I visited NYU Tel-Aviv in January 2014 when I went to Israel-Palestine with my Borders, Barriers, and Buffers class, which was a part of the NYU Steinhardt’s Dean’s Global Honors Seminar program. The course explored social, political, and economic issues that arise from and as a result of borders, and we discussed various cases throughout the semester, such as that of the United States and Mexico, North and South Korea, and states within the European Union. The class culminated in a ten day long trip to Israel-Palestine so we could study firsthand the land and religious issues that exist between the two groups of people residing in these territories. I was in Tel Aviv for about five days and Jerusalem the other five, but I was only at NYU Tel Aviv itself for half a day (for a lecture), so I am speaking mainly for Tel Aviv as a city more so than the NYU campus. Half a day was really all I needed though at NYU Tel Aviv because it was essentially just a single building in which the dormitories were located as well. According to a professor at NYU Tel Aviv, the study abroad site only has about twenty students per semester, which means each class has about three to five students, so prospective students have to prepare to really love or really hate their fellow study abroad-mates. But this also means the professors provide the students with a lot of attention. In the past, the site’s program coordinators organized for the students a trip to Jordan—and not many people can say they’ve taken a weekend trip to Jordan before! The building is located in a residential area. Immediately outside is an open park with a lake and a lot of green space where you can find mothers strolling their toddlers, athletes going on runs, and men and women walking their dogs. It’s very serene and beautiful, and it gives you that state college campus feel that most NYU study abroad sites lack. If this stretch of nature in front of NYU Tel Aviv isn’t enough, the city also runs along the Mediterranean Sea, providing an entire strip of beaches all the way down to the beautiful port of Jaffa. The Statue of Faith in this area provides a stunning view of the city (FYI: the primetime to go is during sunset—not only will you catch the gorgeous rays of red and orange on the horizon but a couple of brides and grooms too, as many of them choose Old Jaffa as the setting for their wedding photos). For the animal lovers, there are also many cats roaming around Jaffa… and actually Tel Aviv in general… start preparing the #CatsOfTelAviv hashtag for your Instagram. Jaffa is also a great place to spend the day if you are looking for markets to browse through and food to sample. This port city is home to Abulafia, a restaurant with the best hummus and Mediterranean salad I have ever had. I can guarantee that you will NOT be tired of the food in Tel Aviv—whether it is falafel from stands on the street or pita and hummus in sit down restaurants, you will without a doubt be salivating upon looking at the menu at every meal. Also, it’s not required to tip, but it’s courteous to leave around 10% of the bill, especially since the waiters and waitresses are all pretty personable. The shekel is the Israeli currency—about three shekels are equal to one U.S. dollar, so one shekel is equal to two RMB. I’d be very upset if this were to happen, but if you find yourself getting tired of the food, there are American cuisine options too, including the trustworthy Domino’s and McDonald’s and a Max Brenner on Sderot Rothschild Street. Fun fact, Max Brenner was actually founded in Israel by two Israeli men, Max Fichtman and Oded Brenner, so the food here is all the more enjoyable. If you’re craving Chinese food, you’ll have to make do with General Tsao’s chicken because that is about as “authentic” as you will get; I found some at a restaurant near the Central bus station. I didn’t get a chance to check this out, but there is also a restaurant in Tel Aviv near Jaffa where all the lights are out, so you don’t know what you’re served; you also never find out what you’ve eaten, so you gauge your experience solely by taste, which I think is something worth trying! Around Sderot Rotschild Street is also where a lot of the nightlife life is—or at least the three nights that I had and concluded to be the nightlife of Tel Aviv. There are bars, shisha lounges, and this one club called “Club Club” where all the expats went. By far though, my favorite place was a gay club where there was a drag show the night I went… I forget the name of the club but if you’re really dying to know, reach out to me, and I’ll find out for you. Many of these bars and lounges played a mix of American and Israeli music, which was a welcoming balance! If you are into art and boutique shopping, the residential neighborhood of Neve Tzedeck is the place to go. The walls are lined with street art, the store windows display an eclectic mix of hats and scarves, and the streets have fashionable women dawning long coats strolling or biking along the sidewalks. If you are looking for even more fabrics and garments than what the stores here have to offer, near Neve Tzedeck is Carmel Market, where you can find an assortment of cloths and fabrics, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, warm baked goods, and traditional sweet treats. You can bargain at Carmel Market, so be ready to put your Fake Market bargaining skills to use! The people of Tel Aviv are all pretty friendly for the most part. The store and restaurant owners are all curious as to what you are doing there in Tel Aviv, and it’s impressive if you can pick up a few simple phrases of Hebrew and/or Arabic (both languages are offered at NYU Tel Aviv). Don’t be alarmed if you’re walking down the street and you see men and women in military gear—it is mandatory when Israeli citizens turn 18 that they serve in the army. Throughout my trip, I also focused on women in Israel and Palestine, so I created my final project on how women’s clothing, fashion, and presentation were a reflection and expression of their social and cultural backgrounds: http://charmanddesirefashion.tumblr.com/. The site may help in learning more about the people in Israel (and Palestine if you get a chance to go to cities like Hebron and Ramallah, which I highly recommend). If you want to take an even more in depth look at my experiences in Israel-Palestine, feel free to read my journal I kept up for the class located here: https://jensjournal13.wordpress.com/. Do keep in mind though that the link focuses more on Israel-Palestine and the conflicts between the two territories rather than just Tel Aviv itself. Also, a lot of what I talked about focused a lot on the social aspects of living in Tel Aviv; if you want to know more about the religious and political aspects, my trip to Israel-Palestine, or if you have any other questions in general, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]! This article was written by Jennifer Lu. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Angie Ag