LES QUARTIERS NORD

Tel Aviv's northern neighborhoods are mixed and rather residential. You'll spend less time here than in the rest of the city. From Bograshov Street and the Sarona district in the south, to HaYarkon Park and Ramat Aviv in the north, this area brings together shopping streets, business districts, the city's largest park, beautiful beaches, the port and leading museums.

Dizengoff Street is one of the city's liveliest streets, named in honor of Tel Aviv's first mayor. In Dizengoff Square, the strange "Fire and Water" fountain was created in 1986 by Yaacov Agam: it spits fire on commemorative holidays. A few meters away is the city's emblematic shopping center, the Dizengoff Center. To the west and the sea, HaYarkon and Ben Yehuda streets are home to many trendy restaurants and boutiques.

City Hall Square is also known as Rabin Square, after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. The district is organized along Ibn Gabirol Avenue, which houses shops and cafés under its arcades. To the southeast, a quiet, tree-lined residential area surrounds the magnificent Tel Aviv Art Museum and the Performing Arts Center.

Sarona. To the east, just before reaching the Ayalon ring road, skyscrapers are everywhere. There's little to see in this business district, with the exception of the historic Sarona quarter, home to the houses of the Templars, a German population who settled in Tel Aviv in the early ^20th century. Today, they have been taken over by a market and many trendy restaurants, making it one of Tel Aviv's gastronomic spots.

North coast. The northern part of Tel Aviv's waterfront is home to some of the city's most popular beaches and luxury hotels. As you head upstream, you come to the marina and a pleasant promenade that stretches to the contemporary port. It's a clean space where trendy restaurants and bars coexist.

HaYarkon Park and Ramat Aviv. The park marks the northern boundary of the city center and stretches along the Yarkon River from west to east. It offers a pleasant stroll, punctuated by watering holes and rest areas. North of the river lies the Ramat Aviv district, home to several of the city's major museums (Eretz Israel, Diaspora Museum, Palmach Museum), as well as a popular shopping mall and Tel Aviv University. It's a place that lacks a little charm: you'll only go there to visit one of the museums.