Surrounded by highways is an 866 sq meters garden full of sustainable seats, with 14 different types of flora, designed by a French landscape architect, called Sheikh Abdel Rahman Hout Garden.

This gem of a public space was done by Solidere, the real-estate agency that restored Downtown Beirut after the Lebanese Civil War, and parts outside of Downtown Beirut, and in the case of the garden, on the top hill of Zokak El Blatt overlooking the city center.

The best part is that this garden has no gates and is accessible at anytime, and most locals won’t recognize it because barely anyone is walking in the midst of highways. However, you need to know that there is no playground for kids (with toys and all), nor toilets if needed (but just one street away is a street called Beyhum street with restaurants/local cafés to use for toilet breaks).

Yes, Solidere did change the central city’s key function and did not succeed in sustainability, but we’ve got to give them the praise for such gardens.