If you choose to spend your gap year with Aardvark Israel in Tel Aviv you will be living in the Florentin neighbourhood. Located in the south of Tel Aviv, over the past couple of decades Florentin has become known as one of the coolest and most lively places to live in the city and has attracted a young and vibrant crowd.
Of course there are all kinds of people living in Florentin but there is definitely a prominence of young artists and musicians. As a result the streets are richly decorated with graffiti, which although illegal in Israel, is generally accepted in Florentin as an essential component of the area’s ‘vibe’. Furthermore, the west of the neighbourhood is full of warehouses and artist workshops which are scheduled to be torn down and rebuilt over the coming years. As a result, for the time being, graffiti artists have the freedom to decorate it as they wish without the fear of repercussions.
One of the best features of Florentin is the nightlife and the abundance of bars, cafes and art galleries where you can meet a genuinely fascinating range of characters. Almost every night the streets come alive, the bars are packed and there are parties going on all over the place. Thanks to this it is highly possibly that you’ll sit down for a drink and at the table next to you will be a well-known or up-and-coming writer, musician or artist. Of course, there is also a fair share of ‘wannabes’ but this just adds to the neighbourhood’s enjoyable character.
Florentin also acts as the bridge between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Thanks to this, when living in the neighbourhood you will have easy access to both sides of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and their vastly different characters. Walk to Jaffa and you can enjoy the flea market, some amazing sea food restaurants and stunning architecture. Walk in to Tel Aviv and you can enjoy the vibrancy of a modern city with skyscrapers and a completely different feel. Furthermore, Florentin is also home to the Levinsky Market which is a great place for food shopping and those who enjoy the beach will discover that it is just a ten minute walk away.
All of these things contribute to Florentin’s reputation as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in Tel Aviv and on your gap year with Aardvark Israel you will be able to live right in the middle of it and access all that it has to offer as soon as you step outside of your apartment.