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Tel Aviv's weather is very comfortable. Hasn't snowed in tel aviv since 1951. Summers can get hot and humid, but air conditioners are the norm, and dress code i

by dkopi 10y ago

Tel Aviv's weather is very comfortable. Hasn't snowed in tel aviv since 1951. Summers can get hot and humid, but air conditioners are the norm, and dress code is shorts and flip flops. And Tel Aviv has an awesome beach you can actually swim in. To quote wikipedia: Tel Aviv experiences a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and generally mild, wet winters. The average annual temperature is 20.2 °C (68.4 °F). Average temperature of the sea is 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) during the winter, and 24–29 °C (75–84 °F) during the summer. In January, the coldest month, the average high temperature is 18.3 °C (64.9 °F), the low temperature averages 11.1 °C (52.0 °F) and the average sea temperature is 19 °C (66 °F). August, the warmest month, averages a high of 30 °C (86 °F), and a low of 22 °C (72 °F), with the average sea temperature being 30 °C (86 °F). Generally, the summer season lasts about six months, from May to October. Three months – March, April and November – are transitional, while December, January and February are the coldest months. The city receives 528 millimeters (20.8 in) of precipitation annually, which mostly occurs in the months of October through May. Summers are generally dry, and the area experiences over 300 sunny days per year. SF has a lot of advantages over Tel Aviv (Being closer to Bay area VCs, being closer to the US market and customers, time zone differences) - but I'm not sure weather is one of them. Tel Aviv has a vibrant startup scene and lots of tech talent. Also - a lot of american expats. It's really easy to get by speaking only English and a few basic Hebrew words.

ido 10y ago
As a native to (greater) Tel Aviv now living in Berlin, I much prefer Oceanic weather. ~9 months of the year you'd be sweating if you go outside & do even the slightest physical activity, like leisurely walking or cycling (mostly due to the high humidity, it's not actually that hot most of the time). Berlin is too cold for about 3-4 months per year but the rest of the time is pleasantly cool, like San Francisco or London: bad bathing weather, but good working weather. Other problems of Tel Aviv: poor transit, the resulting bad traffic, air pollution (it doesn't rain often and occasionally gets sand storms in the summer), noise pollution. Costs are not as prohibitive as London, NYC, or SF but significantly higher than Berlin. I guess if you enjoy LA, Tel Aviv might be for you?
- dkopi 10y ago
  As far as transit goes - if you live and work in Tel Aviv, you can pretty much walk wherever you need. True, Berlin is cheaper than Tel Aviv, but it's also cheaper than most other German cities. Wages are also lower in Berlin. Drink an Augustiner Dunkel for me :)
  - ido 10y ago
    Isn't that a Bavarian brewery? I'll drink a Berliner Kindl though ;)
  - dkopi 10y ago
    It is :) but they have an awesome beer hall at Gendarmenmarkt.
  - ido 10y ago
    As far as transit goes - if you live and work in Tel Aviv, you can pretty much walk wherever you need. This is a big if, as few Israelis can afford to live in Tel Aviv (we couldn't, despite earning significantly above median). The average gross wage in Israel is 9,702.60 ils per month [1] (2277.78 Euro). According to a quick check [2] this gives a net of 8,302.57 ils per month (1948.94 Euro). A small apartment in good repair in a not-terrible part of Tel Aviv can easily cost ~6000 ils per month, before utilities. Realistically if you work in Tel Aviv you either live in the suburbs, are in the top ~10% of wage earners, or are young and don't have a family to support (and live with roommates). [1] http://www.tradingeconomics.com/israel/wages http://www.tradingeconomics.com/israel/wages [2] http://www.payway.co.il/calculator/en/bn3_form.asp http://www.payway.co.il/calculator/en/bn3_form.asp
  - dkopi 10y ago
    "A small apartment in good repair in a not-terrible part of Tel Aviv can easily cost ~6000 ils per month, before utilities." We probably have different definitions of "not terrible part of tel aviv". 1BRs (What israeli's call 2 rooms) go for 4000 shekels in Florentine. Walking distance from the startup scene of Rothschild, and 20 minutes by bus to the google and checkpoint area.
songshu 10y ago
Are you non-Jewish by any chance? I've had a great time in Israel as a tourist, but often wondered whether I'd be able to fit in there as a non-Jewish (and non-American for that matter) person. I'm not overtly religious in any other way, and I have Jewish people in my family, but there's no way I can pass for Jewish in any extended conversation.
- ido 10y ago
  Not the parent, but I think it would be doable albeit awkward at times. But there a lot of not-so-great things about living in Israel compared to Western Europe and North America.

by dkopi 10y ago

ido 10y ago

As a native to (greater) Tel Aviv now living in Berlin, I much prefer Oceanic weather. ~9 months of the year you'd be sweating if you go outside & do even the slightest physical activity, like leisurely walking or cycling (mostly due to the high humidity, it's not actually that hot most of the time). Berlin is too cold for about 3-4 months per year but the rest of the time is pleasantly cool, like San Francisco or London: bad bathing weather, but good working weather. Other problems of Tel Aviv: poor transit, the resulting bad traffic, air pollution (it doesn't rain often and occasionally gets sand storms in the summer), noise pollution. Costs are not as prohibitive as London, NYC, or SF but significantly higher than Berlin. I guess if you enjoy LA, Tel Aviv might be for you?

dkopi 10y ago
As far as transit goes - if you live and work in Tel Aviv, you can pretty much walk wherever you need. True, Berlin is cheaper than Tel Aviv, but it's also cheaper than most other German cities. Wages are also lower in Berlin. Drink an Augustiner Dunkel for me :)
- ido 10y ago
  Isn't that a Bavarian brewery? I'll drink a Berliner Kindl though ;)
- dkopi 10y ago
  It is :) but they have an awesome beer hall at Gendarmenmarkt.
- ido 10y ago
  As far as transit goes - if you live and work in Tel Aviv, you can pretty much walk wherever you need. This is a big if, as few Israelis can afford to live in Tel Aviv (we couldn't, despite earning significantly above median). The average gross wage in Israel is 9,702.60 ils per month [1] (2277.78 Euro). According to a quick check [2] this gives a net of 8,302.57 ils per month (1948.94 Euro). A small apartment in good repair in a not-terrible part of Tel Aviv can easily cost ~6000 ils per month, before utilities. Realistically if you work in Tel Aviv you either live in the suburbs, are in the top ~10% of wage earners, or are young and don't have a family to support (and live with roommates). [1] http://www.tradingeconomics.com/israel/wages http://www.tradingeconomics.com/israel/wages [2] http://www.payway.co.il/calculator/en/bn3_form.asp http://www.payway.co.il/calculator/en/bn3_form.asp
- dkopi 10y ago
  "A small apartment in good repair in a not-terrible part of Tel Aviv can easily cost ~6000 ils per month, before utilities." We probably have different definitions of "not terrible part of tel aviv". 1BRs (What israeli's call 2 rooms) go for 4000 shekels in Florentine. Walking distance from the startup scene of Rothschild, and 20 minutes by bus to the google and checkpoint area.

songshu 10y ago

Are you non-Jewish by any chance? I've had a great time in Israel as a tourist, but often wondered whether I'd be able to fit in there as a non-Jewish (and non-American for that matter) person. I'm not overtly religious in any other way, and I have Jewish people in my family, but there's no way I can pass for Jewish in any extended conversation.

ido 10y ago
Not the parent, but I think it would be doable albeit awkward at times. But there a lot of not-so-great things about living in Israel compared to Western Europe and North America.