Baghdad's social scene gaining ground

BAGHDAD, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- With U.S. military officials reporting the lowest levels of violence since 2003, a bustling nightlife is slowly returning to the streets of Baghdad.

Baghdad residents sit in front of restaurants and nightclubs on streets where U.S. tanks rolled by just six years ago as owners and entrepreneurs embrace the improved atmosphere on the streets, Middle East Online reports.

Though most residents still return to their homes by 10 p.m., restaurant owners are reporting packed houses starting at noon.

Shop owners said they are decorating their cafes with a variety of religious symbols from Christian to Muslim in an effort to appeal to the diverse demographic of the Iraqi capital.

Several business owners told U.N. officials recently they are looking to expand as the security situation improves. Meanwhile, officials with the U.N. World Tourism Organization have called on Iraq to examine building up its tourist infrastructure as a way to build its economy.

"You can't compare to before the invasion, but it's getting there," one shop owner said.