Night time on the water

Tel Aviv beach area transform from a bathing and sunning nirvana to a pulsing night scene around sunset. The beaches clears out and the bars fill up. If you look up the beach from the south the lights welcome walkers and party makers. The 'tayelet' (in English 'promenade' or 'boardwalk' or literally translated "a place to walk or stroll") is a walk along the beach. On one side is the beach and a few cafes and restaurants, on the other side is a chain of hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants. There are a few clubs, but this area is not the 'hot party' spot of the city.

Tayelet lighting up as evening starts

OK, let's get to the night time... The tayelet turns into a stream of walkers, cafe hoppers and restaurant eaters. As the summer heat dissipates, the temperature is cool and inviting. Most nights, the temperature hovers at a comfortable 22 to 25 deg Celsius (72 to 77 deg Fahrenheit). The Tayelet has a southern "hub" of activity at the Opera House. This is a large apartment building on a small circle. The opera house itself has a few shops and cafes. The area also has cafes with outside seating. Looking north you can see for a kilometer the hotels and restaurant along the beach and a block eastward. Walking north from the Opera House there are mostly cafes and restaurants. From about 6 PM to midnight in the summer most places with outside seating are bustling. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings the clientele is largely Tel Aviv residents. Although some restaurants attract tourists.
Opera House in the early evening
This year, a large number of French visitors seem to have invaded the area. A new restaurant Tzel Yam (shadow of the sea) is a nice imitation of a mid-scale Parisian restaurant (Kosher as well). You will also hear a great deal of Spanish and English. For the tourist who ignores the ever present CNN and BBC threats of Palestinian terrorists, Tel Aviv is a great alternative to Greece, Turkey and even southern Italy. When the soccer world heats up, you will find a British or a Scottish group pounding a few beers at Mike's place.

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