Day 8 – July 13th

Surprisingly, I feel relatively good after a physically exhausting day. Sore, but not bad, manageable. We decide to go in the total opposite direction and instead of nature and hiking we go to a mall and office building. The Azraeli Center has 49 floors, making it the tallest building in Tel Aviv and the second tallest in Israel. The top floor has an indoor observation deck and a high-end restaurant. The views are spectacular and I get a geographical perspective of Tel Aviv. We then have a few overpriced drinks and head out.

For those who are not aware, Tel Aviv now has a version of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk. Located at what is still known as the Tel Aviv Port, this actual boardwalk contains a number of attractions, including popular restaurants and pubs, boutiques, and more recently a mobile unit for the Channel 24 music TV station.

I ask my friends if I should take my camera. They say there is no need. The place was exceptionally busy with people of all ages enjoying the beautiful night. I thought the Boardwalk was very long. A sort of stretched out single level version of the NY South Street Seaport. A bit commercialized for my friends but I enjoyed it. I wish I had some photos.

To me, I saw it as another example of how and vibrant the city of Tel Aviv really is. It is a very “happening” city. Cafes and restaurants are busy every day of the week except Sabbath.

Now may be a good time for some background on Tel Aviv (from Wikipedia):

Tel Aviv is a beta+ world city, alongside cities such as Barcelona and San Francisco. Known as "The City That Never Sleeps", it is a popular tourism destination with 2.7 million international visitors annually. It is renowned for its 24-hour culture, beaches, bars, restaurants, cafés, parks, shopping, cosmopolitan lifestyle, and landmarks. Tel Aviv is an economic hub, home to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, corporate offices and research and development centers. It is the country's financial capital and a major performing arts and business center. Tel Aviv has the second-largest economy in the Middle East, and is the 19th most expensive city in the world. In 2007, New York City-based David Kaufman named it the "Mediterranean's New Capital of Cool". In 2010, Knight Frank's world city survey ranked it 34th globally. Tel Aviv has been named the third "hottest city for 2011" (behind only New York City and Tangier) by Lonely Planet, third-best in the Middle East and Africa by Travel + Leisure magazine (behind only Cape Town and Jerusalem), and the ninth-best beach city in the world by National Geographic.