#25: Runs from Tel Aviv University down Namir Rd. then Yehuda Ha-Maccabee to Ibn Gvirol. After
turning right and going for a few blocks on Arlozorov, turns left to follow Shlomo Ha-Melekh and King
George down to Shuk Ha-Carmel. Until 9:30pm, continues to Bat Yam along the coast, but otherwise
turns around at the shuk. Every 15 min.
#27: From the New Central Bus Station (1st floor), runs along Petah Tikva Rd. and to Haifa Rd. Cen-
tral Train Station, then along Levanon St. to Tel Aviv University, the kenyon (shopping mall) in Ramat
Gan, and back. Every 10-15min.
#46: From the New Central Bus Station (1st floor) to Jaffa and back along Yefet St. Every 8-10min.
every 15min. at night.
Sherut taxis run along the routes of buses #4 and 5, and are numbered accord-
ingly. At NIS4.50, they're cheaper than the bus and will stop anywhere along the
route. Call a taxi anytime . Regular taxis are also avail-
able, though they seldom cruise the streets looking for passengers. It is easiest to
call one ahead of time or look for the yellow and black signs (usually in Hebrew)
that indicate taxi stands and prominently display local company phone numbers
. Taxis are metered. Rent-A-Scooter, 136 Ha-Yarkon St. («681
57 78), provides an alternative to public transportation (NIS100/US$25 per day,
10% discounts for a week, 20% for two weeks; min. age 18).
E ORIENTATION
Located in the center of Israel's Mediterranean coastline, Tel Aviv is 63km north-
west of Jerusalem and 95km south of Haifa The two main points of entry into Tel
Aviv are Ben-Gurion Airport and the New Central Bus Station. Frequent bus and
sherut (minibus) service from the airport is supplemented by the vans that war-
ring hostels send to lure potential customers.
Tel Aviv is rather easy to navigate once you learn the few main roads that run
parallel to the coastline and a few big intersections. The tayelet (promenade)
extends from Jaffa up to Gordon beach (about two-thirds of the way to the port).
Parallel and one block inland is Ha-Yarkon St. followed by Ben-Yehuda St. another
block inland. All three streets are lined with hotels, cafes, and restaurants-prices
generally go down as you go further from the shore. Dizengoff St. home to some of
Tel Aviv's trendy cafes and bars, runs parallel to Ben-Yehuda before swerving
away from the coast toward Kikkar Dizengoff, an elevated plaza surrounded by
shops and a cineplex. Dizengoff St. then continues to intersect the next big
coastal-parallel, Ibn Gvirol St. with its arcades and cafes. On Ibn Gvirol, a few
blocks above this intersection is Kikkar Yitzhak Rabin, in front of City Hall.
The third square to know is Kikkar Bath November, where Ben-Yehuda intersects
Allenby St. Almost all of the hostels in Tel Aviv are either on or near Ben-Yehuda or
Allenby. Further down, Allenby intersects King George St. and Sheinkin St. at Kikkar
Magen David. This intersection is also the starting point of Shuk Ha-Carmel and the
midrahov (pedestrian mall) of Nahalat Binyamin. Between the shuk and the shore
are the winding alleyways of Kerem Ha-Temanim (the Yemenite Quarter) and below
the shuk lies the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek, which has profited from a recent
infusion of yuppies. Allenby continues most of the way to the bus station. Below
the bus station, framed by Herzl St. Ha-Aliya St. and Salame St. is the bohemian Flo-
rentin neighborhood.
Still another parallel, much farther from the coast, is Namir Rd. a major thorough-
fare that leads to Tel Aviv's northern exit; the train station, which has service to all
major cities, is at the intersection of Namir Rd. and Arlozorov St. Jaffa and its water-
front lie farther south, outside the downtown area. The entrance to Old Jaffa,
marked by a famous clocktower, lies at the intersection of Eilat St. and Goldman St.