Building boom transforms heart of Beirut

[Evergrey]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100122/...booming_beirut

Building boom transforms heart of Beirut

By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jan 22, 12:04 pm ET



BEIRUT – Blocks of historic Ottoman-era buildings, once pocked by bullet holes, have been majestically restored, and new high-rise apartment towers with mirrored facades front the glittering Mediterranean, signs of an unprecedented real estate boom that is transforming Lebanon's capital.

Beirut's building craze, despite chronic political turmoil in recent years, has astonished even the experts, turning Lebanon into an investment haven at a time when other regions — including the oil-rich Persian Gulf — are hemorrhaging cash. Even the seemingly unstoppable city-state of Dubai has hit the brakes after a massive debt crunch there rattled world financial markets.

"The market is continuing to really stun a lot of people and to attract some new players," said Raja Makarem, founder of Ramco, a leading real estate company. He added that Lebanon has seen a 30 percent increase in property value for each of the past four years.

...

[Austinlee]

Good for Beirut; However that picture doesn't exactly inspire a mental image of a real estate boomtown. Looks like two mediocre buildings... Just sayin.

[Acco]

^^ I think the photographer went a little to much to the right hehehe
insilio


courtesy of stephdewolf


courtesy of petrazzz

[Acco]

Courtesy of greendesignbuild




courtesy of marwana


courtesy of Joe Kl

[BTinSF]

Throughout my lifetime, Beirut has undergone cycles of boom and building followed by war and destruction. Politically, Lebanon is still unstable. It's nice to see nice buildings rising there, but I can't help visualizing those same buildings as burned-out wrecks.

[urbanlife]

definitely a city I hope to visit at least once in my lifetime....though it is a shame it is in such an unstable war torn country...though I am always hopeful the people of Lebanon will one day turn that around for good.

[muppet]

Beirut pix from the world party thread, the city is going through a massive renaissance,
regaining its reputation as the Paris-on-sea that it had in the 70s:




þopsï, www.skyscrapercity.com


nadini,www.flickr.com

nadini, www.flickr.som

lirtain, www.imageshack.us

AUB, www.imageshack.us

http://lh4.google.com, www.bloggingbeirut.com


Nadini, www.photobucket.com


spdl,www.flickr.com

spdl,www.flickr.com


Lebanon, www.flickr.com
icatch, www.tinypic.com

Le b.Fr, www.photobucket.com, Beiruti, www.imageshack.us



Beiruti, www.photobucket.com

alex campbell, www.imageshack.us



Lirtain, www.imageshack.us


Solidere, www.photobucket.com, Lirtain


www.bloggingbeirut.com

Hassoun, www.flickr.com

Hassoun, www.flickr.com


Ghia & Nadim, www.flickr.com

alex campbell, www.flickr.com

ms N, www.imageshack.us


LucianaLuciana, www.photobucket.com, michel zoghzoghi


Artavazd, www.skyscrapercity.com


Nadini, www.photobucket.com

Originally Posted by LeB.Fr

BEIRUT CORNICHE by NIGHT

Flickr

Lirtain
Le B.Fr, www.photobucket.com

[muppet]

also renowned for its 24 hr nightlife; visitors consistently vote the city
in the top 10 destinations in the world:

http://www.time.com/time/world/artic...eed-cnn-topics

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/20...ient_beiru.php

http://www.gentrystyle.com/travel/be...from-oblivion/

http://www.beirutnightlife.com/

[/B]

www.bloggingbeirut.com, http://2.bp.blogspot.com



Downtown:




http://userserve-ak.last.fm, http://blog.cleveland.com

LeB.Fr, www.skyscrapercity.com


www.freewebs.com/halawi, Marwan Narmani, www.time.com,


http://mixfm.xcellweb.net, http://photos-c.ll.facebook.com


www.lebanesemall.com, www.beirutnightlife.com


www.beirutnightlife.com





www.imageshack.us


www.imageshack.us, http://photos-c.l3-t.facebook.com


x
www.nowlebanon.com


www.beirutnightlife.com

http://mixfm.xcellweb.net






www.photobucket.com

[austlar1]

And then there are the festering slums of Beirut where hordes of disaffected Shia Muslims live. It has proven to be a prime recruiting ground for terrorists. People should not get the impression that Beirut is just another Mediterrenean paradise with a few lingering problems. It is still an economically, culturally, and relligiously divided city.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by PA Pride

Good for Beirut; However that picture doesn't exactly inspire a mental image of a real estate boomtown. Looks like two mediocre buildings... Just sayin.

Just look at the picture from an editor's standpoint: hot girl in skimpy bikini...in an Arab country??? Makes the article much more enticing to the average reader.

But Beruit works because there is so much money in the region and only few places to enjoy it. Even Dubai has started to curb its excess - a trend that has accelerated since the bailout by conservative Abu Dahbi. There are few other places in the Arab/Muslim world to live it up. Even outside of the gulf, things can be restrictive. Remember the fallout when Gwen Stafani and Madonna wanted to perform in Malaysia, simply because of their provocative dress? That makes the picture above all the more fascinating (and IMHO a positive thing).

That said, Beruit is a microcosm of the Arab world. As austlar1 alluded, Beruit - and the entire Arab world is economically, relgiously, and culturally divided.

