The street was named for Hillel the Elder, and a street parallel to it is called Shammai Street (after Shammai the Elder). Most of the buildings on the street date from the British Mandate period and follow the architectural style of that time.
It is located in the business district. There are shops, cafes, pubs and office buildings. On the street is the first two original cafés for Aroma Espresso Bar and Cafe Hillel (which got its name from the street).[2]