There are two things I love the most about Jerus…
- Jerus is an ancient, old, dead city
- Jerus is an contemporary, modern, live city (giving birth to a new world viewed trough the eyes of the street and built by the expression of the unknown).
The point of this article is nothing but to walk you underground and show you a bit of whats hidden there. So you can feel like a dweller instead of a tourist at your next visit!
Sira Pub
As a huge fan of bars settled in unusual locations as alleyways, caves or under bridges, I must confess Sira Pub and its gritty walls, which give it a watering hole appearance, is on top of the most alternative-like places in Jerus. When you go inside of it its a little too dark but at the same time is extremely friendly and comforting. The places doesn’t lack live performances of anything from punk to reggae. Also, for whom might concern, a Pac Man machine is always killing everyone’s time in a little dark room at the back, how cool is that? By the way, pass by the pub at Sunday night. They offer something name “The Drunk Poetry’s Night”… basically you say a poem and get some free shots in exchange (as declaiming you own poem at that place wasn’t good enough!) Please, don’t miss it!
HaTaklit
Football matches never were so fun! This small, beer&cigarettes bar settled in the new city of Jerus is really popular among everyone. Nice vibe and scene make this place be the one where we can find the highest ration of hipster students in the city. Well, the vibe and the cheap beer 😀 Very, very, VERY popular football matches are shown here. The place is all decorated by records on the walls, so you can expect going to the toilet looking at Ziggy Stardust or some Kate Bush old stuff. Very trash! The last, but not least… the cozy staff and owner contributes a lot for this cool and alternative good vibe. The spot definitely has a character and is the right place to enjoy a beer after the discoveries of the Old City.
Muslala Art Project
Bordering East and West Jerusalem, in a place once known as the “no man’s Land”, an art project rises to bring union among two main divergent groups in a neighborhood fiercely battled with house to house combats in the past. Founded by artists, residents and community activists of the Musrara neighborhood, today’s Muslala project is settled in a relatively unwalked area of the city and exposes all types of public art from woodwork to film in open air galleries giving the inhabitants means to coexist in divergence. If social-political art is your thing, so do not forget to check the Museum on the Seam by yourself. You can find it within the area where the Muslala project is settled. They also have a Art Walk tour for you to enjoy each gallery at its maximum.
Plus: The Balcony
That being said, as if it wasn’t enough good yet, Muslala also does farming! The Balcony is the name of their gardening project. Basically, The Balcony is a rooftop built mainly on wood above a very know building in the city. The purpose of it is to serve as an inspirational space for urban farming and motivate people to garden at home. We judge the viability of a project by counting how much improvement it brings to the maximum number of people, right? Is not that I am not into projects to save the ozone or something, but can you figure out how much urban farming can actually bring health, money-saving and cooperation directly to a entire community? Please, check their building by yourself when coming to Israel and get involved some how with the idea. There is really a beautiful stuff going on there.
The Cassetta Bar
Very offbeat bar settled in a totally underground venue that boasts the bar’s nonchalant, laidback and retro atmosphere. Local and rising musicians present their best songs here, always many steps away from the mainstream. From the super modern German Techno to costumes parties, you can find here in this place a refugee and a very necessary brake from the mass media. Pass by and check out their events, bring your broken heart ’cause this place is a real mix of blessings.
Hamazkeka
Lab for intermedia in Jerus, HaMazkeka is the underground space for local music, new media, film, dance and performance. This project identifies unrecognized and talented people around and put them face to face with whoever wants to know them. The guys have their own recording studio so the rising star receives support and means to work. Workshops for contemporary productions are plenty and almost everyday they offer some kind of performance.
Agripas st. (and its awesome market & galleries!)
That is the thing about Jerus… Plenty of hipster art absolutely to anywhere you go! But no surprises here at all; As Jerus holds top art schools internationally renowned, all this hipster galleries and street art popping in each and every corner is super natural. When you step by Jerus, please, just have a breakfast in the Shuk Market at Agripas and then prepare yourself to go from gallery to gallery along the street. Agripas 12, Barbur and Urbanica are just to recommendations out of a plenty that I could do.
Beit Mazya Theater
You want to watch some theater play but Romeo and Juliet is too old, Cabaret is such a cliche and Cirque du Soleil is too expansive…! Well, don’t you panic… fortunately, after the recovering of the city center in Jerus the city hear is beating again and, to save us from very bothering television-nights, the Beit Mazya theater, a very, very old/historic building was renewed and now it serves now as home for local theater groups delighting us with indie productios \o/ Psik Theater, The Jerusalem Theater Group and Incubator are the main groups giving life to this building, but you apply for your own theater group to present there, if you wish* Check out the schedule at bmz.org.il
Arty Party
Okay, u are right! There are a lot of party makers in Jerus, how could be different at the middle-eastern city that *almost* never sleeps? Anyhow, there is always one party maker that makes you dry out your bones by dancing overnight! No fancy people allowed! Their parties are usually made on open areas, brings tons of hippy people selling a stylish and convenient “organic-cotton handbag” that puts a Vuitton in the place of a old fashioned wallet, some brave guys spinning fire around, and ambience set in wood or whatever other creative invention they might figure out. They really know how to use the force! By the way, plenty of beer consumption is allowed ’cause the beer is the cheapest ever. Check out the guy’s website… https://goo.gl/n6qtSN
Jerus’s Poetry Slam, OMG… The poetry slam!
This is how I like the poetry slam: Hot like hell, black as the ugly reality and explosive as a Tsar bomba. Nothing could sound more “Jerusalem’s poetry slam” than that! Extremely popular and very appreciated in the city, the phenomena of poetry slam is being bombed within bars and homes and spreading culture, art, expressions, life and social fight everywhere. As a humble tip, I’d suggest u check out the works of Moriel Rothman and Zvia Margaliot, an orthodox Jewish mother who became a rising poetry star. Please, step by the hosts of slam in Jerus, you can check their names and schedule at the IndieFeed website.
Herzl Brewery
A cold glass of Heineken with a warm piece of steak… and heaven melts in our mouths! Am I wrong? Nop! But how many times have we done it? Let’s let the accountant buzz himself with pure routine! We get some new flavors now, right? When coming to Israel, do NOT forget to taste the grid of options that you have on the beer here, from organic micro-brew to passion-fruit beer passing by the traditional ones. I even can serve you a tipsy suggestion and ask you to give Herzl beer a try. Herzl is the first brewery ever in Jerusalem and the guys really do a serious on this so lovely substance. Their best beer, accordingly to my tipsy suggestion, is the Six Percent Kapara! Kapara, for whom might concern, is a hebrew word meaning “love”, “dear”, “sweet”… Could the guys have been more accurate on this?
pS: few more other suggestions of Israeli beer in the pics 😉
No matter how much you know about this incredible city, you will always have more to learn. Make your visit to Jerus more significant than just a view at conventional over-touristed spots.
There are a lot of tours in Jerus through how you can absorb what the regular tourist doesn’t. “Urban Walks – authentic tours for the curious visitor” is the one I want to tell you about. Just go ahead fearless and walk around the city learning hidden stuff that your tourist agency won’t tell y… Actually they just don’t know nothing about. (▀̿Ĺ̯▀̿ ̿)