003 Cycling on Allenby
Young Tel Avivians were ever more delighted to see a new green track in the heart of the city, as its urban transformation made history with a new bike lane on Allenby Street. What used to be a smoke-filled road constantly congested, received a game-changing addition to the city's sustainable infrastructure.
Picture this: Allenby Street, Tel Aviv's historic artery - stretching almost two kilometers (that’s a bit longer than a mile) through the heart of the city - preparing to host a part of the city’s great transportation makeover. When photos of the new bike lane hit social media, they spread like wildfire - the project, which has already transformed 183 kilometers of city streets, is expanding to one of Tel Aviv's most iconic thoroughfares. Thousands of cyclists have tested the lane in its first week, proving the city's appetite for sustainable transportation.
What makes this particularly remarkable is that Tel Aviv has achieved something few Middle Eastern cities have managed before - creating an extensive cycling network with plans to expand to 250 kilometers by 2028. For a metropolis of just over 450,000 people, having such an extensive cycling infrastructure speaks volumes. To put it in perspective, the current network length equals nearly four times the distance between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, making it one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the region.
This isn't just another bike lane - it's becoming a cultural shift for Tel Avivians. Plus, the project has become a symbol of the city's commitment to sustainability, earning recognition in international urban planning circles and making environmentally conscious citizens ever more proud.
Tel Aviv's urban bicycle infrastructure is also connected to the city’s overall transformation, with three light rail lines. The first one - the red line - has already begun to operate and two more - the purple line and the green line - are under construction. In fact, the purple line is being constructed right on Allenby Street, making the newly opened bicycle lane a precursor of the well anticipated train, scheduled to begin operations in a couple of years.
Plus, the bicycle infrastructure is used by electric scooters buzzing through the city streets in growing numbers. It’s a phenomena which Paris for example decided to reject entirely, but Tel Aviv adopted full heartedly as another form of sustainable transportation and a way to get around town without breaking a sweat.
I was happy to test the newly opened cycle path on Allenby Street as I was riding around the city, thinking about its urban transformation in recent years. My name is Tomer Chelouche and I've been guiding tours in Tel Aviv since 2008. I started out of fascination with my family history - the Chelouche family was one of the founding families of Tel Aviv. My ancestors built this city - and I'm telling its story.
The best way to get to know Tel Aviv better is by purchasing one of my audio tours. Here's one way to do just that -
Abraham Hostel is one of the more affordable accommodations near the Gan HaHashmal neighbourhood - one of the more hipster areas of Tel Aviv. If you spend the night there, you can start to explore the neighborhood's creative energy first thing in the morning.
Make your way to the corner of Levontin and HaHashmal streets, a few steps away from the Abraham Hostel - this is where my Gan HaHashmal audio tour begins, under the web of historical power lines that once brought electricity to the young city from the neighbourhood that housed the first power plant in Tel Aviv, and indeed in the Land of Israel. In this one I show you the hidden gems of Gan HaHashmal and tell you the stories hiding behind the houses dating back a century.
You can make sure you've downloaded my Gan HaHashmal audio tour before you head out, or you can download it on the go if you're set with a data package allowing for uninterrupted internet access. There's a link in the show notes to purchase my audio tour - The Electrifying Story of Gan HaHashmal and Its Architecture.
If you have any questions - you’ll find all the ways to contact me on telaviv.tours (telaviv as one word, no space, no hyphen) and there’s a link in the show notes for your digital convenience.
For those planning to visit Tel Aviv this Spring, you're in for a unique experience as the city transitions from the winter, mild and mostly sunny as it is in Israel, to the even-sunnier days. The Nahalat Binyamin Arts and Crafts Fair transforms the street into a vibrant celebration of local creativity. It’s open on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can couple it with a visit, preferably when you’re hungry, to the nearby Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel; for Tel Avivians it would simply be “HaCarmel” by name, or “HaShuk” by title).
