4a Ras Beirut Verdun

I feel Beirut comes in two sectors:: Ras Beirut, and everything else. Ras Beirut is mostly composed of Verdun, Concord, Clemanceau, Hamra, Bliss, and the Corniche. All of them are a walking distance from one another. Everything else needs a car to reach from Ras Beirut. They include: Marlias, Karacol al Druze, Ramlet al Bayda, El Zarif, El Mazraa, Jnah, Ouzai, Solider, Gemazzye, Mathaf, Badara, Tayouni, Dahia, Achrafia, Bourj Hammoud, Sin El Fil. There are other areas that compose the outer segments of Beirut, but honestly I am not as familiar with them as I am these areas. (Don't hesitate to mention them to me, I want to get a sense of the whole city, not its parts)

MAP OF BEIRUT AND GREATER BEIRUT

As a result of its dual nature, I have decided to attempt several posts on Beirut alone!

View of most of Verdun from on of the two shopping Plaza's in the area!

One of my favorite restaurants in the Area. Spring being the key theme to these pictures!

This was taken just off of Verdun, on a corner road between Sakiat al Janzeer and Verdun.

The walls in the beginnings of Verdun are all painted by a Lebanese artist with old Arab traditional picturesque settings. This is juxtaposed against the very contemporary 20th century shopping district.

An example of how contemporary the area is, the hotel behind this ad is filled with restaurants and a movie theater. Additionally, restaurants line the Plaza that I took this picture from, as well as shops like Bershka, and Pull and Bear. In the Plaza in front of this one is Adidas, and many other shops.

Verdun is a tribute to the wealthier people of Lebanon, it is relatively upscale, (emphasis on relatively) but is surrounded by more middle class residential areas that have occupied the region prior to Verdun's birth. Interestingly there are pockets of really wealthy districts like Kouraytem and Ain al Teena, these areas come closer to the water front.This is a prime example of how Lebanon features so many contradictory and complex elements and is by far one of the least unitary or uniform nations in the world.