Jerusalem at night

[kiwicruiser]

We have just booked a tour that stays overnight in Jerusalem.

 

Is there anything that we should be seeing / doing in our evening there?

 

Any recommendations for well located hotels and / or restaurants?

[rsquare]

The Tower of David Museum at the Citadel (just inside the Jaffa Gate) has a Sound and Light show on some nights - more details at http://www.towerofdavid.org.il/English/Night_Spectacular_Performance_Schedule. There are some lively streets in the vicinity of Zion Square, including Ben Yehuda, Rivlin and Yoel Salomon which are all pedestrianized streets with shopping and places to eat and drink.

 

As to hotels, you didn't mention a price range. The King David is expensive, but has lots of history and some unique decoration, sort of Middle East Art Deco. Less expensive, but very well located is the Harmony Hotel, on Yoel Salomon; we just stayed there a month ago and enjoyed it. Both hotels are about 15 minutes walk to Jaffa Gate, the entrance to the Old City most often used by tourists.

 

One other offbeat suggestion, which we enjoyed. There is a large SuperSol supermarket on Gershon Agron, between King David and Independence Park, which is open 24 hours. I think that supermarket shopping in a different country is a great way to get to understand how people live.

[happy trailer]

One of our favorite hotels is the Mt. Zion Hotel. It's directly opposite the Old City (with a great view), and across the street from the Begin Center (which I highly recommend visiting, if you're interested in modern Israeli history). It's an easy walk to the Old City, and also to many popular restaurant 'strips' in the new city, including those recommended by rsquare.

 

[Yoel Solomon street, besides having some good restaurants, also has some shops run by artist and crafts collectives, where you can find beautiful artwork, ceramics, and jewelry. For a slightly offbeat restaurant, 'Tmol Shilshom' is located up one of the side alleys off Yoel Solomon. ]

 

Another very popular restaurant area is on Emek Refaim Street. It's located in the 'German Colony' neighborhood, which is populated by many Anglos, so you'll often hear more English than Hebrew while walking around. There are dozens of restaurants of all types, including Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and Latin American (you can also find burgers, bagels, pizza, and coffee shops, and even Israeli food). There's a McDonald's there, too. And, if you're missing American snacks, the supermarket (which is across the street from the McDonalds) caters to Anglo tastes and carries many foods from the US and the UK (it's where we shop when we've got a hankering for something American).

 

Other hotels I've recommended in the past include the Inbal, the King Solomon, and the Dan Panorama, which are all just outside the German Colony. All are walking distance to both Emek Refaim and the Zion Square area, as well as to the Old City. There is a new Dan Boutique hotel which is nearby, too. A bit further up the road, and closer to Zion Square, is the Kings Hotel, and the Plaza Hotel (which used to be a Sheraton). On the very high end are the King David, the Citadel, and the new Mamilla hotel, all of which are located near each other. Many people on the boards have also been happy with the hotel in the YMCA, which is across the street from the King David.

 

My favorite thing to do in the evenings, wherever I am, is to sit in a cafe and people watch. One of the best places to do that on a Jerusalem evening is at the Rimon Restaurant, which is popular with both Israelis and with tourists. It's located on one of the side streets just off the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall in the center of town. You'll have no trouble finding it, as anyone you ask will be able to direct you. An advantage to going to Rimon is that you can also stroll around Ben Yehuda, which has souvenir shops for all budgets, and you'll also usually find some street performers.

 

New to the city is the upscale Mamilla mall. It's an outdoor mall, located right outside Jaffa Gate, and across from the Tower of David Museum. It's filled with upscale international shops (think Nike and Hilfiger), and some typical Israeli cafes (there's a branch of Rimon). Israelis mainly go there to gawk, which can be entertaining in its own way.

 

BTW- if you're interested in the decorative arts, take a few moments to stop in both the King David and the YMCA. The decor of each is quite interesting, with the YMCA filled with beautiful faux finishes and stenciling (you might also be able to go to the top of the Y's tower, which has great views of both the old and new cities).

 

HTH!

 

Ruth