The market's culinary identity reflects Tel Aviv's cultural mosaic - as Jews came back to the Land of Israel they brought with them the local cuisines which they adopted as their own. For example, the Sabich - fried eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, and tahini, all stuffed into a warm flat and round bread called pitta - came here with Jewish families arriving from Iraq. A savory pastry filled with salty cheese called Burekas is originally from Turkey and the Balkans. You will also find the famously delicious and completely vegan Humus - a paste-like dish made from grounded chickpeas, traditionally eaten with slices of pitta instead of utensils.
The national food celebrated in Israel is called Falafel - again with the grounded chickpeas, but mixed with some greens, rounded into a ball and thrown into deep oil to fry in. Another vegan meal and a cost-effective way to test the local flavours on the go. Plus, you’ll find a shop selling a kind of Hungarian dessert in front of a stand selling the Libyan version of a sweet snack to finish a meal. A visit to Shuk HaCarmel is the real life equivalent of the Disney World ride “It’s a small world after all”.
I really recommend coming on a Tuesday rather than the weekend, because it’s much less chaotic. The weekend in Israel starts Thursday afternoon as workers unofficially shorten the last business day of the week to go back home and later go out to party. Thursday night is one of the busiest times for Tel Aviv’s entertainment establishments as most people don’t need to go to work the morning after. Friday morning is when Tel Avivians get up later than usual, but as the day progresses more and more people flock to the city to do their shopping. By noon, it’s already hard to squeeze into the narrow pedestrian passages of Carmel Market and the Nahalat Binyamin arts and crafts fair.
Friday afternoon sees the city shifting gears, the commotion gradually diminishes as the market shuts down and almost all shops across the city close no later than 4pm. The public transportation run by the national ministry of Transportation comes to a halt and this makes room for the buses run by the local government, which are actually free to use.
The reasoning behind this is a public debate in Israel over its cultural and religious identity. It’s an open debate between the more secular Israelis living in the Tel Aviv region who adhere to the live and let live motto and the more religious Israelis scattered in other areas of the country who believe that Jewish customs should be observed in the public realm. Though there’s a national ban on public transportation on the weekend, Tel Aviv started to run privately owned buses as a kind of local transit solution. Since it’s not completely Kosher, legally, the only way to do so is to not charge money for the service, odd as it is.
The Jewish day of rest - Shabbat - is one of the most important Jewish customs. Religious observers of Shabbat would refrain from any kind of work from the time that the sun sets on Friday until the sun sets again on Saturday. Roughly 25 hours of uninterrupted time to re-energize the soul. Plus, it’s time to log off, as they refrain from driving or using electronic devices. That’s right - no smartphones, no TVs… Shabbat is all about spending time with family and going to synagogue to pray.
In Tel Aviv the scenes are a bit different. You don’t see that many people covered in traditional attire going to pray at the local synagogue, but most everyone takes time to relax towards Friday night, that’s when a festive dinner takes place to mark the start time of Shabbat. Tel Aviv is such a liberal city, and with a strong secular ethos, that it has become a magnet for everyone who wants to party over the weekend. If you don’t want to pray, Tel Aviv invites you to play. The late hours of Friday night are the busiest for the club scene scattered in several areas of Tel Aviv, the most famous are not far from Allenby Street. It’s also the busiest time for pubs along Dizengoff street and other parts of town.
On Saturday, museums and galleries, as well as specific shopping areas, such as the Tel Aviv Port, operate just as any other day. Most Restaurants and coffee places in Tel Aviv also open on Shabbat, some opening their doors a bit later than usual, since sleeping in on a Saturday morning has become a nationally beloved ritual. The beaches are fully manned with lifeguards and beach attendants seven days a week with the weekend days being the busiest. And come April, the temperatures become ideal for spending an entire day on the golden sands of Tel Aviv. I’ll elaborate on that in the next episode.
Until then - I am Tel Aviv tour guide Tomer Chelouche, signing off and hoping to see you soon in Tel Aviv.
Show notes:
The Electrifying Story of Gan HaHashmal and Its Architecture
Abraham Hostel (Booking.com affiliate link)
