How To Be A Tel Avivian In 9 Simple Steps

A very important element of being a true Tel Avivian is understanding that every day is a good day to go for brunch. With so many incredible places to choose from, offering satisfying and healthy Israeli breakfasts, your palate and stomach will never be disappointed. Need more convincing? Top 10 Reasons Why Tel Aviv is the Best City for Brunch.

True Tel Avivians embrace the endless summer and know that the beach is much more than just a beautiful place to catch some rays. It is a profoundly cultural experience, where all of your free time should be spent. A place to spend the entire day with friends and family, enjoying a refreshing iced coffee or the national beer, Goldstar, complemented by fresh juicy watermelon. The beach is your place to go surfing, play volleyball or matkot, turn yourself bronze and, perhaps, even find a date for that evening.

It is rare to find a Tel Avivian that doesn’t keep healthy and fit. Running is probably the most popular way that the beautiful people of Tel Aviv stay in such great shape: the tayelet (boardwalk) is full at nearly all hours of the day and night with runners and power-walkers alike. Yoga has become very trendy among Tel Avivians, with different styles and studios throughout the city. You will also find many gifted athletes in their selected sport, whether it be basketball, soccer, or volleyball (often played with complete strangers). Biking and walking are the standard means of transportation for Tel Avivians, as yet another way that being active is more than just a set aside time in the day. Looking for new and exciting ways to be active in Tel Aviv? Look no further: these are the Top 7 Workouts in Tel Aviv, for every day of the week!

As ironic as it may sound, drinking as a lifestyle practice as the next thing listed after being active, yet somehow for Tel Avivians, it works. People in Israel work hard, and for long hours. Tel Aviv is an expensive city, but that doesn’t stop people from going out and enjoying what they have. Tel Avivians have truly adopted the motto ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’: they know that going out to bars is not exclusive to the weekend. Every night is a good night to go out drinking with friends, the perfect way to unwind from a long day at work.

As much as tourists love to visit sunny Tel Aviv, ‘the grass is always greener on the other side.’ Tel Avivians are adventurous, energetic and eager to see what the rest of the world has to offer. Tel Avivians are always planning or saving up for their next trip and when they return, they love to tell you all about it. Then, of course, it’s only natural to start dreaming up where to go next.

Tel Aviv’s wifi-endowed coffee shops are constantly full, no matter the time or day. Many people stay in the same spot for hours on one cup of coffee, with their laptop and earphones. We will never know if they are truly getting serious work done, or in fact, just watching a TV show or Facebook stalking. Regardless of what productivity means to you, sitting at a coffee shop all day is a relaxed, unpretentious way to truly embrace what it means to be a Tel Avivian.

As mentioned earlier, Tel Avivians love to travel. However, when it comes to traveling in Israel, Tel Avivians are known to be very comfortable in their city, and feel little reason to leave their urban paradise. Anything outside of Tel Aviv is referred to as rehok li meaning, it’s ‘too far for me.’ The overall understanding is that everything you could possibly need is in Tel Aviv; family and friends should be the ones to pay the visit. Tel Avivians somewhat live in their own White City bubble.

It is common for Tel Avivians to get to know and become friendly with, not only their neighbors, but the fruit vendor, the waiters and baristas at their local cafe, the homeless man down the street, the bus driver on their route, the other runners along the beach, and pretty much everyone that lives in the area. This can be explained by the fact that Tel Avivians not only often stick to the same places and routine, but they are also very warm and friendly.

Facebook is of course extremely popular with Tel Avivians; however, a new Instagram revolution has started especially in Tel Aviv, a hipster, ‘artsy fartsy,’ trendy and cultural city. That breakfast, morning workout, beach sunset, night out with the girls, weekend getaway, and basically anything – did not happen if you didn’t find a witty caption for your picture, strategically hashtag it, and filter it enough to perfect it, but not too much of course to show how much effort was in fact put into it. #TLV Follow your Tel Avivian Instagram gurus for coffee lovers, foodies, fashionistas and more of Tel Aviv. By Serena Carsley-Mann Serena Carsley-Mann is a recent graduate of Tel Aviv University. She is an avid runner, loves the beach and outdoors and embraces a holistic lifestyle. She is originally from Montreal, Canada and has been living in Tel Aviv for four years.