Tel Aviv - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
There are 4 main housing assignments in TLV (with exceptions). We live in a tower across the street and a five minute walk from the Embassy Branch Office (EBO), but a little farther from nicer restaurants and Carmel Market. It's the oldest building in the set by far, so it regularly has maintenance issues. Sometimes in the summer there is a sewage smell that can also be smelled at the embassy. Apartments vary in size and age, but most have balconies (some very large). Here, you trade a nicer building for proximity to the beach and work. There is a large pool, a sauna, and a decent gym in the building. The second option is a complex of 3-4 buildings, which is closest to Carmel Market is second closest to the EBO. You're more in the city here, so closer to nightlife and restaurants. Apartments are much newer, and if you're lucky enough to live in the tower views of the city are great. Some room designs in the tower are odd though (triangle-shaped rooms, why?). It also has a beautiful indoor pool and gym in the complex. The next option is the best for people prioritizing nightlife and shopping. There are three towers, all of which sit above a marketplace with restaurants, food stalls, and bars. Apartments are very nice and brand new. There is construction all around though, which can make things loud. There is also a playground and park below, which can get loud. They also host Oktoberfest and other events here, but events always abide by the 11pm noise curfew. Last are the houses up in Herzliya. This is its own separate city and the commute can take 30-60 minutes, depending on traffic. Houses are beautiful, very large with big yards. This is where families will be placed as the American School is here. Herzliya feels like any American suburb. - Jan 2022
Lots of different options which all have pros and cons. Many young couples or people with young kids live a few blocks from the EBO and right on the ocean but it is an older building that seems to be right above a sewage line... some of the apartments there are great with huge balconies, some are small with no balconies. The streets around it are usually filled with homeless people and drunks, and it's a bit of a walk from the nicer parts of town and the market, but then again you are on the Mediterranean Ocean. There are at least four other apartment complexes in Tel Aviv proper where government employees live: one has nice, newer apartments that are usually more spacious than housing closer to the EBO, but most don't have balconies (senior Foreign Service people live in the taller tower, which has amazing, massive apartments). It’s in a great neighborhood and close to the Carmel Market; about a 15 minute walk from the EBO. The next is a bit further from the EBO (20-25 minute walk, there is a shuttle) with newer apartments that aren't huge but have great balconies and awesome views of the city. Located above a new, hip market with tons of parks and playgrounds surrounding it. A few people live in Ramat Aviv, which is pleasant but boring and I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for city living. Most families live in nice sized houses with yards in Herzliya or Kiryat Ye'arim, which are closer to the school. Traffic within the Tel Aviv area is terrible and there is limited parking at the EBO so most people take the shuttle. There is very little social interaction between the people who live in the cities and the "suburbs." - Apr 2021
I (along with most families of school age kids) live in the suburbs so can speak more to that. Housing in the suburbs is generally in large houses with a yard. A few US embassy houses have pools. There are a few apartments, but most people are in houses. Some of the houses have layouts that are a little unwieldy depending on family size (for example, some kids sleeping downstairs and the parents upstairs). The beach is a 5-30 minute walk depending on where you are located. Most houses are within 5-10 minutes walking distance of at least some shops/restaurants. Everything in the neighborhood is accessible by bike. The commute to the embassy by car is about 25 minutes in the morning, and 30-40 minutes in the afternoon depending on when you leave. Many people choose to commute by bike - the weather is generally good and most of the way is on a bike path along the sea. This takes 25-50 minutes depending on how fast you go. The commute to the school by school bus is 20-30 minutes both ways for kids, since they go against traffic. If you have to drive with traffic to the school in the afternoon/evening, it can take up to an hour. - Oct 2019
Most embassy employees without kids live in nice apartments within walking distance (between 5-30 minutes) of the embassy. There are advantages to different areas of the city, but all apartments that we saw were quite nice. Apartments closer to the embassy are often on the beach with stunning water views, but the area doesn't have many open businesses at night and is somewhat run-down in areas.
