Fixing up Biyalik Street
Music center and library, renovated old Bauhaus building at the top of Biyalik street One thing about the city of Tel Aviv, it has unbelievably beautiful old homes. From even before the city was considered a proper "city" in 1909, people here built with style. This means that some things need re-building once in a century or so. Biyalik street was probably called something else in the beginning. But Haim Nachman Bialik lived there for a long time, so it was named after him. Biyalik was one of the first famous Hebrew writers in Israel. He eventually became the national writer and kids have been reciting his poems ever since. Biyalik street is a small affair, something resembling a big alley more than a real street. For a long time it was in disrepair, probably because the city found much more important places to renovate. But the buildings on this street are beautiful example of 1920's architecture. Some are excellent Bauhaus examples, designed by the German Jewish architects who left their imprint on the city. Some are a mix of Arab and Turkish architecture that we call Mediterranean. But if you look carefully, they are quite unique. A blend of what at the time came from the history and tradition of the Arabs and the Turks with the knowledge and habits of the Jews from Europe, blend in a little "new-world" Jews who were not sure what would be their future in this land, but idealistic they were. So the building was half practical and half imaginative.
Biyalik street with old trees and 1920's Bauhaus architecture On one side of the street is the Rubin Art museum. Rubin was an impressionist painter who captured Tel Aviv in it's early days with wonderful colors. Then there is the Biyalik house, a large building with the writer's work room preserved as it was used in his time. Today the Biyalik house is closed for renovation, probably taking advantage of the street construction. I have mentioned before how Tel Aviv fell into a bit of neglect in the 1980's and 90's. This was probably the doing of the hard economic and political times. With an intifada on one side and the tech business crash on the other, Tel Aviv was not in good shape. But today things seem to be a little better. These are not the boom days of the peak, but they are not low time either. With the stability and sanity of regular life, Tel Aviv is going about a huge repair effort. This little street resembles probably 10% of the city. Pavement and sidewalk that have not seen this side of a construction worker in 25 years (or more). Not to mention parking spaces and a bench to sit on. Biyalik street is getting a complete face lift. The street is now going to be one lane with marked parking on one side. The sidewalks are wide and newly paved with beautiful stones.
Biyalik house also being renovated Biyalik street is only one of many in south Tel Aviv that needs a face lift. Repairing and keeping up a city is not a trivial task. It is also something that Tel Aviv has not done before. Cities like London and Paris have been keeping themselves re-newed for hundreds of years, Tel Aviv is just starting. But with what we have to start out with, the work is worth doing. It preserves our heritage and keeps us aware of how idealistic they were, in the "early years". Which sometimes we forget in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But than again, repairs to this wonderful old street is part of the hustle and bustle. Come visit Biyalik street in a few weeks, and you will get a nice street and two wonderful places to see, the Rubin Art museum and the Biyalik house.
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