The Downtown Triangle is a lively commercial hub, with laid-back cafes and souvenir shops along Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall. Clothing, homewares, and art stores line nearby streets, while dining ranges from casual falafel and ice cream spots to high-end barbecue and seafood restaurants. Daily concerts take place in Kikar Hamusica, or Music Square, and the interactive Hebrew Music Museum displays ancient instruments.
Stroll just down the street to the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall. There you’ll find musicians playing, people hanging out. Souvenir shops, restaurants and cafés open from morning till the late hours. The whole Downtown Triangle area is packed with tasty restaurants, coffee shops, ethnic specialty stores. It’s the heart of the new city, though its narrow alleys are exotic and intimate.
You’re in the city’s main commercial center, a ten-minute walk to the Machane Yehuda fresh market, its stands filled with just harvested fruits and vegetables, and small shops, its crowded lanes dotted with the best coffee places in town and exotic ethnic restaurants for every taste and budget. Nearby is the mystical Mizkeret Moshe, a tradition-rich Yemenite neighborhood, trendy Nachlaot, or the verdant, spacious Rehavia neighborhood. They are all just steps away by foot.
Next to your suite is Independence Park, a haven of green and shade. Take a mid-day snooze or have a picnic just like the locals do. Or just cut across it to reach the Mamilla Mall and beyond it, the Old City. A leisurely walk or quick rail trip will take you to the Jaffa or Damascus Gates opening into the ancient walled town.
Or, for an altogether different cultural experience, stroll across Jaffa Road to reach and explore the orthodox religious neighborhoods of Geula and Mea Shearim. Be sure to dress modestly there.