Golden Beach Hotel

Re: Question about Park HaYarkon in Tel Aviv

by g.l.s.h

Hi there

To answer your questions:

The lake is not that huge: its is actually quite small (for a lake). You can paddle with a small boat between its shores (on the wider part) in a few minutes, without being an Olympic champion.

If you loot at the satellite image you will see a large oval shaped grassy ground – between the water park and a group of trees (it has what seems to be a white spot close to its center). This is the ground where concerts usually take place, as well as events such as “Ta’am Ha’ir” (“Taste of the city” – a culinary festival that is no longer taking place in Tel Aviv, but did through the 2nd half of the 90s and most of the passing decade). At the mega concerts the stage was usually at the western edge (with its back to the area that looks like a labyrinth of trails – actually a kids theme park), but I do recall stages constructed also on the southern edge (with the towers of the Diamond exchange district in the foreground – a nice scene actually). I assume is has to do with the season, weather and sunset time of the specific concert, and possibly the expected amount of viewers. The eastern part of this ground, closer to the water park, is a little elevated, but most of it is quite flat. A few tribunes are usually constructed – considered to be “VIP seats”. Usually they don’t divide the ground to sections (like sometimes is done abroad) which means the closer you get to the stage – the more packed (and boiling) it gets. The atmosphere, however, is quite fun.

As for the park: without getting into the question of its official names and districts: people regard the “Yarkon Park” as the entire strip streaching from the Ussishkin bridge close to the Tel Aviv harbor area, and little beyond the water park. The stripe between Ussishkin bridge and the “Hayarkon Bridge” (you didn’t refer to it in your description) is quite narrow, and includes many sport facilities, The major part – east of the Yarkon bridge (carrying the Namir road, leading from Tel Aviv to its northern suburbs and finally also to Haifa) is wider. It includes many open grounds and picnic areas. Some of its eastern sections, like near the water park, are not so well maintained and sometimes, when its dark, also quite deserted.