Going out
Hikes, evenings out, eating out, date spots, nightlife and shopping, the way residents do it.
Jerusalem is a hill city with forests and spring-fed valleys on three sides. Here are the walks locals do on a Friday morning, by season and by how much effort you want.
Some of the best of Jerusalem happens after dark, and a lot of it is free. A local's list for evenings, couples and tight budgets.
We do not keep a restaurant list, because hours and certificates change every month. Here is the durable part: how the system works, where the clusters are, and how to choose well in any of them.
A good date needs somewhere you can hear each other, sit for two hours without pressure, and leave easily. Jerusalem has plenty, including the hotel lobbies that shidduch dating runs on.
Jerusalem is not Tel Aviv and does not try to be; its nights are in the shuk's bars, the centre's pubs, the First Station's terraces and a handful of music venues. Here is the map, and the Shabbat caveats.
Jerusalem has three tiers of supermarket, a world-famous market and a makolet on every corner. Here is how they differ, when to go, and what the signs at the till mean.
Which supermarket to use is one question; what is on the shelf is another. Kashrut labels, the price-controlled staples, the Israeli versions of what you miss, and how to order it all online.
Where to go for clothes, electronics, furniture and a rainy afternoon with children, and the shopping habits that differ from what you are used to.
Groceries, electronics, clothes, furniture, second-hand and the international sites that ship here, with the delivery and customs realities behind each.