It’s a sunny spring day in Beirut. Where can the little girl who wants to kick around a ball or the little boy who wants to ride his bicycle go? How about the mother who wants to enjoy a good book in the sun, or the father who wants to lie on the grass without spending any cash?

The obvious answer would be a public park, but do we have any in Beirut or does one have to leave the city to enjoy a few hours of greenery? Executive took up the challenge to help this family find functional parks in Beirut, but were disappointed. René Moawad Garden, otherwise known as Sanayeh Garden, is under renovation — a positive step for the near future but not for our current mission — and the largest area of greenery in Beirut, Horsh Beirut, is not accessible to children according to the security guard at the entrance, who denied us entry even after we promised him we would stay close so he could keep an eye out for any wrongdoings on our part.

Other parks in the city were in a sad state: no running toilets in some, dangerous conditions such as swings flying over traffic congested roads in others, and downright absurd rules in some such as a ban on photography inside the park. [Link]