TEL AVIV PROMENADE
Tel Aviv Promenade (commonly referred to as “The Promenade”) runs along the Mediterranean seashore in Tel Aviv, Israel. In the late 1930s, the city council decided to build a promenade for separation between bathing areas and hiking or promenading paths. It extended from Bograshov Beach to where Jerusalem (formerly Geula) Beach is located now. The introduction of the promenade was a turning point in common perception of the city’s coastline. In 2011, the municipality of Tel Aviv restored and renovated the promenade, and today it runs from the port of Tel Aviv to the port of Jaffa. Today’s sections are:
Tel Baruch Promenade – Tel Baruch Promenade runs between Tel Baruch Beach in the north and the Yarkon River in the south. It opened in 2009 in an area previously belonging to Reading Power Station and Sde Dov Airfield. The construction of the promenade required a long pedestrian bridge over the power station’s docks. It is paved with concrete, with separate trails for pedestrians and bicyclists. The eastern side, adjacent to Sde Dov, is lined with shore vegetation, while the western side allows access to the undeclared beach along it. This section of the promenade is mostly secluded from the city, although there are plans for significant construction along it, should the airfield be relocated.
Port Promenade – The Port Promenade runs along the restored Tel Aviv Port, between the mouth of the Yarkon River and Metzizim Beach. It opened in 2005, and it is made up of a wooden deck built along the Port’s old sea wall. It is mostly commercial in nature, with many coffee houses, restaurants and shops, but without any bathing beaches.
Metzizim/Hilton Promenade – This promenade runs between Metzizim Beach in the north and Gordon Beach in the south. This promenade has two distinct sections: an older one between Metzizim and Hilton Beaches and a newer one between Hilton and Gordon. It is somewhat narrower than Lahat Promenade because of its location between the kurkar (lithified sea sand) bluffs and the beach.
Lahat Promenade (Herbert Samuel St.) – The main promenade in Tel Aviv, leading from Gordon beach to Aviv beach. The promenade was built in 1939 as a narrow promenade, elevated above sea level. In the 1980s it was demolished in preparation for reconstruction. In 1982, the first section was opened for public. The new promenade is broad and paved with pebbles. It is separated from the beach by a narrow strip of shore vegetation. On the promenade are several artistic sculptures and memorial plaques. In 1998, the promenade was renamed in honor of former mayor Shlomo Lahat, who was in office during the construction years and promoted the process.
Sha’ar Le’Yafo Promenade (Gate to Jaffa promenade) – The section that links Charles Clore Park and Jaffa.
Khomot ha’Yam Promenade (Sea barriers promenade) – The section that links Sha’ar Le’Yafo Promenade and the Jaffa Port. The outline of the demolished ancient walls of Jaffa are marked out on the promenade pavement.
CHARLES CLORE PARK
Charles Clore Park is a beachfront park in southwestern Tel Aviv. Covering 29.6-acre (0.120 km²) of public land along the Mediterranean Sea, it’s named after Charles Clore, a British financier, property magnate and philanthropist. The Charles Clore Foundation remains an influential grant and funding organization that supports non-profits based in Israel. The park opened to the public in 1974. In 2007, it underwent a two-year makeover. Each June, the annual Tel Aviv Pride Parade concludes at the park with a large party.
It was built on the ruins of Al-Manshiyya, a historic Palestinian neighborhood that was expelled in 1948, and whose buildings were demolished in the 1960s as part of a project to establish there a new central business district (CBD). The remains of the buildings, dumped into the seashore, could not be disposed of properly due to municipal budget constraints, and were embanked as reclaimed land.
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