Small armies of street cleaners are now hard at work and tens of thousands of children have returned to school.
"Things are different now," said Sanaa Jabr, a 29-year-old school teacher and mother of three who lives in Sadr City, home to about 2.5 million, mainly Shiite Muslim Iraqis.
"Now we have security and stability. Thank God ... its making people more comfortable," she said.
The holy month of Ramadan which began last week has provided a welcome distraction from death and destruction. Baghdad residents are glued to their TV sets after eating iftar, the sunset meal that breaks their fast, to watch the usual Ramadan fare of sitcoms, soaps and talk shows.
What Iraqis have had to endure in Baghdad since the US-led invasion of Iraq -- violence and a perceived use of excessive force by the US military -- was showcased in an exhibition of sculptures and an advertisement by the US Army unit in charge of security in the capital.
The 33 bronze sculptures by artist Ali Risan on display at Hewar gallery are mostly human faces, some of dead people, but mostly of Iraqis tormented by despair or physical injury.
Six of the works track the deterioration in the face of an American soldier. The first bears a hint of a smile that Risan says dates back to the days prior to the invasion in March last year which held promise for many Iraqis who wanted to be rid of Saddam's regime.
The next five show the same face with nails and hooks stuck in his face -- the impact of a roadside bomb, says the artist -- to one erupting with sores and finally, disintegration.
"There isn't a single person in Iraq who did not know someone killed by the Americans," Risan said. "Those of us who don't fight the Americans, give them looks that kill. That's the least we can do."
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