Your Classic Tel Aviv Apartment

So what is in fact a classic Tel Aviv apartment?

The Tel Aviv housing market mainly consists of apartment buildings and depending on your preferred location, each neighborhood has its own, unique real estate characteristics.

As I’m based in Central Tel Aviv, I will be covering some of the characteristics found in the Central Tel Aviv area.  

Old Jaffa, Florentine, Neve Tzedek, Kerem HaTemanim and Lev Ha’ir:

The rooftops of Kerem HeTemanim. The neighborhood has seen some intense gentrification in the past couple of years. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

You can learn a lot about Tel Aviv’s history and the way the city has evolved through its neighborhoods and different types of architecture, and this can easily be noticed for instance in Old Jaffa, Neve Tzedek, some parts of Lev Ha’ir, Allenby street and Kerem Hatemanim. Where beautiful, castle like, eclectic-style buildings dating back to the Ottoman era, are found.

Shabazzi St. in Neve Tzedek neighborhood, Tel Aviv with it’s many chic cafe’s and designer shops. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

The renovated ones are absolutely marvelous, and are concentrated around Montefiore, Yavne, and around King Albert Square where The Norman boutique hotel is located.

Where past meets present and old meets new. The Pagoda House overlooking King Albert Square in Lev Ha’ir, Tel Aviv. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

The pre-renovated ones, found mainly along Allenby and Nahalat Binyamin, although old and rundown, are still beautiful and very unique. Unlike the Bauhaus style, these apartments are of smaller living spaces but compensate for with double high ceilings, painted tiles and French wooden windows and doors.

I particularly love this one building on the corner of Rotschild Blvd and Betsal’el Yafe St. It is just absolutely marvelous! Do check it out whenever you’re in the area.  

One of my favorite buildings in Tel Aviv. An eclectic style building located on the corner of Rothschild Blvd and Bezalel Yafe St., Tel Aviv. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

In the southern districts of Tel Aviv, around Gan HaChashmal and Florentine, where rent is relatively cheap and therefore attracting a more younger crowd, new buildings mainly aimed as investment properties, offering small, one-bedroom apartments suited for young singles, couples and students.

Herzel St in The Florentine neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

Many of these new buildings have modern amenities that are not found in your “classic Tel Aviv apartment” such as modern entrance lobbies, elevators and apartments come complete with central A/C’s and a “Mamad” (A.K.A the shelter room).

“4 Florentine” residential project in the Florentine neighborhood, Tel Aviv. The neighborhoods’ top residential project designed by Architect Ilan Pivko. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

In these parts of the city, is where you are likely to find older building types, such as the Bauhaus architecture Tel Aviv is so known for, where most of the renovated ones are concentrated in Neve Tzedek, Florentine and in and around Lev Ha’ir.

A renovated Bauhaus building in the Florentine neighborhood, Tel Aviv, making it attractive for both young professionals and investors alike. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

Older apartment buildings in these areas are very neglected with poor upkeep, and yet most of these apartments have retained their original style, which some (including myself) find them to be very charming. These buildings, up to 3 stories high, may not necessary offer an entrance lobby door, let alone an elevator.

A rundown eclectic style building on Nahalat Binyamin St., Tel Aviv. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

Your average apartment in these areas are between 60 m2 to 120 m2, and depending on the building size and type, you can find buildings either with 2 smaller apartments facing the front and a bigger apartment facing the back, or vice versa, or 2 – 4 apartments per floor, again depending on the plot size and the building’s layout.

Kikar Rabin overlooking Malkei Israel St., Tel Aviv, where bigger apartments can be found. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

Bigger apartments can be found in and around the HaBima National Theater, especially on Sderot Chen, Malkei Israel and it’s surrounding streets.  

Central Tel Aviv East, Tel Aviv Merkaz, The Basel Square, The Old North and Kikar HaMedina:

Overlooking Itzik Manger street from Arlozorov St., Tel Aviv. Can Central Tel Aviv be any more popular? Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

Not one to slow down, Tel Aviv has transformed into the next generation of construction  and it is in the early 1950’s, that Tel Aviv has transformed from the Bauhaus architecture style, to the ‘Garden City’ era.

A 1950’s apartment building in Central Tel Aviv on pillars. A typical building standard that is easily noticed across the city. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

These buildings are easily found across the city center with massive facade pillars, stair cases, 3-4 apartments per floor and it is here where the well-known “closed balcony” term was established.

 Closed balconies.A common scene in Tel Aviv. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

These apartments are of 55 m2 to 100 m2 – bigger apartments can be found, closer to Kikar Rabin, East of Ibn Gabirol and in the Kikar Hamedina area – offering 2-3 bedrooms and the layout of these apartments are well noticed.

With many wasted space gone to creating hallways and division of rooms, each area within the apartment is separated, creating a more closed and smaller space.

The entrance hallway of a typical Tel Aviv apartment. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

When walking into one, you will find an entrance hall or foyer, a separated kitchen area with a closed service balcony (used as a pantry, storage room or as a laundry room), a narrow hallway where the private areas are, a separated dining and living area, and a closed balcony that has been integrated into the living room.

It’s important to point out that most of these apartment buildings were originally built with open balconies, but given the smaller living area, many of it’s residents chose to “close” their balconies in favor for additional living space.

A closed balcony in a modern-renovated apartment with high ceilings in Central Tel Aviv. Photo by Su Casa Tel Aviv Real Estate. All Rights Reserved.

Ideally, these balconies can be reopened, however, only once a permit from the municipality has been granted, which, may take a while.

Many of these charming apartments have been modernized and thoroughly renovated throughout, making them the ideal Tel Aviv apartment.

Author: Joanna Stromze

Tel Aviv-based licensed real estate broker, content writer, blogger, inbound marketer, and amateur photographer, living and breathing all things Tel Aviv. I’m a firm believer in the ‘do what you love, love what you do’ philosophy; it is through my love for Tel Aviv and passion for real estate, that I write regularly about real estate market trends, guides & tips for sellers and buyers, insights for realtors, everyday life in Tel Aviv and tales of my life as a realtor. Browse through my website, enjoy and feel free to stay in touch.

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