Tradition in trouble

It is the sleepy, forgotten neighborhood of overdeveloped East Beirut where, until recently, Achrafieh, Saifi and Gemmayze have been having all the fun and attracting all the attention. But in the last two years, since the party music emanating from Gemmayze pubs began to be matched by the disapproving cries of residents and government officials, the traditional quarter of Mar Mikhael has been soaking up the commercial overflow as bar owners, artists and entrepreneurs have headed a little further down Rue Gouraud. The area’s unspoiled charm and cheap prices have proved a tempting combination for Beirut’s young guns. But where the young guns go, the big guns are sure to follow. Real estate developers insist that demand can only keeping rising in this strategic area, situated in the Rmeil district between Gemmayze and Bourj Hammoud, that hasn’t seen new construction for some 40 years. According to developer Pierre Moise, Mar