J'lem Town

With the summer heat bearing down upon us, I decided it was a good time to get out of the city and spend the day in Jerusalem with my girlfriend. It was a much needed respite from the scorching temperatures of Tel Aviv. Even days spent at the beach can get a bit old when it's the only haven from the dense cityscape and you're still surrounded by Matkot playing Arsim.

View from the Austrian Hospice

A much needed day trip was in order, and it couldn't have been more worth it. We spent the whole day exploring the Old City, as well as the surrounding neighborhoods of West Jerusalem just outside the ancient walls. I hadn't been to Jerusalem since last year, and the trip was a breath of fresh air from cramped and crowded Tel Aviv. I'm sure even if you spent half your life living in Jerusalem, you would still be stumbling upon and discovering fascinating things, both new and old all the time. Just as we approached the city, with its rolling hills dotted by surrounding villages spread out in every direction, I could already tell that this was just the type of trip I needed. The feeling of being back in a place with so much open space and so many parks was the perfect antidote. It reminded me of back home, and reconfirmed what I had already thought, that large and spread out cities like London and Jerusalem are way more conducive to comfortable living, than overwhelmingly dense and compact places like New York City or Tel Aviv. Just my personal preference. Factor that together with a city as historical and beautiful as Jerusalem and you end up in a place that's really special.

Old City walls in the distance

I'm always particularly impressed also by the difference in culture and temperament between the two cities and their inhabitants. The ultimate hedonism that exists in Tel Aviv is replaced with a more cerebral and down to earth mindset in Jerusalem. While in Tel Aviv you rarely see people reading, unless they're Russian, Jerusalem is much more literate. It's common place to see people reading books on the bus, and all over. Also, if you're looking to find top quality bookstores, stocked with popular as well as niche titles, Jerusalem is the place to go. For some reason, the prices are much better compared to the bookstores in Tel Aviv too. And if I have further cause to champion Jerusalem, it doesn't hurt that you can walk into a supermarket and expect to find the type of American snacks you might be missing. Oh yeah, and better pizza and public transit also. Which both clearly count for a lot

Mamilla Mall just outside the Old City