Thinking about moving to Tel Aviv? Or, already living here?
Here’s everything you can expect, from both sides of the same coin.
Getting Around
1. Advantage: You don’t need a car to easily get around town.
2. Disadvantage: There’s no public transportation (buses and trains) on Saturdays, making it difficult to get outside the city for a weekend getaway.
Keyword: נְגִישׁוּת
Translation: accessibility
Transliteration: neh-gee-shoot
Some people!
3. Advantage: You constantly bump into friends and colleagues around town.
4. Disadvantage: You also constantly bump into ex’s and other people you prefer not to see.
Keyword: לְהִתָּקֵל
Translation: to run into
Transliteration: leh-hee-tah-kel
Long live democracy.
5. Advantage: Tel Aviv is home to Rabin Square, the largest square in all of Israel.
6. Disadvantage: Protests at Rabin Square every other week cause massive traffic jams and sometimes dangerous conditions.
Keyword: הַפְגָּנָה
Translation: demonstration
Transliteration: haf-gah-nah
FOMO is real.
7. Advantage: There’s always something (or 10 things) to do every day of the week.
8. Disadvantage: Your wallet and bank account bear the brunt of it.
Keyword: עִיר לְלֹא הַפְסָקָה
Translation: city that never sleeps
Transliteration: eer leh-loh hahf-sah-kah
Life’s a beach.
9. Advantage: Tel Aviv is one of the best beach cities in the world.
10. Disadvantage: The cost of living makes it seem like you practically live on the beach (even if you don’t).
Keyword: יֹוקֶר הַמִּחְיָה
Translation: cost of living
Transliteration: yoh-ker hah-meech-yah
Let’s get weird.
11. Advantage: Tel Aviv is where people move to be weird (in a good way).
12. Disadvantage: Tel Aviv is where people move to be weird (in a weird way).
Keyword: גִוּוּן
Translation: diversity
Transliteration: gee-voon
There’s something in the air.
13. Advantage: Every place is equipped with good air conditioning.
14. Disadvantage: The air-conditioning units leak from the buildings, directly onto the sidewalks.
Keyword: לִדְלֹוף
Translation: to leak
Transliteration: leed-lohf
Drink responsibly.
15. Advantage: You can drink alcohol in public until 11 at night.
16. Disadvantage: Much of Tel Aviv’s nightlife doesn’t really start before 11 at night.
Keyword: מֻוקְדָּם, מְאֻוחָר
Translation: early, late
Transliteration: mook-dahm, meh-oo-char
Beauty and the Beast
17. Advantage: Tel Aviv is home to the most beautiful people you’ll ever see.
18. Disadvantage: Unless you’re one of them, these people will make you feel super insecure.
Keyword: יוֹפִי
Translation: beauty
Transliteration: yoh-fee
Summer Lovin’
19. Advantage: Tel Aviv has summer weather 300 days out of the year.
20. Disadvantage: People suddenly don’t know how to drive or leave their homes when it rains for a few days during the winter.
Keyword: עוֹנָה
Translation: season
Transliteration: oh-nah
No shoes, no shirt, no service.
21. Advantage: No matter where you live in Tel Aviv, you’re no more than a 30-minute walk from the beach.
22. Disadvantage: You easily forget it’s not acceptable to wear flip-flops and tank tops all the time.
Keywords: כַּפְכַּפִים, גּוּפִיָּיה
Translation: flip-flops, tank top
Transliteration: kahf-kahf-eem, goof-eeh-yah
Dog Days
23. Advantage: Tel Aviv is such a dog-friendly city.
24. Disadvantage: The sidewalks are full of “land mines.”
Keyword: הַפְתָּעָה
Translation: surprise
Transliteration: hahf-tah-ah
Safety First
25. Advantage: Tel Aviv is safer than most people think.
26. Disadvantage: Every now and again, we have what Israelis call “an escalation” with our Middle Eastern neighbors.
Keyword: בִּטָּחוֹן
Translation: safety
Transliteration: beeh-tah-chohn
Up, up, and away!
27. Advantage: Tel Aviv is one of the most up-and-coming cities in the world.
28. Disadvantage: Rent is like Manhattan, but the buildings look like Harlem.
Keyword: שְׂכַר דִּירָה
Translation: rent
Transliteration: s’char dee-rah
How to Save a Life
29. Advantage: Tel Avivians are very open and forthcoming.
30. Disadvantage: Lifeguards at the beach will comment about your appearance on the loudspeaker.
Keyword: מַצִּיל, מַצִּילָה
Translation: lifeguard
Transliteration: mah-tzeel (m), mah-tzee-lah (f)
Take cover!
31. Advantage: Matkot (paddleball) might as well be the official beach sport of Tel Aviv.
32. Disadvantage: Walking on the beach requires a bulletproof vest and a helmet.
Keyword: סַכָּנָה
Translation: danger
Transliteration: sah-kah-nah
