Lost in suburbia

ENAR

Beirut’s eastern suburbs entail a broad social and economic mix, ranging from high-density residential areas dominated by aging apartment buildings, to the country’s most affluent areas in terms of average household incomes. In the coastal zone of suburbia stretching north of the capital, new commercial and residential hubs have formed in the past few years and are still a focus of development activity in the Dbayeh area and on hillside sprawls. In earlier real estate coverage, Executive reported on the retail ventures and mall developments aside the coastal highway, and on the master-planned developments such as Majid Al Futtaim Waterfront City and Beit Misk above Antelias. These development hotspots are part of the Metn district, as are the string of eastern suburbs closest to Beirut that comprise the municipalities of Sin El Fil, Bourj Hammoud, Dekwaneh and the combined municipality of Bauchrieh, Sed El Bauchrieh and Jdeideh.  These heavily urbanized