Jerusalem Central Bus Station

For decades, the Jerusalem Central Bus Station was a grubby, windswept glorified parking lot with nothing but platforms for the buses and the occasional falafel stand -- not exactly what you’d expect in Israel’s largest city. This continued to be the case even after Tel Aviv got its own new bus station, a monstrous monolith of shops and back corridors whose only similarity to the ramshackle facility it superseded was an overbearing sleaziness. In fact, it wasn’t until 2001 that Israel’s capital finally got the transportation hub it truly deserved. Opening to great fanfare, the new central bus station introduced a new level of convenience. For one thing, it allowed Jerusalemites to wait for their buses of choice without having to surrender themselves to the elements. The full-blown mall that came included was also a breath of fresh air, with the requisite cafes, bourekas stands, food court and synagogue, as well as clothing stores, book stores and an assortment of other spots where one can squander a hard-earned shekel. And what’s best, despite its hulking size (eight stories high and over 250 meters in length), the place picked up almost nothing of the sketchy quality that had come to permeate the Tel Aviv station. The only drawback compared to the old setup is the fact that, with the constant throng of travelers and shoppers, the thorough security checks tend to create a bottleneck at the Station’s various entrances. This means that if you’re in any kind of a rush - to board a bus or to make a good first impression on a first date at the food court (why would you do that?) -- you’d better show up about 10 minutes early.