The market is bordered by Allenby Street and Magen David Square and the
market is principally located along Carmel Street and apparently has expanded considerably over time. It is open daily except
Saturday (Shabbat) and sells mostly food but also a variety of items from
beautifully made crafts to clothing and “junk”. A shopper's paradise and a less-than-enthusiastic shopper's hell.
In the early 1920s the nearby
neighborhood called Kerem HaTeimanim, literally 'the vineyard of the
Yemenites’, started its own marketplace which was called “HaKerem”, or
"the vineyard".
Arthur Rupin, a Zionist leader began to
turn the small neighborhood into a bustling commercial center. Noticing its
potential and impact, the Tel Aviv municipality, with Meir Dizengoff at its
helm, encouraged its growth and permanence further by changing its name
officially to Shuk HaCarmel, or the Carmel Market, renaming the road HaCarmel
Street and allowing for permanent buildings and renovations within the alloted
space. There are tiny stores
selling pet supplies, coffee, prepared foods, even a small beer bar, and many
others. These shops are behind the
market stalls that somehow fold up (somewhere) on Friday night in advance of
the Saturday closing.
During Israel’s austerity period
of the 1950s, the Carmel Shuk rose to great prominence as the best and most
direct source of local, fresh produce. Efforts by the municipality to move the
market to a more central location in the city failed in the 1960s and 1970s
with locals preferring the market’s intimate and authentic neighborhood charm.
And as terrorist attacks tore through the heart of public Israeli life in the
1990s and early 2000s, the open market place suffered a downturn in visitors.
But in recent years, as the interest in local produce, outdoor experiential
shopping, and blue-and-white purchases increased, as did the number of visitors
and vendors to the Shuk. The
walkway is covered. There are
other markets in Tel Aviv (the Port, and near Jaffa) but this one is sprawling
and centrally located in the middle of downtown.
All in all this was not my fav destination here in Tel Aviv. The market is always very crowded and hot (except for one tiny air conditioned coffee shop), boasts many competing smells (and those that won the competition were not the most pleasant), and almost every sale was preceded by a vigorous bargaining session - sometimes not the nicest interaction. Fortunately, Danny did most of the market visits so I was there only a few times, mostly buying a fig or two (and arguing that I did not want a box full, just one or two - the vendor was very unhappy about that). Not the most relaxing experience, but somehow, the place continued to draw us in - literally the whole city goes there and certainly the prices were lower than in stores, and there was no large supermarket to be found in any case.
Interesting fact - there are NO decent bananas to be had in Tel Aviv - we saw a few but the selection was pretty awful and they were either bright green or already black, quite sad really. So we have to forego our banana a day habit for the time being. And after the literally tons of strawberries for sale daily in Berlin, none of those here either (we missed them a LOT).
Flower vendor booth |
Interesting fact - there are NO decent bananas to be had in Tel Aviv - we saw a few but the selection was pretty awful and they were either bright green or already black, quite sad really. So we have to forego our banana a day habit for the time being. And after the literally tons of strawberries for sale daily in Berlin, none of those here either (we missed them a LOT).
Juiceman |
Spice Vendor |
National Underwear? |
The lack of bargaining makes commerce relatively gentle here in the US - I never could get used to the haggling - glad it is not a part of my daily routine!
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