Florentin is in South Tel Aviv and borders with Neve Zedek and Jaffa.
To reach Florentin on foot, walk south about 10 blocks on Herzl Street from Rothschild Boulevard.
To reach Florentin by car (although parking, like in the rest of Tel Aviv and most of Israel's cities, is a problem), take the Kibbutz Galuyot exit from the Ayalon (North or South) and head West towards the beach. Turn right on Herzl Street; Florentin Street is two junctions north of the Kibbutz Galuyot/Herzl junction.
To reach Florentin by bus, take the 1, 2, 3, 129, 19, 18 or 25 buses.
Florentin is full of sometimes colorful, old Bauhaus buildings in various states of disrepair - although many are now being renovated and restored to something approximating their former glory. Quite a lot of new construction is going on as well, as the area is being completely redeveloped. <br>
For the past few years, Florentin has been a hub of trendy bars, coffee shops and restaurants located in a gone-to-seed but still beautiful, run down area. Lately, some of the old industrial workshops and tiny factories have closed up (as have some of the more hippyesque places, e.g. the shanti rooms on Florentin Street itself), and are being replaced with hip boutiques, sushi bars and new bars/ restaurants. Construction of new, modern apartment blocks is also taking place, as the area is redesigned. This initially caused some controversy with the locals who want to preserve the culture and atmosphere of the area. Some local people also felt that the plans for redevelopment did not include any green space for residents (there are no green areas at all in the vicinity).
Florentin is a mostly residential neighborhood with a mixture of young Israelis (including students, artists, designers), older families, and a decreasing number of foreign workers.
There are a large number of small, privately owned (i.e. non-chain) bars, restaurants and coffee shops open all day (and many all night or until very late). Florentin still has a lot of wood-working and furniture workshops, although in the center of Florentin many of these are closing and are being replaced with an eclectic mix of more up-market, designer boutiques selling everything from custom-made t-shirts, designer clothes, tattoos, home decor and design and much more. There are several small art galleries, offering a range of styles from modern art, sculpture, and installation pieces. Many places are multiple use - The Casco Urban Lab, for example, is a restaurant and cafe-bar decorated by local street artists, with an adjoining art gallery that holds exhibitions of local artists' work.
On Herzl Street and the surrounding area, starting at Salome Street and stretching a few blocks north, you can find furniture stores and shops selling home furnishings and accessories, many hand-made. Further up Herzl Street, just outside of Florentin, you can find small toy stores, and eventually clothes stores for bulk purchases. Most of these stores claim not to sell to individuals, but if you see an item you like, you can try haggling for it.
To the north of the area, around the junction of Nachalat Binjamin and Levinsky Street, you can find small traditional shops selling spices, <i> pitzukhim </i> (toasted seeds like pumpkin, sunflower etc eaten as a snack), Turkish delight and teas.
On Nachalat Binyamin street, you can find Persian restaurants owned and run by Jews who came to Israel from Iran.
On the outskirts of the area, to the South (i.e. towards Jaffa), there are some nightclubs in the traditional Tel Aviv grunge style i.e. contained in falling-down shacks. On the Herzl - Kibbutz Galuyot junction there is the Barbi Club, which features live gigs of Israeli artists, both up-and-coming and already famous.
If you are looking to buy accessories for your home, and don't want to buy from a "big box" store, you will find lots to choose from in the small independently owned stores on Herzl Street. These sell everything from bathroom and kitchen accessories, mezuzot, hand-painted items, door handles, and more.
Herzl Street is famous for its bespoke furniture stores, where you can buy all types of furniture at a range of prices and qualities, often made to your specifications. Almost everything is made in Israel (apart from the obvious foreign imports like some beds and mattresses).
Further up Herzl Street, you can purchase toys and games from small retailers.
Nachalat Binyamin Street offers tiny stores selling everything from cheap household accessories like clothes hangers and ironing boards, to specialist kosher butchers and cheese stores. The Lewinsky Street junction is famous for its spices and teas, and you can hear the store owners advertising their wares in Hebrew and Arabic.
There is a twice-weekly (Tuesday and Friday morning) art and craft market on Nachalat Binyamin street, just at the edge of Florentin.