Tel Aviv Apartments Part 2: New Apartment Buildings, Towers and Fully Serviced Complexes

New Apartment Buildings:

Newly apartment buildings come complete with modern amenities such as a secured entrance lobby with an intercom buzzer/videcom, elevator, “Machsan” (private storage unit), private underground parking and all apartments come complete with a “Mamad”, central A/C and most offer sun balconies due to popular demand.

Your average new apartment (depending on the size and layout of the apartment) will come complete with everything one looks for in a Tel Aviv apartment, but there’s one major downside (in my opinion) to these buildings – they lack in that charm found in a classic Tel Aviv apartment.

Most of these buildings offer lower ceilings, smaller rooms and although having a mamad is both important and convenient, it limits your option of renovating or redoing your apartment in such a way, in order to keep an open space. Most of these apartments come complete with an open plan living room and kitchen, yet not merely as big enough as one would like to have.  

I’ve seen very few apartments in new buildings that have the perfect layout.  2-3 apartments per floor is the average, and if the apartment happens to be in a 2 apartment per floor building, than this often means that the apartment is rectangular in shape and not a square (which is your ideal apartment layout), making the space seems even smaller, consisting of relatively narrow hallways.

Building Standards:  

Unless you are hiring an interior designer to redo your new apartment, do not expect high building standards, unless they have been specified in the contract with the contractor. Most new buildings offer common building standards and it is likely for buyers to upgrade the apartment’s standard by hiring an architect or interior design to add on touches to the apartment’s current specs.

Some new buildings and projects of course offer a variety of options for you to choose from, so make sure to pay attention to the specs mentioned.

But generally speaking, the average finished product to expect in new buildings is what we refer to as “Standart Kablan”, meaning the building standards are basic.

Heating & Cooling:

With over 300 sunny days a year and mild cold temperatures in winter, Tel Aviv is a haven for many sun-starved Europeans.

However, as summers in Tel Aviv are hot and humid, many of the apartment buildings are focused on cooling, offering thinner walls and many single-glazing windows allowing for cold air to easily enter the apartment, many of the apartments in Tel Aviv offer very poor heating systems. Underfloor heating is not common in Tel Aviv and most of the apartments rely mainly on A/C’s as a source for heating.

Parquet flooring, has become very popular and is nice to have, hardwood floors however are hard to find. With the heat, humidity and sea air having hardwood floors is uncommon nor is it recommended.

High Rise, Towers and Fully Serviced Complexes:

Tel Aviv modernizes itself and a long with demand, more and more high-rises are sprouting across the city, offering condominium buildings similar in style and standard that can be found in the US. Many of these buildings offer a doorman with 24/7 security, lounge, an indoor or outdoor swimming pool, gym & fitness center, sauna, SPA, underground parking and more.

In the North-East side of Tel Aviv one can find the Akirov Towers, The YOO Towers and The Park Tsameret residential complex. The Sarona Towers is a unique residential living area (and a personal favorite) as it offers easy access to the Sarona Market and the Sarona Shopping & Entertaining Complex.

The G-Tower on Shaul HaMelech 1, is an exclusive, luxurious tower catering to some of Israel’s elite. Lev Ha’ir Tower located on Maze is another personal favorite, mainly due to it’s location and easy access to Sheinkin and Rothschild Blvd. And speaking of location, The Frishman Tower on the corner of Dizengoff and Frishman is the city’s best located service tower as Central Tel Aviv is literally at your feet.

Among the leading towers and complexes in Tel Aviv you can find The Neve Tzedek Tower, Meier on Rothschild and the Rothschild 30 tower.

Personally, I found the Andromeda Hill Complex in The Old Jaffa Port to be a truly unique residential complex. Why? Well for starters, the location is really one of a kind. Within walking distance to the Port, Flea Market, The Alleyways of Old Jaffa with art galleries, museums, artisan shops and cute cafes, resembling more a little village in Italy or France than Tel Aviv, this residential complex is built on a hill overlooking the Jaffa Port and sea. Inspired by the Ottoman Empire, the complex is built like a castle, consisting of eight, four story buildings with arched wooden windows. In the middle of it all, an outdoor swimming pool with access to a nice sized gym and studio, sauna and lounge area for residents and guests, this residential complex gives a feeling of living in a resort.

If fully serviced towers and complexes are your choice, then there’s one thing to take into account and that the monthly maintenance fee for the building’s upkeep is generally high. The monthly fee is calculated based on the apartment’s size, and expect to pay anything from, 1,200 NIS – 7,000 NIS a month.