Jaffa Street in Jerusalem underwent a dramatic face-lift more than a decade ago with the launch of the light rail. From a beautiful and fascinating street that embraces the history of the Jewish community in Jerusalem in the modern era, Jaffa Street became a Jerusalem pearl that embraces both old and new. A trip on Jaffa Street is a source of inspiration and causes constant admiration. In light of this I conducted a number of free hand digital painting tours with my smartphone along this beautiful street.
Although the formal beginning of the street is located at the Jaffa Gate, the residents of Jerusalem identify its beginning location at the central post office in front of the city hall plaza. Its end is located close at the bus central station and the new Ytshak Navon railway station.
Jaffa street was originally (140 year ago) very narrow. Today the street is very wide and all along it is running a railway which serves Jerusalem Light Rail. Only at the end of Jaffa street we find a narrow unchanged section. The contrast between the old stone buildings and the modern aerodynamic appearance of the Light Rail , along with a number of modern buildings covered by large blueish glass windows create a special and very inspiring Jerusalem beauty.
The center of Jaffa Street is roughly located between Ben Yehuda and King George streets . Some of the impressive stone buildings have a unique pinkish color. The buildings and balconies are designed according to the Jerusalem style typical to the British mandate era. Along Jaffa street we can find street countless businesses of all kinds. All of them have a basic and unique Jerusalem character.
Further down in the direction of Binyanei HaUma the street approaches the Mahane Yehuda colorful market. I sat in a coffee shop and a bakery crowded with visitors and could see both the market and Jaffa Street. Through the large old window with the iron profile in it I could see and illustrate what was happening on Jaffa street as well as in the market ( see the post on the market by clicking here ). Walking further toward the street end we reach the central nice crowded central bus station and the modern and impressive railway station which connects Jerusalem with Tel Aviv. The train itself runs at the depth of eighty meters below street level.
On the opposite direction just beyond Ben Yehuda street we can find more “Tel Aviv style ” coffees . They still also preserve a beautiful special Jerusalem style. The attendants are secular, religious “light”, young people from the United States and just tourists.
The characters seen on Jaffa Street are from all life styles: Arabs, Jews, tourists, young people, adults, religious people. They all have a typical Jerusalem character that is very different from Tel Aviv character
And as a sedative, the elegant Light Rail passes every few minutes in complete silence and offers a continued enjoyable trip wherever you choose.
I hope you will enjoy the illustrations that are presented to you from Jaffa Street with love.
Israel in Color