Great food, hip cafes and a bumping nightlife
Jerusalem: In a brick theatre dating from pre-Ottoman times, a crowd of revelers has gathered to groove to the unrelenting thump of minimal techno.
Even though it’s closing in on 4 am, the packed dance floor hasn’t let up, and the unyielding rhythms of Berlin-based DJ Aaron Hedges are accompanied by hallucinatory visuals and an updraft of steam rising to the flashing lights above.
The party, held earlier this month at the Khan Complex, was put on by an up-and-coming Israeli promotions company called Pacotek, which specializes in underground jams and cutting edge electronic gatherings.
In many ways, the party says a lot about today’s Jerusalem: while the physical space of the city is ancient, many of the people – and their ideas – are young and fresh.
Indeed, while this holy city and it’s wealth of historical treasures have drawn Jews, Christians and Muslims for centuries, as we found out during a four-day stay, Jerusalem has plenty of action for travelers seeking something other than a religious experience. Pulling into Jerusalem on a blustery, rainy evening, we headed straight for The Jerusalem Hostel on Jaffa Street. Situated on the town’s main drag and located close to all the major sights, the hostel is a perfect spot to explore both the old city and its newer quarters to the west. It’s also affordable: a bed in a spotless dorm room set us back $14 a night.
Battling thirst but not wanting to drink with the droves of English-speakers hanging around the hostel, we headed east to the intimate and cozy Borderline Bar. One of the first western-style bars in East Jerusalem, we slipped through the private doorway and found a smoky room jammed with trendy, college-age Palestinians.
While Borderline’s drink selection was dominated by western imports, there were plenty of shisha pipes and termis snack plates in the house, all accompanied by a soundtrack of Habibi-beat Arabic dance music.
Skipping the Heineken, Smirnoff and Stella, we decided to try out a crisp pint of Taybeh, which claims to be the only Palestinian brew on the market. Taybeh also turns out to be one hell of ale, and we promptly ordered several more.
The next day, nursing a slight headache, we walked up through Ben Yehuda Street, which slices through the centre of the modern city, and checked out its plethora of clothing stores, specialty shops and record-geek hangouts.
Stopping near the top of the hill, we came across a micro-diner called The Small Kitchen, which was nestled in a quiet neighborhood.
Small is right: the tiny dining room seats about five people at most. Nonetheless, we dove into a fresh bowl of steaming hot sweat potato soup. It was the perfect antidote for the icy weather, as the rain that had greeted us the night before had turned to snow.
After trudging through Jerusalem’s first snowfall in three years – according to locals – we turned into an inconspicuous alley in Jerusalem’s old Russian quarter and stumbled upon Uganda, a mixed-concept shop that does triple-duty: record store, cafe and all purpose art space.
In the past, Uganda’s minimalist white walls have played host to DJ’s and left-field musicians, and on the afternoon we pulled in, the space was packed with fine young dandies rifling through stylish sweaters, shirts and other accessories.
Once the sun sets, Uganda’s staff cranks up the stereo, dims the lights and serves a fine selection of libations to Jerusalem’s mop-topped, denim-clad masses.
Indeed, the next evening, we came back to find the place filled with bohemians sipping local brew and checking out the latest imported 12-inch records while the stereo blared out some slamming electro.
For those looking for a libidinous place to get down, Hamoan 17 – located in Jerusalem’s industrial section – as the reputation as party central, but we decided to head to Noc instead.
Located amongst the small alleyways and labyrinth-like brick passages just off of Jaffa Street, Noc is a darkened, relaxed spot that boasts cheap booze, a young crowd and a soundtrack that mixes experimental electronic music with up club bangers.
Check it out for yourself.
While flights from Cairo to Ben Guiron International Airport, which is 40 minute drive from Jerusalem, can get rather expensive (we were offered one “deal of LE 2600 per ticket), adventurous travelers visiting Sinai can cross into Israel from Taba and head north to Jerusalem by bus. It’s a four-hour ride but it’s worth the effort.
www.air-egypt.comwww.jerusalem-hostel.comwww.myspace.com/pacotekwww.myspace.com/ugandashop
