The Weekly Leaks: February 30?

February 15, 2012 By 2 Comments

For those of you who frequent Hamra, more specifically the “alley” where Dany’s, Big Shot, Jackie’O and other pubs are located in, you will have noticed a huge banner that reads “Opening February 30″. Well, you’ll be pleased to know that what’s going to open there is just as mind-boggling as the banner, which refers to the venue name, not a date (obviously!).

With Faces and Big Shot under the belt of the guys behind this new pub, the main plan behind “February 30″ is to make every pub-goer go “WTF?!” Every single custom-made piece of furniture and decoration is absurd and bizarre. From welcome mats and stairs on the ceiling, to a Sukleen can remodeled to become a sofa and half a Harley motorcycles for a bar stool, the pub is shaping up to redefine what weird is, even for the often eccentric Hamra. The fine attention to detail is impressive, with every single detail considered and mutated to look like something straight out of a very interesting person’s imagination. In fact, I think the biggest motivation for me to visit will be to look at the finished February 30 and try to find all the peculiarities its makers have conjured up.

That’s all the information I could get hold of concerning the place and concept. BUT, I managed to get my hands on a photo of the interior’s plans (which is not blurry like photos on Facebook =D), which I’m sharing with you below. So, February 29 is February 30′s opening!

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The Weekly Leaks: ABC Dbayeh Cinemas Anyone?

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As you all know, with ABC Dbayeh’s recent expansion, a cinema multiplex was bound to open up. I’ve learned that the planned theaters will be operated by Grand Cinemas (as expected, since they run the ABC Ashrafieh ones). It will include 8 theaters and is set to open in April of 2012.

As for fancy features like couches and dine-in movies, it doesn’t look like it and I’m glad! I’d hate to smell someone’s balsamic vinegar salad while trying to watch a movie. Also, try cutting a steak in the dark… Not so pleasant. But, who knows? Perhaps we will be surprised when the cinemas open! One thing I’m glad about is not having to go down to Beirut or Jounieh anymore to watch a flic…

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The Weekly Leaks: Armin is a Campaigner for Children of War including the oPt, Lara Fabian is STILL Coming

January 27, 2012 By 5 Comments

Honestly, I have no clue who Lara Fabian is, and that’s why I didn’t really comment on the news that Israeli boycott groups had “successfully” barred her concerts planned for Valentine’s Day. On the inside though, I was deeply worried. After all, the very fabric of Lebanese lifestyle was being threatened.

Further Information About Why the BDS Screwed up with Armin NYE-1

If the exposure these “activists” got last time for protesting an event whose main act is an ambassador for the NGO War Child which is actively helping children in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. However, gathering awareness, money and support for the children affected by the war whom the BDS thinks it’s heroically fighting for, is a secondary detail compared to the cardinal sin is performing music for Israelis. Yes, that’s BDS logic for you. And, I thank a very good Palestinian activist friend of mine for who is actually an activist I have respect for. Who works day and night to better the status of Palestinian refugees, instead of bother people with big titles that ultimately have no real use. I doubt Israel will cease to exist if artists stop performing in Lebanon.

I’m proud of Armin because he understood where those people were coming from, and didn’t abandon his fans, and came, and rocked a full house. Whereas the protestors dispersed and probably went to a Hamra pub and discussed “The Communist Manifesto” while they wore their designer “Che” shirts. However, the opposition made Armin cancel his planned visit to Palestinian refugee camps as part of his role as Ambassador for War Child. So, in reality, the only thing the BDS movement ruined, was a visit of an international music icon to a Palestinian refugee camp.

If you understand Dutch:

Why the BDS will Fail Again with Lara Fabian

After having the victory dance, then being stunned that she is in fact still coming to please her Lebanese fans (who include many of my friends apparently). A short phone call I made to the ticketing box office and someone close to the organizers made me certain it was still on.

What made me happier is that it’s in the Casino du Liban and a ticket is for 200USD up to 500USD. Which means, big shots will be there in a much more secure venue. It’s not like us poor common people at BIEL who pay 50USD for a ticket we save up for!

Therefore, I doubt the personal security detail of many present will tolerate a rabble of noisy youths at the door of the prestigious venue. Also, the Casino du Liban’s own security and government-sanctioned detail are enough to prevent any disturbance.

Of course, the BDS will escalate and the promoters have been promised heightened security. So, whatever the BDS do, I tell them, “bravo ya shattooreen!” and to keep at it. As for her fans, go enjoy your St Valentine’s Day in peace!

The New Standard

Today, the BDS are basking in the glory we unwittingly gave them. What we see as illogical and aggressive, they see as a divine victory against the world’s fourth largest army. So, we should now be mad at the artists who refuse to perform for us out of fear. The BDS say they are peaceful, so there’s no worries for the artists’ safety (for now). So, the artists must come and perform for their fans, or else the artists are sissies. I think Lara Fabian being back on is spectacular news. Perhaps the BDS will now focus on doing something useful for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories rather than ruining people’s Valentine’s Day.

