Tel Aviv's Allenby Street Reveals Hidden Gems Amidst Urban Decay
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
An urban exploration of Tel Aviv's Allenby Street revealed a blend of historical sites and new businesses. Stops included 'HaTzalmania' photography archive, 'Norish Cafe' honoring fallen friends, and 'RANGO ATELIER' boutique. The street also offers an architectural tour highlighting Bauhaus buildings and former cultural landmarks. The exploration concluded with a visit to Eyal Shani's new eatery, 'Bizzo', showcasing modern culinary trends amidst ongoing renovations.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Tel Aviv's Allenby Street is undergoing urban exploration, revealing new businesses alongside historical sites.
- HaTzalmania preserves over a million negatives from photographer Rudy Wissnitzer's archive.
- Norish Cafe, founded by Ariel Ben David and others, honors friends lost in the Nova massacre and Gaza.
- RANGO ATELIER offers a Parisian-style boutique experience with flowers, fashion, and art.
- An architectural tour highlights Bauhaus buildings and former cultural landmarks like the Mograbi Cinema.
- Eyal Shani's new food bar, Bizzo, serves modern hand-rolls and desserts.
A recent urban exploration of Tel Aviv's Allenby Street has uncovered a vibrant mix of new businesses and preserved history, contrasting with the street's sometimes dilapidated appearance. The tour, described as "advanced," encourages visitors to look beyond the immediate grime and iron shutters to discover "magnificent balconies" and emerging enterprises.
The journey through Allenby Street includes stops at various establishments. 'HaTzalmania' (The Photography Studio), established in 1940, preserves the archive of photographer Rudy Wissnitzer, featuring over a million negatives of historical moments and daily life. Visitors can purchase prints, miniatures, or postcards.
Further down the street, 'Norish Cafe' is located in a preserved building, blending coffee, art, and music. Founded by Ariel Ben David, Lidor Pergon, and Yuval Pella in memory of friends lost in the Nova music festival massacre and in Gaza, it offers a vintage atmosphere with cakes and lemonades. In the evenings, it transforms into a lively wine bar.
'RANGO ATELIER', founded in 2021 by designer and artist Ran Golan, presents a Parisian-style boutique with flowers, perfumes, clothing, jewelry, and a collection of champagne stoppers. The atelier also showcases Golan's artwork and curated items from around the world, offering a splash of beauty amidst ongoing street renovations.
The street also invites an independent architectural tour, highlighting Bauhaus and eclectic buildings, some preserved and others in disrepair. Notable sites include the former location of the legendary 'Mograbi Cinema', 'Beit Yehuda Ness' with its international style, 'Beit Soitzky' with ornate gargoyles, 'Beit Polishuk', and the former site of the 'Ada and Edmund Neustadt' bookstore, a hub for Polish culture and literary gatherings. The tour concludes at 'Beit Rose and Raphael Mani', part of the complex surrounding the Great Synagogue.
As evening falls, the street transitions to a different scene. Eyal Shani's new food bar, 'Bizzo', offers hand-rolls (a type of seaweed-wrapped sushi) and wine. The minimalist concept extends to desserts like rice pudding and ice cream. The article notes the contrast between the street's ongoing construction and the emergence of such sophisticated culinary and artistic ventures.