And as nice is it is to see Beruitis enjoying themselves, this is still the same city that celebrated the release of convicted child killer Samir Kuntar. Not to get into a whole political thing here just saying how the pictures above are not representative of the entire city. I would guess that those pictured above were not part of the celebrations, but who knows?

[muppet]

^guys next time we post nice pics of NYC, or even its nightlife, or even its renaissance of some boho districts, lets remind ourselves of the decades of poverty in the Bronx despite all the money and development everywhere else, the strong racial divide of the city and the correlation of economic advantage with race, some recent crime-tabloid-shock! atrocity or hell, the glowing support of the Gulf War why not, in which countless gabillions of innocent people and kittens have died. Oh those nice pics wouldnt be representative of the city, no, or even the region, or even the entire peoples of the Western world .


But like you said... just saying.


^Imagine if that was the kind of response you got on any given city news thread? Smack of bias much? Perhaps I could put up pix of sectarian Beirutis murdering each other as recompense.

[muppet]

All I can say is guys, you really should visit (tho' do be careful of the slum-festering hordes of Arab childkillers/ terrorist recruits)


ps also if you see crowds partying or hanging out at night, as they do every night, be aware theyre probably celebrating a murdered Israeli kid!!!
So you might as well stay inside. Lock the doors, you can't be too sure ya know.



-Actually, sod it, don't go.

[VivaLFuego]

EDIT: whatever, won't take muppet's bait and let this devolve ever further.

Nice photos.

[Trantor]

Originally Posted by muppet

^guys next time we post nice pics of NYC, or even its nightlife, or even its renaissance of some boho districts, lets remind ourselves of the decades of poverty in the Bronx despite all the money and development everywhere else, the strong racial divide of the city and the correlation of economic advantage with race, some recent crime-tabloid-shock! atrocity or hell, the glowing support of the Gulf War why not, in which countless gabillions of innocent people and kittens have died. Oh those nice pics wouldnt be representative of the city, no, or even the region, or even the entire peoples of the Western world .


But like you said... just saying.


^Imagine if that was the kind of response you got on any given city news thread? Smack of bias much? Perhaps I could put up pix of sectarian Beirutis murdering each other as recompense.

sounds like what happens in every Rio thread that doesnt show favelas!

[McBane]

Originally Posted by muppet

^guys next time we post nice pics of NYC, or even its nightlife, or even its renaissance of some boho districts, lets remind ourselves of the decades of poverty in the Bronx despite all the money and development everywhere else, the strong racial divide of the city and the correlation of economic advantage with race, some recent crime-tabloid-shock! atrocity or hell, the glowing support of the Gulf War why not, in which countless gabillions of innocent people and kittens have died. Oh those nice pics wouldnt be representative of the city, no, or even the region, or even the entire peoples of the Western world .


But like you said... just saying.


^Imagine if that was the kind of response you got on any given city news thread? Smack of bias much? Perhaps I could put up pix of sectarian Beirutis murdering each other as recompense.

In the spirit of friendly debate, that was a great response! Your point about NYC is a very valid point. However, the point being made by me and Austlar1 was that the pictures showcase areas of Beruit that are not really representative of the country or the region as a whole. Which is what makes that first image (in the news article) so striking - a girl in a bikini in an Arab country. We can probably both agree that while the posh areas of Beruit as well as the slums are more likely exceptions to the rule, Lebanon is still a pretty conservative country.

But all that said, I think it's great to see photos depicting life in Middle Eastern countries that the media doesn't show (i.e. it's not all veiled women, anti-western demonstrations, and people riding donkeys). As someone of Israeli heritage, I attest to how frustrating it is to hear people think that Israel is a warzone!

[muppet]

point being that every city/region/peoples of the world will have negative aswell as positive images. But it's like showing pix of Tel Aviv being the new beach/gay/party destination, then seeing people automatically writing in about the deprivation of Palestine and the whole political and religious situation. Though its not like I see Israeli people at cafes and think, oh theyre probably partying over the latest intifadah, like it was with Beirut.

Same with any other city, say Venice or Miami Beach for example (or NYC as I mentioned above). People wont be submitting summarisations on gang violence, smog, sprawl or racial divide. Put pics up on London clubbing, or pix of the royal pageants and people won't be instantly complaining about how its not representative of the city as a whole, then talking about overcast skies, housing estates and violent crime.

So my question is why Beirut? I think some people just don't like that for all its resurging beauty and vitality, it's Middle Eastern. That pic of the woman in the bikini must have been WAAY too earthshattering.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Great pics throughout. Good to see positive activity in the city (though as BT noted, I've seen too many years of warfare in Lebanon not to be a bit skeptical). I don't recall Beirut have that many talls, and the buildings being that high. Good stuff, thanks.

[austlar1]

The article is 4 years old, but I doubt that much has changed in the areas mentioned.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=26212

[muppet]

I suppose this is just as relevant then...

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...pagewanted=all

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article...20030415/5/348

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/ny...ment.html?_r=1

or not?

Maybe we could put this image up of that same suburb after the Israeli bombing campaign?




ah yes, much more like the Beirut we know and love. No bikinis here!






Next time we see some Beirutis at a cafe, we could accompany it with this image (another 4 year old story), in the name of relevancy of course:



or a bit of sectarianism, some refugee camp protests, a bit of history:




Waddya say?

[muppet]

...wait a sec I'm just looking for images of those murdered kittens from the Bronx to 'balance' this out, or some race riots...

strike that, maybe 911 will do