Yafo

During my journey I have stayed on and off in Yafo / Jaffa, and I have come to like it very much.. And after nice walk along the coast and you are soon in the vivid and beautiful area of Neve Tsedek in central Tel Aviv. Yafo is the home for most of the Arabic population in Tel Aviv-Yafo. It is an ancient port with beautiful buildings in the Old City with its incredible charm, art galleries and small paved alleyways, which carry the names of the zodiac signs. You find nice architecture all over Yafo, but in other areas side by side with less fancy and sometimes quite shabby houses. In 1948 the middle class left Yafo, which until then was a flourishing cultural area. Most of them thought they left for a couple of weeks, but fate had it that they were not allowed to return, which left Yafo an unprivileged and dormant area.








Now it is regaining some of its pulse and swirl with its famous flea market, designer boutiques, artists workshops, creative restaurants and cafés, and there are lots of visitors, not least on shabbat. Many buildings are being renovated to its former beauty, and new fancy buildings are popping up, making it an increasingly popular, and more expensive, area to live in. About half of the population is still Arabic, and the mix makes it special.

I find Yafo easygoing and friendly, traffic is less heavy than inside Tel Aviv, which makes it more breathable and quiet. I love it to walk along the seaside past the beach, around the Old City, along the port and the new park that is open to the sea. And if your heart has any wishes, you can always go to the Wishing Bridge in the park and wish upon your star…