time of David Ben-Gurion's death, the small rooms are simply furnished and contain part of the revered politician's library of some 20,000 books, as well as his correspondence with various world leaders.
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Bialik House
Former home of Chaim Nachman Bialik, Israel's national poet. It contains memorabilia connected with his life and work, but it was closed for renovations when we checked.
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Bialik St
A short street lined with attractive buildings, Bialik St is a repository of Tel Avivian history. Look out for the Reuven Rubin House (14 Bialik St), the former residence of the artist of the same name. On display is a selection of his work and part of the artist's private collection of photographs and furnishings.
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Centre of Arts
The impressive building with the fountain in front, just west of the museum, is the Centre of Arts, home to the Israeli Opera company.
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Eretz Israel Museum
The Eretz Israel Museum actually consists of 11 linked, small museums built around an archaeological site, Tel Qasile. The museum complex is made up of, among others, a planetarium, a glass museum, a folklore pavilion, a reconstruction of a medieval bazaar, a ceramics museum, and a couple of halls with temporary exhibitions. Perhaps the best section is the multimedia presentation of Baron Rothschild, the financier who paid for many public works projects in Tel Aviv in the late 19th century.
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Etzel Museum
The 1948 Arab-Israeli War is recorded in the Etzel Museum, an attractive smoked-glass structure built within the remains of an old Arab house close to sea. The museum presents a mainly photographic history of the Jewish victory against the Arabs in Jaffa in April 1948.
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Fire and Water Fountain
The Fire and Water Fountain in the centre of Kikar Dizengoff makes for a somewhat appropriate symbol of the city. Spinning crazily, spurting water at random moments and occasionally launching flames into the air, its outlandish behavior continues naughtily into the night, almost unnoticed by city residents infected by similarly unpredictable manner. The fountain was designed by Ya'acov Agam, a leading Israeli artist known for his (obvious) predilection towards rainbow colour schemes.
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Haganah Museum
This museum chronicles the formation and activities of the Haganah, the military organisation that was the forerunner of today's Israel Defence Forces (IDF). It has been recently renovated in a multimedia format where you follow 'Itsik' (a fictional character) as he escapes from a European ghetto to Israel where he becomes a young war hero.
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HaYarkon Park
HaYarkon Park, a green wooded expanse beside the river which offers some respite to the traffic and noise. The river is a little dirty and the surroundings are marred by some prominent electricity pylons but it doesn't stop students from the nearby campus flocking down here to take advantage of the row boats for hire. On weekends locals flock to the park to enjoy a variety of sports; there is a climbing wall, a skate park, basketball courts and football fields.
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Helena Rubenstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art
Named for the woman behind the cosmetics empire, the Helena Rubenstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art is part of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and is used for temporary exhibits by guest artists, both Israeli and foreign. Admission is sometimes free depending on the exhibit, but a Tel Aviv Museum of Art ticket is valid for here, too. Call ahead before going, as the place is closed when exhibits are in transition.
Read more about Helena Rubenstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art
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Herbert Samuel Esplanade
Is a sort of Miami Beach of the Middle East; a golden stretch of sand teeming with Tel Avivans out for daily rituals of beach tennis and sunbathing. Most of the city's large chain hotels are lined up along here and the coastal views are spectacular.
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Home of Shimon Rokach
The former home of Shimon Rokach with its gilded copper dome, contains tributes to the man who envisioned the construction of Tel Aviv. Dating from 1887, the house now contains exhibits and videos that chronicle the early days of the city.
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Independence Hall
On 14 May 1948, Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel here. Previous to that the building had been the home of Meir Dizengoff, one of the founders of Tel Aviv. Entry includes a short introductory film and a tour of the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
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Israel Diamond Museum
The cornerstone of the city of Ramat Gan is the Israel Diamond Centre, the vast diamond trading house that has made Israel the number-one exporter of diamonds. Sadly, the Diamond Centre is closed to the general public, but you can still get an upclose look at a woman's best friend at the Israel Diamond Museum, which shows off the process of extraction, polishing and the trade of diamonds.
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Jabotinsky Institute
The Jabotinsky Institute is an historical research organisation with a museum on the 1st floor presenting the history and activities of the national resistance movement, founded and led by Ze'ev Jabotinsky. Several departments show his political, literary and journalistic activities, and also document the creation of the Jewish Legion in WWI (a paramilitary force set up to aid illegal immigration during the time of the British Mandate).
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Kikar Dizengoff
The geographic heart of the city, Kikar Dizengoff is regularly populated by a motley mix of mohawked punks, hippies, ice cream-licking tots and energetic centigenarians.
