I came across this letter to the editor from Karen Asfour today while browsing through the JT website. I thought I’d share.
Where is the traffic police? Where are the people within the municipality who decided that the best place to have the “Cultural Street”, resulting in single lane traffic, is Shmeisani? Have any of them seen the horrific traffic jams that have become a daily occurrence?You’d have to see it to believe it: cars backed up and honking, angry and frustrated drivers on every street in the Shemisani network. God help anyone who might have an emergency (or appointment); the possibility of surviving the up to 30-min wait to get out of there is absolutely nil.
I have found my own solution to deal with the problem and I would advise the “powers to be” to advocate the same for other frustrated drivers in the area. The answer is knitting! I take mine along with me and sometimes I am able to knit a whole scarf while waiting for the jam to unsnarl. If drivers are supplied with yarn and knitting needles they will knit instead of honk and those responsible for the mess can forget about correcting the problem. Simple isn’t it?
Source: [Jordan Times]
Indeed. This extension that I usually call “Share3 elSakhafeh,” or the street of idiocy, instead of “Share3 el Thaqafeh,” or street of culture, is simply a waste of space. It really is a challenge to find any cultural item on this stretch of cement and pavement loosely dubbed a cultural venue.
Who in his right mind would think that Shmeisani is a suitable place for such a street? Are not those working at Greater Amman Municipality aware that there are better, more authentic neighborhoods in the capital more suited for such a designation than the overcrowded, extremely noisy Shmeisani? Why couldn’t they do this in a nice area such as Jabal Amman or Jabal al Weibdeh par example? Ah, I could go on forever about this, but who listens?!?!
On a lighter note, I thought the author’s knitting idea is brilliant. I usually substitute that with reading the daily paper.
So, it is the ” poorer people in Eastern Amman” that cause all the problems. I see this as a disgusting remark from which I smell the tune of contempt and look down at people. Like Shemesani is Paris , London or Seattle.
Ahmad, you’re seeing things from a guys point of view. You see, I’m one of those people who really enjoys walking more than driving, and I used to walk around Shmesani for at least an hour every single day during the summer. I can’t do that anymore though, because all the people who resort to Share3 Il-Thaqafeh are the poorer people from Amman East- they stare, they say the rudest things, and they follow you around. Not fun, it’s very scary actually, and all my neighbors feel the same way.
Shmesani isn’t for Shmesani residents anymore, and Shemesani is supposed to be a housing district.
Although the Amaneh’s efforts to provide European-style cultured streets in Amman is appreciated, they should have given this particular project deeper thought and better analysis.
Hehe, Natasha, of course I remember Tom and Jerry 🙂 We used to bug my mother and aunt to death until they’d take us 🙂 Tom and Jerry on the TV for hours on end and burgers during a time when there was no Burger King… a child’s dream 🙂 and I actually wasn’t that young when it closed….
Can you believe I’ve never been into Shouman although I must have spent a total of two weeks of my life in Frosti’s and about 2 month of my life in Al-Farouki Internet Corner?
I guess I’m not very hopeful that they’d have English books. Do they?
Hi,
I have a different view on this. Granted, there is no culture on that street. Hence the name of the street is ‘baseless’. That’s not a design mistake but a mangement mistake. There are an underutilized gallery, kiosks and small performance spaces there. If those would be properly utilized they would bring culture into the street.
The street itself is an intersting experiment:
1. It gave more space for pedestrians. (good).
2. It gave less space for cars. (good in a city that is so car oriented).
3. It set a good design example with good street furniture and landscaping.
As for the people having memories of Frosty, Tom and Jerry and Shoman library, well, I have the same memories from the late 80’s. There is nothing stopping from taking almost the same walks today (and Frosty is stll there). You could also take your lunch out from Chilli House/Chilli Ways and go and eat it in the open air of ‘Culture’ street.
Had the municipality built a highway in the middle of Shmeisani then I too would complain. I see that the people who are complaining are mainly talking about the traffic jams. They loved *walking* in Shmeisani in the good old days, and now complain that the can’t *drive* through the area.