Other apartments are closer to Sarona or Rabin Square, which is about a 30 minute walk from the beach/embassy, but closer to more restaurants and upscale, leafy neighborhoods. Most apartment complexes have pools. Most families live in the suburbs. - Nov 2018
There are two main areas, and a few minor outlying areas, where the bulk of U.S. diplomats reside. If you're downtown, you're between a 5 and 35-minute walk from the Embassy. If you live in Herziliya, the commute time can run north of 30 minutes by car - quite a difference. Housing tends to run on the smaller size for apartments, but still mammoth in big-city terms (i.e. NYC or DC). One common complaint is storage - it's just not very common to have closets (who needs a coat in Tel Aviv?). Bedrooms can be pretty small. One of the housing pool's main buildings is right on the beach and a five-minute walk from work - this building is a bit older, but you can't beat the location. The other main property is a bit further (15 minutes from work), but more modern and sleek. Most properties downtown are apartments. Most people who live in Herziliya are in good-sized houses. - Aug 2017
I have a nice downtown two bedroom apartment. Embassy housing is typically a two bedroom downtown apartment for singles and couples without kids and then single family homes about 9-10 miles away in Herziliya or Kfar Shmaryahu for families with school-age kids. Living in the suburbs means a decent commute for the kids, but can leave the parents with a 45 minute- to an hour or more commute during rush hour depending on traffic. In general the housing is quite good especially based on my experience with previous tours. Apartments downtown are small relatively speaking, but compared to locals the Embassy units are uniformly considered very posh by local standards as they typically are in the nicest areas and buildings. - Oct 2016
Almost everyone that I know is either in Herzliya (suburbs) or in Tel Aviv near the beach. However, we ended up more in the center of the city and couldn't have been happier. The apartments in Tel Aviv all vary by size and the view one gets. Some are on high up and have the ocean in front of them some are low and can see another building in front of them. In Tel Aviv one can walk everywhere as it is quite small and easy to get around, if you end up living on the beach your commute to work will be 5 minutes. - Jul 2016
Get ready for life in suburban Herzliya (and other nearby towns) if you have a family and want a house. Tel Aviv real estate prices are rocketing and the Embassy can no longer afford anything but small, but nice downtown apartments that only couples and singles can endure. Rush hour traffic is awful. Expect a 45-minute to 1-hour drive (or more) between the suburbs and Embassy. - Apr 2016
Depends on what one includes as Tel Aviv. The city itself is small and housing is also small; the outer rings of the metropolitan area contain many typical sleepy neighbourhoods with more spacious accommodation, but the commute time is also longer. - Mar 2016
Singles, couples, and (to a lesser extent) families without school-age children are housed in Tel Aviv or Ramat Aviv (next to Tel Aviv). Commute time differs - some folks can walk but some are far enough to drive. There is also a great shuttle as long as you are able to be fairly routine in your arrival/departure to work - so 10 to 30 minutes. Almost all families with school-age children are housed in Herzliya - Pituach (on the west side of the 2 closer to the beach) or Bet (the east side of the 2). Houses seem to be equally nice(-ish) or not on both sides of the highway. You should disabuse yourself of the notion that you will have a house on the beach. You may score a house 5 or 10 minutes from it if you request it and are lucky. If you are a die hard beach person, go for it. Houses in Herzliya are mostly single family, some are spacious apartment/townhome setups. - Nov 2014
The homes are small --- think Tokyo small. The homes in the suburbs for families are larger, and many have nice yards. - Apr 2013
It's apartment living for most, some houses. Infrastructure is poor for the most part. Apartments are small no closets, European-size appliances. Repair technicians skill level is moderate to low, usually simple repairs require many trips and visits before the issue is adequately resolved. Embassy families commute about an hour, they are looking at moving further out due to high housing costs. - Aug 2010
Apartments in Tel Aviv - about a 20-minute walk from the embassy. Bigger apts in Ramat-Aviv and anywhere from a 20 to 45-minute drive depending on traffic. Houses in Herzliya Pituach to the north - about a 30 to 60-minute drive. - Jul 2010
Embassy housing can vary. The closer you are to the embassy, the smaller your housing. Some places do not have closets (literally, no closets). In Tel Aviv, all housing is between 5-25 minutes walking, many colleagues ride bikes to work or walk. Ramat Aviv in far northern Tel Aviv is about 5 miles from the embassy, most people drive from there. If coming from Herzlia, there is an embassy shuttle, or about a 15-20 minute commute by car (without traffic). - Feb 2009
Houses in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv are very nice and have yards. The commute is probably 20-25 minutes in the morning. - Sep 2008
Housing is very nice. - Jul 2008
