Here’s a little preview of what underground Tel Aviv is like and how you can find alternative things to see and do. I wrote a whole guide about it, which you can download from this site.
Tel Aviv is the most liberal city in Israel. It’s modern, westernised and full of action and has a huge gay scene, underground party scene and alternative art and music scenes.
But Tel Aviv has also retained some of its older, more historic side. I don’t mean just the old Bauhaus and eclectic buildings (though these are also pretty cool), but all kinds of weird old shops, markets and random sights and sounds you’re not likely to see in your average major Western city.
All this is stuffed into what is essentially a relatively small town – Tel Aviv has a population of about 500,000. This means you can get just about anywhere worthwhile in under 30 minutes walk or around 10-15 minutes of cycling. It’s easy to get around by foot or bike and though it can occasionally be a tad frustrating, it definitely has its own unique vibe and style.
Underground Tel Aviv comes in many forms. No other city in Israel draws as many cool young people (or young people who believe they are cool 
) and the result is a good number of alternative Tel Aviv night clubs and a whole load of alternative cafes and bars in Tel Aviv’s typical eclectic, casual style.
Basically, it’s a pretty damn funky place to hang out and there is always something to do and somewhere to go, 24/7 (with the exception of the occasional holiday). Chilled licensing laws means that you can get a drink 24 hours a day, though locals are more into their cafe culture than heavy drinking on the whole.
The street food in Tel Aviv is, frankly, pretty amazing. You could actually live on it. Cheaply. However, you’ll probably want to try some restaurants as well (less cheaply). There are also plenty of options for vegetarian and vegan food in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv also has a very big bodywork and complimentary therapy aspect. There are plenty of yoga studios in Tel Aviv (practically on every other street). Dance studios, martial arts and complementary therapy clinics are also remarkably common.
If you want to, you can also find quite an active left wing / anarchist scene here that include s both alternative community centres and regular anti occupation demos.
I wrote the DIY Tel Aviv Guide to help you discover all the weird and wonderful things and places around Tel Aviv and to make contact with some of the really cool people who live and work there.
