In this paper, I argue that the modernization that is very much in evidence in the buildings rising and signs appearing in Amman is not unilinear or unidirectional, but has multiple dimensions and moves in more than one direction, despite its apparently singular, straightforward trajectory. Relying on historical sources as well as on observations and visual records, I demonstrate both obvious and subtle dimensions of the modern face of one of the city’s neighborhoods. This area shares with other parts of Amman the fundamental rhythms of life, but because of its location and the existence of open spaces within it, it offers a productive site for exploration. The writings of Michel deCerteau and Anna Tsing, among others, guide my analysis of this cosmopolitan locale, a mosaic of languages and styles and a site of interactions between human and nonhuman actors that reflects urban growth, but not necessarily in a simple or predictable form. Buildings, signs, and greenery project one face of the neighborhood, faithfully mirroring public representation of the city and the country. Amman, when seen through this lens, is well appointed, providing a comfortable living environment for both local and international residents, and forward-looking, home to a growing economy that promises to extend and improve opportunities for locals and guests. The same elements of the urban space, read critically, also reveal the layered nature of that image – the complexities of modernization itself – in the traces of human interactions with the infrastructure and in plants that appear in the interstices of the built environment. The neighborhood thus displays a conversation between various voices and influences where a monologue of construction and control might be expected. The rhythm of building and resting, controlling and eluding control reflects openness to novelty and change without losing sight of or value for existing ideals.