My safe place: this is the area I go to when I’m sad, happy, excited… This is where I sit with friends for hours to just talk, have a cup of coffee and a cigarette while enjoying the area’s vibe and aesthetic.

Walking down rue Gouraud will feel as if you’re taking a walk down memory lane. The Saint Nicolas Stairs, also known as Escalier de l’Art, are located adjacent to Rue Gouraud and host annual art events. The stairwell leads from Gemmayze to Rue Sursock.

It is a relic from another era, magnificent in its ancient buildings. Graffiti embellishes many of its walls. surrounded by old mansions that now feel feeble but were once vibrant. Surrounded by a new generation of artists and designers plus shop owners, it’s exactly where the old meets the new.

The graffiti, the diversity, its people, the whole area screams Lebanese. It’s artistic, wild by night, yet calm by day. You’ll always find a new hidden gem pop up around this area, from diverse coffee shops to different concept stores, varied restaurants and cultures… there’s something for everyone.

Head on a morning walk in Gouraud street, put on your earphones, grab a coffee cup from coffee shop Sip facing the St. Nicholas stairs, sit there with your book or sketch book while listening to Trip to the Moon by Omar Rahbany, and just enjoy the area. Or at least that’s what I do…