This is actually good. Yes, please avoid driving through it whenever you can. Do you have an appointement somewhere inside Shmeisani? Park on the outskirsts and walk for a change. The best thing that would happen is for the whole area to be pedestrianized actually.
Jordanians mostly consider it a birth right to park no more than 50 cm away from the venue or shop they are visiting. We take drives to the grocery shop around the corner for god’s sake! We keep buying more and more private cars, then we bitterly complain about traffic jams and the fact that we have tunnels and bridges everywhere.
Wait until you see the tunnel-bride project at the 4th circle connecting Abdoun Roundabout to the Prime Ministry area!
Anyway. I think that the Municipality deserves praise for the Shmeisani street. That does not absolve them from the total failure of bringing culture into the street.
P.S: Natasha: your great blog is unviewable on Apple’s Safari, which means many Mac users can see it 🙂
God bless their souls in the Amaneh! Their interpretation of the King Abdullah “Gardens” was concrete buildings, and theirs of a “cultural” St. is more cement as I can see. I have never been there, this is all after my time. I heard of it and at first thought: Hmmm, small cafes and struggling artists and musicians,…how French! Maybe the solution lies in building memorial walls instead. They may have more green than so-called gardens.
PS Tom & Jerry…I remember a time when it was virtually the only western-like fast food burger place in Jordan. Funny, I rememeber being there for b-days as a kid 🙂
Speaking of “social classes” and segregation, Amaneh has nothing much that it can do to help . This is a disease in the Jordan society which I do not know what to attribute it to. Status and pride are obsessions that people in Jordan have a problem with. Coming from a certain family, or tribe, or even holding a degree will make the person think he is one of a kind. While self- esteem is a good, and to be pursued trait, I can’t believe that such a status will make the Jordanian talk and act from his ” nose” down to others. My experience with scientists, inventors, and the “prettiest” here in the US shows me how down to earth great people are and can be. After all, Jordan is as small as such big differances should not exist.
Onzlo,
I agree with you completely. Ammanites are dying for an open-air space where they can for a change interact with the rest of the Jordanian society that is currently segregated into social classes that rarely mingle and usually clash if they ever do. Ah, I wish the amaneh can think of a project like the solidaire in Lebanon. Man, that what be something!
Roba,
I know exactly how you feel about Shmeisani. I lived there for many years with my parents. I remember how nice and quiet this street was. Like you I used to walk to Frosti and the Istkilal library . I also used to walk to Tom and Jerry fast food restaurant (I think this was way before your time:)) and Abd Al Hamid Shoman public library (yeah I’m such a nerd). I spent a wonderful time with my friends and cousins wandering around those streets of Shmeisani! Nothing is the same anymore. That street is just unapproachable. Uff,, why can’t things just stay the same way they are! Sometimes you just do not need change!
Ok i agree that the location of the so called Culture st. is wrong plus there isnt much ‘culture’ going on on it.
However i quite like the idea of having these ‘promenade’ type things for a change, i mean the fact that it is always crowded shows how much 3ammanies are just dying for some space to step out of their cars and strech their legs a little bit, to be able to walk around and interact with each other, and there are very few places people can do that in Amman.
On the other hand, i blame the ammaneh for this because they don’t actually have any sort of planning sense, they make streets that are too narrow, and then a few years later, they either try to do some sort of project on them turning them into permenant traffic jams, or they try to squeeze some tunnels into the street thereby turning them into dangerous highways in the middle of town.
If only they would bother to fix Sweifieh a little bit, you know something like proper wide pavements for example, or a couple of parking lots???? it isnt that hard really, just needs some creativity.
We are the biggest sufferers in this issue :/ My gradmother’s house(which we used to spend every summer at) is in Shmesani, practically on the main street that is now Share3 il Thaqafeh, and ours is a few streets behind. It’s horrible, horrible, horrible. I spent many happy hours in my childhood walking to Frosti’s, going to Istiklal, and sitting in Chili House and El-Farouki. I remember a time when Shmesani was so nice to take a walk in, and now I hate driving through it so I take long turns around Rabyeh and Gardens to get to home.
I hate them for doing this!