Neve-Tzedek (which means abode of justice), was the first settlement out of Jaffa, and was established 22 years before someone thought about creating a new city on the sand hills next to Jaffa. For a long time it was considered as slums, which ironically helped it to avoid the standard 3-4 floors buildings, which were popular during the 60’s-70’s, and were almost everywhere else in Tel Aviv. Nowadays, Neve-Tzedek is the most beautiful (and expensive) neighborhood in Tel Aviv, due to its construction that maintains the character of the old neighborhood.
The main street in Neve-Tzedek is Shabazi. In it, you’ll find restaurants, designers’ shops, wine bars and lots of coffee houses. When I’m there, I would rather use Shabazi as a benchmark, and walk in the charming little alleys around it, where it is less touristy, and more authentic. It’s also recommended to tour the neighborhood on a regular weekday and not during the weekends or holidays, when it’s crowded and packed.
Right next to Neve-Tzedek, you’ll find a neighborhood with pastoral atmosphere which is named Kerem Hateimanim. You can easily and unintentionally walk into Kerem Hateimanim without noticing, since it has the same characters, but this is for a different recommendation…