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The Weekly Leaks: Le Mall Dbayeh Opening in August [FIXED]

January 11, 2012 By 1 Comment

Shops and businesses planning to open up in Le Mall Dbayeh have been told to be ready to open up for business in August 2012. That’s more reasonable than the initial April opening date. It’s 7 months away. It looks like they’re a bit late, but the construction is in its finishing touches phase… Perhaps we can expect a gradual opening up of the mall, versus a one-off grand opening in August?

We so excited!

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The Weekly Leaks: Red Hot Chili Peppers in Beirut This September (I Sure Hope So!)

January 2, 2012 By 12 Comments

Update April 7, 2012:

CONFIRMED =D

Event page here 

I like the RHCP. That’s why I’m posting this premature leak, in hopes the excitement might help seal the deal.

The RHCP will be in the Middle-East area in September, with shows planned in Eastern Europe and the Western Mediterranean like Greece. Sources have assured Gino’s Blog that the negotiations are in their final stages and that everything will be finalized by early next month.

So, for now this is NOT 100% CONFIRMED so don’t butcher me if anything goes wrong. But, I trust this source and besides, he/she is a massive RHCP fan and is just as excited as we all are.

If the show goes down, it’ll be in Solidere, probably the new Beirut Waterfront or perhaps even in Zaytunay Bay (although I think the crowd size will dictate the larger Beirut Waterfront). It’s also be in September (I’d bet before September 10).

So, fingers crossed! Confirmation in a few weeks, and I promise I’ll keep you updated =D

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The Weekly Leaks: A Virgin Megastore in Hamra this March

December 27, 2011 By 3 Comments

If you’re a Hamra regular, you probably grab a bite to eat at Roadster or Deek Duke every now and then. You might’ve also noticed that the adjacent Cafe Blanc has been closed for a couple of months.

Since Hamra’s pub life is booming, I was afraid it would be another den for hipsters and neo-communists wanna-be-intellectuals. Thankfully, it’s not. It’s the opposite really: a symbol of globalization and capitalism at its finest: Virgin Megastore.

I haven’t been able to ascertain the exact date of opening, but it looks like work has been under way for a few weeks. So, I’d say Hamra will have a Virgin in it in the first quarter of 2012.

The location is in Crowne Plaza (map above) [Edit:] I got confirmation that the date is going to be sometime in March 2012.

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The Weekly Leaks: A Mega Food, Nightlife and Hotel Project in Jounieh’s Old Souk

December 19, 2011 By 3 Comments

Where?

The Old Jounieh Souk, to be more precise, at the mouth of the street a few buildings down to the right. Find the location on the map below.

What?

For now, it’s being dubbed the “Fathallah Hayali Project”. It is a complex of Lebanese-style stone buildings in the Old Jounieh district that will include several restaurants, clubs, pubs, cafes and a boutique hotel.

The complex has access to both the iconic ancient road and to the Mediterranean Sea shore that Jounieh is famous for.

Who?

 In the first building

  • Dunkin Donuts has already opened up shop in the complex and is looking good
  • A pub by Natalie Fadlallah, of Natalie’s Modeling agency (works undergoing in the pub as of mid-December)
In the second building
  • Couqley - the affordable french bistro in The Alleway in Gemmayzeh is branching out to Jounieh
  • Shogun – the awesome sushi and Chinese restaurant from Verdun will be setting up shop in Jounieh also
  • On the attic, a pub is set to open up but I wasn’t able to find out who or what or the name. They’ll have an awesome view though! (views of the beautiful Harissa Mountain as well as the sea, pictures below)

In the third building

  • A 50-room boutique hotel
  • Access to the beach

When?

Gradually towards the summer of 2012. The building is complete and the contracts have either been signed or are being signed in the next quarter. I expect the investors and companies interested to make haste and be ready before their peak season in summer.

Conclusion

This is an awesome project that will bring a much-needed diversity to the Jounieh nightlife, shopping and entertainment district. Pubs and cafes are plentiful, but quality dining and modern lodging do need a rejuvenation and some new blood in town.

I have very high hopes for this project and will keep you updated with the leak as it progresses. In the meantime, if you missed it, check out the Blueberry Square Mall plans in Dbayeh.

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The Weekly Leaks: White Beirut’s Winter Venue Opening THIS Friday

December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Opening Review is now up and running here

It’s called MAD Beirut. A fitting name for a place Beirut’s clubbers frequent. It’s the winter venue of White Beirut. Rumors of such a venue began even before we were sure that the building on which White is perched was indeed the one.  Now though, after following it up, it’s clear that the rumors were true and that the club is almost ready.


