Gay Tel Aviv Shopping - A Hotbed Of Fashion

Tel Aviv is not very cheap but all is relative - for people from EUR, Dollars and Sterling countries it might be good value to shop in Tel Aviv. Dizengoff, Ben Yehuda and Shenkin streets are great for shopping, dining and relaxing in cafes.

There are 3 Main Malls in the city that have all mostly the same international and local major fashion brands and also some little shops: Dizengoff Center - right on Dizengoff street south to Dizengoff Square - Zara, Castro, Golf, Celio, Kenvelo and more Mango. Azrielli Shalom Mall - in the east of Tel Aviv - a train station stopping right ther and Ramat Aviv Mall - in Ramat Aviv a northern suburb of Tel Aviv.

Dizengoff street is good for fashion shopping - the northern part: more posh shops mainly Top Designers - to the South regular shop. For shoes you can find the leading chains, Gazit, Antelope, Mary, Caligula, also many bridal gowns shops.

Ben Yehuda Street is very good for Tourist souvenir shops and Art Galleries Gan Hayir - 71 Eben Gvirol Street - a small shopping center near the Rabin square -where you can find expensive shops Max Mara, Paul & Shark, Vendomme, Homme and
more - also book stores, lingeries shops and design shops such Tollemans and Habitat.

Opera Tower - 1 Allenby street - near the beach is a small tourist oriented shopping center that also has a cinema. It has some very nice book and records shop and gift shops. It's great advantage is that many of the shops are open also on Saturday .

Kikar Hamedina (State square) called also Hei Beyar, a huge square by Tel Aviv standards where you can find all the international extravagant and elite brands such as
DKNY, Versace, and all the rest

A new shopping area for young fashion designer is Kikar Massarik and around Rabin Square where you can find many little but stylish shops for clothes and shoes.

Another area where you can find original designers clothes is the Gan Hahashmal area around the notorious Hahashmal Garden that used to be a popular gay meeting place,now you can find young designers fashion shops and trendy bars. Located at the end of Allenby not far from Florentin and the old Central Bus station. Look for the new shops on Hahashmal street, Levontin Street, Mikve Israel Street and Barzilai Street.

Each of Tel Aviv's markets is a world unto itself, not only offering differing fare, but reflecting the locals who reside, shop, sell and buy there.

Tel Aviv's best known open-air shopping area is the Carmel Market, probably because of its proximity to the trendy Neveh Zedek quarter, with its cultural attractions, in the southern part of town. Carmel’s array of fresh produce, a feast for the eyes, is the place to bask in atmosphere while you buy the fixings for a picnic lunch at the beach, just a few blocks away, or stock up on fruit for your hotel room.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, a lively street fair blooms in the adjacent historic Nahalat Benyamin quarter. It features handcrafted jewelry, colorful wooden toys, boxes, glass and other items sold mostly by the artists themselves.

What about bargaining, the soul of the Middle Eastern market experience? Save that for the Jaffa Flea Market. You have to have an eye for hidden beauty to appreciate the wares here – gorgeous brass items might share a crowded shelf with a pile of old kerosene lamps, or fine amber beads among plastic distant relatives. Ceramic and glass items and second-hand, or shall we say vintage - clothing are all part of the pickings.

A word to the wise – the vendors know how to size you up in the blink of an eye as a serious shopper or...not. And beware of the question "how much do you want to pay." Wait for the seller to name a price, come back with about half, and have a meeting of minds at whatever the item is worth to you.

Shuk Ha'aliyah is in the Florentine quarter. This area has turned the corner of gentrification to become Tel Aviv’s edgiest zone, and comes alive at night with pubs that are a magnet especially for younger urbanites. But during the day, Shuk (which means market) Ha'aliyah, named after the street it's on, is one of the last places in Israel where you can still see craftspeople at work making the items they sell – metal workers and furniture craftsmen manufacturing items for the city's finest stores or for discerning clients who might want to commission a copy of an item in those same stores. Shuk Ha'aliyah is also famous for its Balkan cheeses, pickled vegetables and spices, and some interesting restaurants with menus ranging from no-frills Jewish soul food to Persian delights.

Shuk Betzalael, near King George Street is another interesting stop for visitors taking in the historic buildings of early Tel Aviv in the heart of town. It’s a favorite with locals for clothing, especially for name-brand seconds, many of which are now made with Israeli textiles.

Have fun with your market-hopping – the chance not only to make unusual purchases that create memories before they are even tucked away, but also to get to know a different side of Tel Aviv.