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In 2003, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, declared The White City, a unique urban and historical fabric of Tel Aviv, as a World Cultural Heritage site. Ever since then, the world has been giving the proper recognition to the special architectural qualities of the buildings, streets, squares and avenues of Tel Aviv.

Just so you get the geographical part down, the White City is located between Allenby St in the south, Begin Road and Iben Gvirol St in the east, the Yarkon River in the north, and the Mediterranean Sea in the west.

Since Tel Aviv is always looking to party and celebrate anything, we hurried to find some spectacular way to mark this day and this is how the White Night was created.

White Night in Hebrew, besides its literal meaning, also means “sleepless night”, and this is exactly what’s going to happen Tonight (3.7.08) - Tlv is going to pull an all nighter. So start gathering your sleep because you’re really going to need it…

The options for this night are really endless, so like other great festivals in Tlv, you are just going to have to choose and I will try to help you, here are my recommendations for the night:

The Banana Beach Romantic Night Scene
The Banana Beach, a cool chill hang out on the beach, are organizing an evening in a romantic theme which will include a performance from the Girafot (See Tel Aviv Student Day or http://www.girafot.co.il/) followed by a promising show from the electro - rock band Metropolin (http://www.metropolin.net), a kind of band the fits perfectly to the vibe of a romantic summer vibe. To finish up the cozy feel, they plan on screening the all time favorite “Notting Hill”.
Tel Aviv Promenade, starting from 21:00.

The Night Flea Market
I gave you my input on the Jaffa Flea Market (see the Perfect Day in Jaffa) by day, but now we are talking night time. On this White Thursday, the already authentic and exotic market becomes an even better venue. The event will include street theatre, vintage clothing booths, Tarot card reader, fortune tellers and even an exciting street party to some hard core trance sounds.
Yaffo Flee Market, starting from 22:00.

Food Food Food
The White Night is the perfect time for my favorite hobby: Eating! About 30 different restaurants around town will be open all night and will serve a special white menu. So can wonder freely around the city without having to worry about where you kind find you midnight munch! I suggest visiting Tahel, a great Spanish tapas bar and restaurant on Nahalat Binyamin, offering a wide variety of Spanish specialties. Afterwards you just have to go for the dessert and the place to do it is the Max Brenner on Rothschild Blvd (http://www.maxbrenner.com) also known as THE Chocolateir of Israel. Order some of the unbelievable chocolate pralines but don’t forget to top it up with some home made hot chocolate.

Rock the night away
The Tel Aviv Cinematheque will be hosting an especially fun show cast: live rock video shows and documentaries marathon from the greatest! Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, Jim Morrison and Jimmy Hendrix, this will surely give you a Rock & Roll night to remember!
Tlv Cinematheque, 2 Shprinzak St., corner of HaArbaa St.

These boots are made for walkin’
Anyway you look at it this is a night to be spent wondering around and exploring the city. Come to think of it, forget all my suggestions! Just walk the streets and find your white night! The streets will be packed full of interesting people enjoying the various events, and all kinds of planned and unplanned attractions will pop out of every corner. There will be street shows on Sderot Ben Gurion and Sderot Rotchshild, and the latter will also feature unique lighting on about 50 Bahaus style buildings. Museums and galleries will be open until the wee hours of the night and will host special events, and you’ll discover the best things simply by exploring.

My suggested route (Which was my route for White Night 2007): Start around 8-9pm from Kikar Atarim, which is where Sderot Ben Gurion hits the waterfront, walk down Sderot Ben Gurion to Kikar Rabin, from there take a right and walk on Sderot Chen all the way up to Habima, and then on Sderot Rotschild all the way down to Alenby street. Take a right on Alenby, and walk on Alenby until taking a left on Ehad Ha’am. Walk down Ehad Ha’am into Neve Tzedek, and at the end of Ehad Ha’am take a quick right and quick left to Shabazi. Walk down to the beach front, and then take a left towards Jaffa. At this point you’ll either be tempted into one of the beach front parties, or too tired to move.. If you’re finished, take a cab back home..

Have a wonderful white night!