A Place To Call Home

September 10, 2006 - 9:27 AM by Allison

There are few challenges more daunting in life than trying to find an apartment in Tel Aviv. The pickings are slim, the walls can be crumbly, and the prices are high.

But in the end, everyone finds a home, including Michal of One Jerusalem, a young student in search of a room of her own.

I did not think that my expectations were high. All I wanted was a comfortable room with a homey feeling. A quiet corner to study, maybe with a window overlooking a green garden.

I quickly climbed the staircase to flat number 1. As the door opened, I received a dose of harsh reality in my face. The living room was the size of a small falafel stand, the shower was old as my grandmother, and let’s not forgets the red and blue crumbled kitchen. But as I said, I was determined to focus on the bright side. The proposed room was spacious, had a window overlooking a green garden, the roommates were nice and there was even a small air conditioner! Not to mention that a small apartment meant a low arnona (property tax) payment.

I had my doubts, “is this the best flat I can find”? Should I settle on the first thing I see? I decided to keep on looking. I made dozens of phone calls, I took buses all over town, and I climbed more stairs than I ever did in my whole life. Just to figure out at the end, that the first apartment I saw is what I was looking for. That the first apartment I saw will also be the first apartment ever to be mine in the big city.

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