New Watch, Yes, Again

Here it is:

I haven't had very good luck with cheapo watches recently, so I got one a drop better. At least the salesgirl insists that it's guaranteed for a year. The last two didn't last a year. So this is my third new watch in just over a year, and I truly hope it lasts a lot longer than the previous two. It cost a bit more than I had planned on paying, but the style I wanted didn't come in any color I'd wear.

It was bought in Center 1, which is near the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. I didn't have the time to go all the way into the Center of Jerusalem to shop.

Kids Fun in Center 1

There was a time when you could barely bribe people to enter Center 1, the "mall" near the Central Bus Station, at the corner of Yaffa and Yermiyahu. It was very "dead." Businesses didn't do well at all. But in recent years it has gotten very popular, especially with chareidim, probably those in all of the new housing developments within walking distance. It's also a short walk from the "Chardal" stronghold of Kiryat Moshe. I always see it full of families and lots of children.

This area between the orginal part of Center 1 and the addition added a few years ago is used for all sorts of temporary sales and events. During Hebrew Book Week, it was full of books. And now that it's that difficult time of summer vacation when the camps have closed, and the yeshivot are on breaks, too, they have children's activities. It is mobbed, but everyone seems to be having fun.

Indoor "Picnic" Spot in Jerusalem

Yesterday I had to travel to Jerusalem just before lunchtime, and I took food with me. It was my usual cooked vegetables with some techina paste. Especially since I really am trying to get my weight down again, I must bring food and not buy whenever possible. But because of the heatwave, the idea of eating outdoors just didn't appeal to me.

A week or two ago, I had breakfast at a table in Center 1 very early in the morning, before the nearby food place was open. That wouldn't work yesterday, since it was midday.

Luckily, I noticed some girls sitting and eating at a table that wasn't next to any food joint. I decided to find a place there, too, which I did. In the end nobody bothered me or sent me packing.

The only problem was that my food was frozen. I had left it in the freezer too long after making it that same morning.

I presume that these tables are for customers of the various "fast food" places in Center 1, and I'm glad that nobody stopped me from sitting there. I really needed to eat in a nice relaxed way and not holding my food container in my hands or on my lap.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #19, Center 1 Has Gone Downhill

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See #18, #17, #16,  #15,  #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9,  #8, #7,  #6,  #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1

Early on in this series, #3 to be precise, I reviewed the public toilet in the new section of Center 1, and at that time I could easily recommend it. Now I can't. The small one on the Yirmiyahu end is too small and almost always crowded. Last week a couple of friends tried going there. One just left, because she didn't want to wait on line, and the other went to the men's room. I had been counting on using the large one at the other end, near the Cafe Cafe. So, that's where we went, and if we hadn't been desperate, we would have tried some other one, not that I know where one can be found nearby.

And even worse, we were scheduled to be there a couple of hours for a party.

During the few hours we were there, the toilet wasn't cleaned even once. It just got dirtier and dirtier. It seems like the building's management is taking lessons from the people who decided to save money in the Jerusalem Municipality by cutting down on cleaning. It reminds me of the public toilets at Safra Square, except for the toilet paper, which the municipality rarely provides.

After years of struggling, Center 1 is finally full of customers and busy stores and restaurants. We customers deserve clean facilities. The present situation in the loo isn't healthy.

Greatly Improved Cafe Cafe in Center 1

Like many, I'd eaten in the Center 1 branch of Cafe Cafe in the past and decided that their awful service and lackluster food were good reasons to avoid it. So, for a couple of years that's what I did. But the other day, my friend and I spontaneously decided to eat lunch out together. We both needed a lunch, had limited time and were in Center 1 on the way to different places.

We looked at an inexpensive food bar near the Yermiyahu entrance/exit, but it wasn't very appetizing, nor all that cheap. So we continued to the Cafe Cafe, since she had a membership there, and we needed the nearby WC, even though my recent visit was disappointing. Yes, it had been cleaned up since then. That is what I had expected. The building management must take care, because it is near restaurants and is the best one in the area.

It did look rather inviting, so we sat down and checked out the menu. Her membership gave us a nice salad for half price, and I liked one of the appetizers which included mushrooms. We decided to order both and share them. They were both delicious, and the total bill, because of my friend's membership was barely NS60. That made it a much better deal than the salads in the "cheap" place at the other end of the building. They've opened up a new seating section, but since the acoustics there are awful, we sat in the older part.

I am very glad that they've gotten their act together and improved the service and the food. Prices were also reasonable for that sort of restaurant chain. They are in serious competition with Gregg's which has also has a branch in the building. We had a very pleasant meal, comfortable seats and quiet enough for us, at our age, to enjoy completely. The Center 1 Cafe Cafe is completely handicapped accessible. It's Mehadrin Kosher, open Sunday-Thursday from 8:30am - 11pm, Friday 8:30am- 2pm and then reopens about an hour after Shabbat until "the last customer leaves."

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem # 12, Center 1, Usually OK

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See #11, #10, #9,  #8, #7,  #6,  #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1



For a long time, I've been a fan of the WCs in Center 1, even before the new, large section was added and there was only a small public toilet set-up near the Yirmiyahu entrance/exit. When compared to the ones in the nearby Central Bus Station aka Egged (which is no longer owned by the bus company) it always had one important thing going for it, its price --FREE.

These are right near the cafe cafe, over to the right, on the way to the parking area.

And unlike the one of the Yirmiyahu Street side, this is large enough for wheelchairs, walkers, baby carriages etc. And as you can see, there are plenty of stalls.

men on left and women on right

That came in very handy the last time I was there, since I must have had the bad luck to get there before the cleaning crew. Two of the stalls were totally disgusting. A woman who came in the same time as I did quickly ran/escaped to the other public toilets hoping to find them more amenable/acceptable. Just as I was about to do the same, another woman exited a stall and reported that it was fine.

There was toilet paper, but one of the soap dispensers was empty. Unfortunately, a lot of building managements try to save money by having the cleaning crew in less often. That seems to be the situation in the public toilets of the Jerusalem Municipality. Just a few years ago, they were clean and supplied before morning opening hours and all day long, but now they aren't. I guess I have to start calling the phone numbers on the signs and complain.

Besides the Yirmiyahu entrance to Center 1, there are two on Jaffa Road. One is through the pharmacy, and the other is a bit further down towards the corner. That's a large one, accessible for handicapped, carriages etc., and there are usually bargain-priced things on sale in the open space.

Center 1 has become quite a popular mall nowadays with all sorts of stores and eating places. Yes, it's more than just a free WC.