In Defense of Zaitouneh Bay
I have been very vocal in my criticism of Solidere and its treatment of the once bustling pre-war business heart of Beirut, turning it into a lifeless, unconnected, sterile and artificial piece of overpriced real estate, a practice that has excluded Beirut residents, who can barely afford to shop there, almost entirely. But, not all that is new and architecturally and environmentally adventurous is necessarily bad. Zaitouneh Bay, for example, is a remarkable and rare success in my view. Its marina, restaurants, promenade and clubhouse add a badly needed touch of class and elegance to a city that has to date failed to recapture the success of its long gone golden age. I was therefore shocked when a group of protestors decided to hold a sit in at that beautiful marina and on its immaculate boardwalk. The protestors, of course, were perfectly welcome to sit, to shout slogans, to carry signs and do all the things protestors do, but I’m sure, deep inside, each one must have felt s...