Rue Gouraud (Gouraud Street), Beirut

The Gouraud Street, once called "Soho by the Sea", was named for French General Henri Gouraud, who had established the French Mandate of Syria and the State of Lebanon. It is a commercial and residential street in the trendy bohemian area of Beirut called Gemmayzeh. The district has narrow streets and buildings from the French era.

The Gemmayzeh neighborhood has more than its share of fashionable bars, cafes, lounges, and restaurants and most of these can be found on the Gouraud Street. The street is east of the city's Central District and north of the upscale, high-maintenance Saifi Village (Summer Village). It extends from Avenue Haddad to the promenade of the Corniche de Fleuve (Corniche River).

The sobriquet "Soho by the Sea" was awarded by Travel and Leisure magazine in 2004. The title fits it perfectly. It is colorful and chic, and it has very fifties style tenements. Next to the street are the Saint Nicholas Stairs, aka "Escalier de l'Art"(Stairway Art). The Stairs are the venue for art festivals each year. They also lead to Monnot street, named after French Jesuit Father Ambroise Monnot, and the Summer Village.

Spoiler alert. Both street Gouraud and the Gemmayzeh district suffered heavy damages in the horrible 2020 explosion. They will come back better than before.