Rothschild Boulevard

Rothschild Boulevard is the elegant tree-lined avenue running through the Lev HaIr district of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, and one of the earliest streets laid out when the city was founded in 1909. A broad central promenade with mature ficus trees, benches, bike paths and kiosks separates two traffic lanes, and the boulevard is lined with notable buildings in the International and Bauhaus styles that make up the UNESCO-listed White City. Independence Hall at number 16, where Israel's declaration of independence was read in 1948, is the best-known landmark and can be visited as a museum. Other highlights include early 20th-century eclectic houses, restored white modernist apartment blocks with curved balconies and rounded corners, and the Habima Theatre area at the northern end. The street is popular for walking and cycling, with Tel-O-Fun bike-share stations along the median, and for coffee at the kiosks and cafes that fill the central strip from early morning. A walk of about an hour covers the length from Neve Tzedek to Habima Square, with stops for architecture photography and a drink. The light is best in the early morning, when joggers and dog walkers outnumber tourists, and in the early evening, when the kiosks and bars fill. Crowds are heaviest on weekend evenings, when the street is a social centre for the city's café culture. The boulevard is free and open at all hours, with kiosks and cafes generally operating from about 7:00AM to midnight. It is close to the Allenby station on the Red Line of the light rail and a ten-minute walk from the Carmel Market, so it is simple to add to a day of city sightseeing.