Jaffa Flea Market
Vintage lovers go into raptures over Jaffa Flea Market. Bric-a-brac is piled on stalls or blankets in the marketplace, and rows of lean-tos in the bazaar are crammed with vintage oddities which, like the residents, have come from all over the world: sheet music from Germany, dusty crystal chandeliers from Paris, Persian rugs and Russian costume jewellery. Even if rootling through dead people’s stuff isn’t your bag, the alleys around it have become a vibrant hub for eating and drinking. And besides the vintage, it’s becoming a destination for contemporary design. Check out Saga, a gallery-like space selling a well-curated mix of interesting furniture, ceramics, art, lighting, jewellery and homeware to make you think or smile, from 100 local designers – plus a café dishing up bright salads.
Saga, 4 Rabbi Pinhas Street, Jaffa; cafesaga.co.il
Shabazi Street
Hours and fortunes will disappear on Shabazi Street, the pastel-painted village heart of Neve Tzedek, lined with chic boutiques selling clothes, homeware, books and, in particular, jewellery. Don’t expect to find any bargains here – the emphasis is on quality, handmade and beautifully designed one-offs. Don’t miss jeweller-duo Agas & Tamar, who have been here since the ’90s before the neighbourhood was spiffed up, selling their exquisite pieces in gold and precious stones.
Agas & Tamar, 43 Shabazi Street, Neve Tzedek; agasandtamar.com
Sheinkin Street
There’s never been a time Sheinkin wasn’t gentrified. The street is lined with fantastic independent shops, in the café-culture heartland of the White City, where young families and friends spend hours over coffee in the shade of the acacia and fig trees, cooled by the breeze channeling up from the sea.