Badaro

Badaro is a well-known mostly christian residential neighbourhood and business hub in the heart of Beirut. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by the Pierre Gemayel avenue on the north, the Hippodrome on the west, Sami el Solh avenue on the east, Beirut's pine forest on the south east and the Tayyouneh roundabout on the south. Badaro is the common name of Beirut's "Horsh" (park) administrative district which also includes three parks: a 75 acres pine forest known as Horsh Beirut, the Beirut Hippodrome and the Pine Residence, the French ambassador's residence.

Badaro is one of Beirut's most appealing neighborhoods, a lovely place with leafy streets to stroll during daytime and a nightlife destination. Badaro is within Beirut’s green district, next to a 75 acres public park (the Beirut pine forest) and a 50 acres hippodrome. Opposite the museum, the tomb of the unknown soldier as well as a Roman era colonnade are part of a small garden with Byzantine floor mosaic. Badaro is a neighborhood on a very human scale with small groceries around every corner, with a village feel. The neighborhood residents, a mix of impoverished Christian bourgeoisie, bohemian style people in their 30’s and well-established urban professionals, are loyal to local bakery and pastry shops. Because of the blossoming café and bar scene since early 2014 it has become a hip destination for Beirut’s young and restless but old Beirutis remember that Badaro was already Beirut’s version of the Village in the swinging sixties. Groceries and eateries can be found on almost every street of the area. You'll find dozens of restaurants, pubs and sidewalk cafés of virtually every style. At many spots you'll find affordable eats with the chance to enjoy your meal on the sidewalk. There are also some well-known upscale restaurants in the neighborhood. Badaro is also home to one of Beirut's nicest hotels, the Smallville Hotel, with its unique location next to the Beirut Museum and its stylish (design) interior. The area around the museum square is Beirut's "Little Paris" as it includes most of Beirut's French facilities such as most of the Université Saint Joseph campuses, the French embassy and consulate, the Lycée Français and the Pine Residence, the French ambassador's residence, an outstanding 19th century palace known as "La residence des pins".

According to a widespread version, in the 17th century the ruler of the Principality of Lebanon, the Emir Fakhreddin, planted pine trees to stop the advance of sand, south of the city of Beirut in an area inhabited by Christians and Druze. In fact, much earlier chroniclers report a forest of pine trees stretching from the sea to the northern border of Badaro. In the 13th century, William of Tyre called the forest " La Pinée" or "Sapinoie". Today's residential neighborhood was planned after the end of World War I by french urban planner Michel Ecochard along the eastern border of the Beirut Pine Forest. The main street of the Horsh district was named after Habib Badaro, a wealthy industrialist who had established his textile manufactures in the area. The neighborhood demographics was radically transformed in the 1960's when wealthy Syrian Christian families from Aleppo and Damascus fled their country fearing arabization and nationalization laws. Many of them settled in Badaro which witnessed a boom in construction and a destruction of its pine trees forest. The neighborhood was nicknamed "Wakh Wakh" after a strange expression used by people from Aleppo and unknown to the Lebanese. Most of the buildings were built on stilts in a typical low-rise post-modern architectural style. Some of the buildings were designed by mid-century famous architects including French designer Jean Royere. During the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990, Badaro was a frontline Christian neighborhood therefore resulting in the exodus of most of its inhabitants to Europe or safer parts of the country. Nostalgia of the "dolce vita" style cosmopolitan life in Badaro in the 50's and the 60's is reflected in many books of famous French writer Richard Millet  : " The Street of Badaro is an enchanted forest, every step reveals something buried (...)"

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