Discover Mar Mikhael is an event organized by Achrafieh 2020 that turned the Mar Mikhael neighborhood into a car area yesterday in order to motivate people to discover it either walking or by bike, and enjoy the cultural and artistic events that were taking place.
Below are some photos shared by Achrafieh 2020 showing how was the event like.
It takes some balls to take your bicycle on a ride from the mountain road to Beirut! This guy seems really good at it passing by Arayya, Jamhour, Hazmiyyeh, Dahyeh, and then all the way to Hamra, Clemenceau, and Beirut Downtown.
According to this article in The Daily Star today, there’s a new highway that is set to be constructed in the near future in Achrafieh linking Hazmieh to Charles Helou and passing by Mar Mkhayel. The project plan has been there since the 70’s but was delayed because some residential buildings have to be demolished, and the Council for Development and Reconstruction is now set to go forward with it starting this summer to help reduce the traffic in and out of Achrafieh.
Some activists however are opposing the project and trying to suggest some alternatives to avoid demolishing of old buildings and preserve the streets that might be affected by this highway. You can read more about it here.
This is definitely not an accurate drawing of the highway, but I’m trying to imagine how will it look like. I guess it will start somewehre in Alfred Naccache, passing by the small bridge in Charles Malek, and then straight to Charles Helou.
Some friends of mine who work at Nahr El Mot sent me the below photos of the truck that fell today morning off the bridge leading to Metn highway. Luckily only the truck driver was injured.
Thanks to Elie Tawil & Elie Hajj.
Now that road blocking with burning tires is becoming more like a habit for some of us here in Lebanon, someone came up with a new iPhone application called “Ma2too3a!” to let people update each other on any kind of road blocks, protests, or armed combats happening around the country.
You may download “Ma2too3a!” from the App Store, but don’t take it for granted since everyone can post updates to the app and it’s possible that you would see some fake events on it.
I have no idea how did the driver manage to do it, he must be a genius!
Photos source unknown
This is what happens when you do second and third row parking, you come to find your car in the middle of the road at the end of the day and sometimes disturbing the traffic flow.
Needless to say, some drivers are simply assholes and enjoy throwing their car anywhere. On the other hand, the number of cars in Beirut is way beyond the parking lots capacity in the city.