When you’re in the elevator going up to White, you press “2″. Well, Mad Beirut is on level 1. The winter version of White is of course indoors, and the open-air part you see from the seaside road is in fact the venue’s garden.

It is a more intimate venue, with half of White’s capacity, putting it at around 1000 clubbers. A welcome bit of information which should help keep everyone close and warm this winter. The music will still the crowd-pleasing mashup of RnB and House with this winter’s resident DJs Jad and Elie, with the occasional visit by Bob and Devon.

What’s interesting about this venue are the visuals. Apart from massive LED screens on the walls, the visual experience will be made more immersive with a visually interactive ceiling. So, like the sounds and vibrations, the visuals will be all around you.

Here’s everything I managed to find out about MAD Beirut. I’m looking forward to the opening this Friday December 16th, 2011, with a full review on the new venue. Till then, here are a few pics of the venue before work started on it.

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The Weekly Leaks: An Ice Skating Rink in Beirut Souks

December 12, 2011 By 19 Comments

Remember that ice skating rink they used to take us field trips on when we were children? It was the one in Zouk Mosbeh next to Dream Park… I spent a lot of hours falling on that ice and wondering why I had went there in the first place. But, when I eventually started skating, it felt awesome. Unfortunately, the rink up in Zouk went out of business and I’m not sure what has become of the hangar that housed it…

BUT, I got my hands on plans to open up an ice skating rink in Beirut! To be more specific, in Beirut Souks as you can see in the photo above and the map below.

It’s set to open on December 26th and will keep welcoming skaters till the end of February. Skaters will pay 20,000 LBP and skate all they want, there will also be a 50% discount for groups, universities and schools. The prices are impressively reasonable, unlike everything else in Down Town Beirut…

So, for all you ice skating enthusiasts, you know where to be the day after Christmas!

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A LATE Weekly Leak: Bye Bye Eight, Hello Winter Garden!

December 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

AddMind, the guys behind places like White, Iris and Bonita Bay opened up “Winter Garden” last night. The venue is located on the top floor of Annahar Building in Down Town Beirut. It’s the indoor section directly adjacent to Iris Lounge, formerly the venue that house Eight Club.

Winter Garden is basically the indoor, winter version of Iris, with the decor and lighting and music, and of course the menu, very similar to that of its outdoors summer rooftop lounge and restaurant counterpart.

Lori and I passed by for the opening last night, and it was fully-booked with a lot of White regulars I had missed! I promise you a review very soon as soon as we get the chance to wine and dine there. But, from the looks of it, it’s brilliant, with a wonderful view of Beirut’s Central District, very comfortable seating and a perfect soundtrack to accompany the gastronomy of the place.

Here are a few photos I managed to get hold of till then!

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The Weekly Leaks: Palais Maillot, A New Club Opening TONITE

November 10, 2011 By 4 Comments

Now, this is a club I’ve been hearing about for over 6 months. Every other week, or every other month, we hear whispers that it’s about to open. This time though, the guys behind it look keen on finally opening, tonite!

Taken minutes before publishing this post

I took a look on the inside and snapped a few photos. It’s looking cool. But, my stealthy cover was sorta blown and I promised I won’t publish the unfinished interior. Why? Well, I don’t wanna start off on the wrong foot with them, but mainly because it’s opening up in a few hours and I’d much rather bring you the photos of the first ever night in that club. Spoiler: they have two beautiful DJ Booths equipped with CDJ2000s and DJM2000 mixers..

Tonite is said to be the “soft opening” for the “younger” crowd, with tomorrow being for the prospective older clientele. It’s invitation-only these couple of days, and I regret to inform you I have not been invited. Nevertheless, I’ll try to go in tonite and get you the scoop. If not, I’ll post the photos I took today!

Where is it exactly? It’s right next to Elias Asmar electronics, directly adjacent to Mobili Top in the Jdeideh Nahr El Mot area. Here’s a Google map to help you pinpoint it.

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The Weekly Leaks: An Inside Peak into the New Block of ABC Dbayeh

November 8, 2011 By 2 Comments

click to enlarge panoramic image

Back in May 2011, I reported on the heated race between ABC Dbayeh and Le Mall Dbayeh.

Now, both projects are in their advanced staged and I’ve manage to get hold of a few sneak-peaks into the brand new ABC block. It looks incomplete on the outside, but the interior is practically done. Escalators, railings and lights are all installed and ready. All that remains is filling it up with shops and the expected Grand Cinemas ABC Dbayeh (which I hopefully will get leaks on soon!)

For now, enjoy these handful of photos. It’s looking good! Construction is expected to end in December 2011-January 2012 and will make ABC Dbayeh’s total area some 45,000sqm! I also love the minimalist facade which I have attached at the bottom

click to enlarge panoramic image

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