The Port Campus is Haifa’s young and renewing downtown area.
The renewing Haifa Campus Port area is growing in recent years both from the commercial, cultural and academic aspects. A short ride in the Carmelit and you, too, can discover all the good that is happening downtown.
Academic momentum
Until several years ago the port area has been deserted and neglected. Then, Haifa Municipality decided on the area’s urban restoration by means of attracting various academic institutes to it that would be followed by young students and consequently the entire Haifa public. The Port Campus, extending over Ha’Namal (port) Street and a few additional streets Downtown, currently includes quite a few education centers and even university branches serving more than 7000 students studying in these institutions, among them The Carmel Academic Center, Tiltan College of Design and Visual Communication, the Haifa University Port Campus extension, Megged – the School of Advanced Psychotherapy, Adler Institute and others.
Cultural momentum
The mass streaming of students to the downtown area led to a huge momentum in the entire area. Nowadays you may find there many businesses enjoying the new target audience as well as the restored Port Campus streets. Many galleries moved to the Port Campus, thus helping brand the Campus as an alternative city quarter which encourages young creation work. Following the older galleries young artists, just begging their artistic way, came too and settled in the large studio apartments that were renovated as part of the “face lifting” the entire area received. Alongside creating and selling their works of art, many artists give creation and art workshops.
Social momentum
The investment in infrastructure in the area, as well as the encouragement the businesses in the area have received led to the revival of night-life downtown. Food counters alongside gourmet restaurants, such as HaNamal 24 and many pubs are visited by many Port Campus residents, the city residents in general and tourists visiting the city. Syncopa pub, Hamartef (Basement) pub, the legendary Kalman’s pub and Ha’ogen pub, and many others offer a cultural variety and collection within a walking distance between one and the other. During the summer months many cultural events take place in the Campus, including the KaLabatShabbat events, in the framework of which every Friday performances of leading artists take place for the citizens’ and tourists’ welfare. In addition, street parties and additional cultural events are held in the Downtown streets.
Real-Estate momentum
Alongside two students’ dormitories, which offer the young tenants apartments at attractive prices and additional services, many private entrepreneurs identified the big potential of the Port Campus area. Those set up in the streets of Downtown additional private dormitories and purchased many apartments which are rented out to students and residents who identify the Downtown’s renewal and desire to be part of it. Currently also boutique hotels and motels are being built in the area attracting quite a few tourists who enjoy the cultural, artistic and architectural abundance.
Carmelit in full swing
The great momentum the Downtown area has experienced in general and the Port Campus in particular is also felt at the Carmelit Paris Square Station, located nearby the Campus. Many students, employees, dinners, swingers and tourists enjoy daily convenient and quick access, offered by the Carmelit, to the area known for its congested traffic arteries, particularly during day time. During these hours Downtown is considered a busy commercial area, where the District Government offices, the Court Houses and more are located. The renewed and renewing Port Campus is considered a dynamic area, constituting an integral part of Downtown. Students, employees, merchants, and tourists pass through it daily, day and night, benefitting from the development and the momentum. You, too, should come and enjoy the Port Campus, adjacent to Paris Square Station.