BAGHDAD  Is it too early to declare a Sadr City Spring?

In a neighborhood known for its black-clad militiamen and strict Islamist codes, this was the scene on a recent evening: young men with angular haircuts shooting pool at curbside tables; coffeehouses bustling with hookah smokers and American movies; a raucous wedding party banging drums in celebration; photo studios displaying pictures of women with bared shoulders.

All would have been dangerous a year or two ago, but now they add up to just another night in this sprawling neighborhood that has long been the beating heart of Shiite Baghdad.

As Iraq’s government remains frozen in a seven-month standstill, the vibrant transformation of Sadr City may offer a prophetic glimpse of the country’s next chapter: repressed by Saddam Hussein, fearsome in its resistance to the American-led invasion and then brutal in its religious crackdown, the neighborhood is now fomenting a mix of secular and religious life that is both ad hoc and infectious.

“It’s not only new shops,” said Majid Lattef, 32, hanging out with three friends on a recent Friday after thousands gathered in the main square for prayers. “Young people here are changing their minds and attitudes.