Musrara Neighborhood

Hanging Out in a favorite cafe

We are living the tough life here :).  Jerusalem is full of cafes and sometimes we just hang out after Michelle finishes Ulpan and the kids are still in school.  Other times we walk neighborhoods as we did today (10/12) in the Musrara neighborhood, just northwest of the Old City's Christian Quarter.  This was an organized walking tour by a group of artists that want to encourage peace and dialogue. Given the multiple flash points here - Arab/Jew, ultra orthodox/secular, municipal authority/neighborhood activist, right wing/left wing Israelis, the artists certainly have their work cut out for them.

Musrara Alley

The artists, who live in the Musrara neighborhood, formed a collective of sorts to promote street art in public spaces. We walked the neighborhood and looked at examples of the art.  The neighborhood, a warren of alleys, pedestrian streets and small squares, is beautiful.  (The street art is highly variable, to put it mildly.) But all in all, a thoroughly enjoyable two hours that ended in an east Jerusalem restaurant that reportedly has the best humus in town.  The restaurant was full when we got there, so we can't vouch for the humus, but we will be back.

Musrara Street Art