Hamra
Before the civil war, Hamra was often compared to the Champs Elysees. So much so that it was even dubbed the Champs Elysees of Beirut.
Hamra in and of itself experienced a rise and fall like no other. A rise and fall that is relatively isolated from the rest of Beirut. Seeing that it used to be magnanomously tourtistic and was the hub and epicenter for all things intellectual. This street in particular was considered to be one of the region's most dynamic streets in that it housed alot of Lebanon's most prominent writers, intellectuals, artists, poets and performers of the various kind.
Hamra used to be lined up with book shop after book shop, cafes, bars, workspaces and alot of international franchises from restaurants to shopping brands and last but not least the infamous Piccadilly Theatre. A major venue for concerts, musicals and plays in Lebanon during the 1960s and the 1970s. Though it had a small number of seats, the Piccadilly was considered a VIP theatre in Lebanon, and the Middle-east at large.
The rise and fall of Hamra throughout Lebanon's history has left the place still bustling at all hours of the day and night. Unlike Gemayze, Mar Mikhael and Monot that have succumb to becoming much more nocturnal areas, Hamra's versatility prevails in that it's main street is packed with all sorts of shopping and feasting throughout the day. As the day wanes, the night time brings different sorts of entertainment to life.
Book Bazar
An old bookshop in Hamra that buys and sells used books.
AUB Museum
The Archaeology Museum of the American University of Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon is the third oldest museum in the Near East after Cairo and Constantinople.
Al Madina Theatre
Founded by Mrs. Nidal Al Achkar in 1994, Al Madina Theatre is a theatre, exhibition and workshop space for all types of cultural activities.
Metro Al Madina
Founded by Hisham Jaber and a group of Theatre enthusiasts, Metro has produced a various amount of shows ranging from theatre performances, concerts and music shows to musicals, orchestras and cabarets.
Mezyan
South Mediterranean trattoria and café serving a range of Lebanese, Armenian, Moroccan dishes and local wines.
Ants
It's a place where you can find all kinds of leather handmade accessories, clothings, incense, bags, books, vinyl records, paintings, silver handmades.
Barzakh
Barzakh is a new non-for-profit cultural space situated in the central Hamra district, right above what used to be the Horseshoe café, an iconic meeting place for intellectuals, artists, and writers in Beirut's 70s and 80s.
The space is 300m2 and houses a library of over 50,000 books, magazines, publications, and cassettes, mostly in Arabic. The books and magazines are mostly archival spanning mostly the last 50 years, some even rare, but will include contemporary tiles as well.
Chico
A 10,000 title (and growing) vinyl library awaits you in their loft, along with turntables for sale and all related vinyl paraphernalia.
Dar Al Mussawir
The major photography space in Lebanon and the Middle East. Offering photography training programs, equipment, exhibitions, lectures and everything related to photography.