Trip to Netanya

B"H

A big difference between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv is the "garbage". This sounds like a ridiculous statement but those who live or have been to Jerusalem know what I mean. As soon as you go downtown or to the Machane Yehudah Market (Nachlaot area), the streets are screaming out: Garbage and rats.

Unfortunately, the municipality doesn't have much money to keep the city clean and tidy. Hardly anything green unless you go to certain neighbourhoods for the upper middle class.

Tel Aviv is basically kept clean and there are plenty of trees, flowers, nice parks; all this raising the quality of life in the city. Obviously there is some money and the municipality is trying to make everyone feel more comfortable. The same is happening in most of the coastal places north of Tel Aviv. Look at Herzliya or look at Netanya.

Today was my first trip to Netanya after some years. Pessach is the time for trips and I chose seeing Netanya with its great beach and its famous chassidic neighbourhood: Kiryat Zanz.

If you want to go to the famous city about 50 km north of Tel Aviv, you should take the bus from Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station (in case you are coming from Tel Aviv). Someone recommended the train to me but this would have cost me too much time and too many efforts.
What I didn't know was that the state - owned bus company EGGED only has one line to Netanya: No. 641 via Petach Tikwah. Everything else is taken over by a private bus company called "Nativ".

I took the Nativ bus no. 605 and was surprised about the cheap bus fare. Only 9 Shekels (less than 2 $). However, the ride to Netanya took us quite some time due to all the traffic jams.
In former years I had got the impression that Netanya is almost entirely English speaking. However, today the French seem to have taken over. Even or especially the local real estate market.

Compared to Tel Aviv, Netanya has a religious touch which was pleasant. At least all the restaurants and cafes were "kosher for Pessach". I couldn't believe it. It was just a great feeling. When I returned to Tel Aviv some time later, I first had to get used to checking out all the food once again.

Netanya is easy to manage by foot. The Central Bus Station is in the city center and from there, just walk around Weizman or up Herzl and you will find cafes and shopping malls. Up Herzl is also the direction to the beach surrounded by a great park.
The beach is basically clean but pay attention to the water. The further you walk up north, the cleaner the water gets.

Kiryat Zanz is up Weizman and in the heat, I didn't really get that far. So, I missed a closer look at Chassidut Zanz - Klausenburg but will do so some time later.
Besides Chassidut Zanz I found something else: Right near the Central Bus Station was a place called: Beit Meshiach 770 -
and guess to whom this belonged to !!!




There isn't too much to do but Netanya is worth a trip. Even for a few hours. In case you want a nicer beach or simply escape the hectic life of Tel Aviv, just take the bus to Netanya. Either from the Central Bus Station of from the Azrieli Towers.


Netanya: Between beach and mall