The Mahaneh Yehuda market is undergoing a process of change. Visiting the market, one notices changes, but in the havoc of Friday shopping, or while enjoying a leisurely beer in the evening, you may not be able to really determine to what degree your gut feeling is right. We returned to Mahaneh Yehuda after three years for a close examination: to update the business pulse in the market, to quantify changes, confirm (or refute) our gut feeling – and shop. One of the main changes in the market is its transformation from a place only to buy vegetables and fruit, to a place of entertainment. The first “swallow” in the trend was Mizrahi, which at first opened as a shop for baking utensils and ingredients but developed into a café in the market. The Mizrahi café has since closed, but it led the way for the opening of many other cafés and places of entertainment: restaurants, chain stores, pubs, gelaterias and more. The percentage of entertainment places in the market increased from 8% of the businesses in 2006 to 12% in 2015 and 17% in 2018, underscoring the fact that the market is evolving in the direction of entertainment. The most prominent entertainment area is still Egoz Street at the corner of Tut Street, where the number of entertainment venues has also grown. On Etz Haim Street (the covered market) and especially on its corners with other streets, many places of entertainment have also opened. It is interesting to note that many of these new venues did not entirely replace vegetable and fruit stalls; some stalls are undergoing a more gradual change in the nature of the stand. Two areas that remain almost unchanged are the “Georgian Market” and the “Iraqi Market.” Both are still comprised primarily of vegetable and fruit stalls, yet both include one entertainment business. Mahaneh Yehuda Street (the “open market”) is also characterized by its many fruit and vegetables stalls – with a few entertainment venues, including two chain restaurants at its edge, near Agrippas Street. The mix of businesses in the covered market attests to a transformation that is concentrated there, but not limited to it. Many of the entertainment businesses did locate in the covered market – Etz Haim Street and the alleyways stemming from it. The roofing that gave it its name and may seem a bit touristy can be enjoyed in the winter, but the main reason for the increase in the entertainment business there may be simpler and relate to the ownership structure of the shops. It seems likely that this trend has not yet exhausted the geographical space of the covered market and will continue to spread throughout the rest of Mahaneh Yehuda. Wishing readers good shopping and pleasant entertainment!
