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I have been to almost every capital in Europe. Rome and Athens are the two capitals that exude a sense of belonging.

I visited athens 2 years ago. Many people said you just need 1 day in Athens, not much to see, not very nice. Well I couldn’t disagree more. I loved Athens, it’s got culture, history, sights and sounds. You have to be open to exploring and going off the beaten track to appreciate it all.

Breaking: Ariel is up (nominated) for the coveted Peabody award. Congratulations, Ariel!

@UrbanistExploringCities

Ай бұрын

thank you so much!!

@precious1770

Ай бұрын

What is the title of the work he got nominated for?

@Opus299

Ай бұрын

@@precious1770 Ariel was nominated for his work with Gen Z Historian, "The Hidden History of Racism in New York City"; a six-part micro-documentary series.

The birth place of Western civilisation. I'd love to visit one day. Thank you for sharing.

Athens will always be my beloved city. I have been there dozens of times, love it deeply and for me, it is beautiful. I see Athens through my heart, emotions, memories, people.

@UrbanistExploringCities

Ай бұрын

That is wonderful! Athens is truly a wonderful city 🙏

Guys, Athens is incredible! I understand most of the tourists like staying around the historical center but Athens has lots to offer. The northern suburbs $$ upscale Beverly hill type and then the coastal area southern suburbs miami vibes! Beach clubs restaurants cool young neighborhoods with lots of fun things to do..

@DIMITRISCOBE

Ай бұрын

α ρε Σπανούλη θεέ πες τα ! ..Ζήτω η Αθήνα Ζήτω ο Ολυμπιακός !

@NomywitheTommy

26 күн бұрын

hahahahahahahaahaha

I’ve been living part time in Athens for 25 years now. It is a city of contrast: beautiful and ugly, manic and serene, parochial and chic. It almost defies definition and I’ve grown to love it.

I cried a couple of times watching this docu series. I miss my beautiful city..

The thing about Greece is that the local people are making it vibrant and interesting. I am very concerned now with the changes. Sometimes to much immigration and mass tourism is not very good. I don't mean it in the racist way. Also to have only hotels and foreign investments, it will destroy the whole energy! :-( We need a correct balance. To be like every city in the EU or outside will get boring and the uniqueness will get away.

@kingkrubb8880

Ай бұрын

You already have the anwser regarding immigration into Europe if your honest with yourself; it ruins countries. Look at France, Germany, Sweden, UK and Belgium for example. You dont want that for your country, act accordingly. //Swede

Athens is the oldest capital in Europe with a unique character. In aerial photos maybe not beautiful, but in ground level, quality, vibes, history, food and people it is amongst top5. We don't have money but we have the culture and heart. Others count with quantity, the Greeks count with quality. Best wishes to everyone and Greek Greetings. 💙🤍💙

@kingkrubb8880

Ай бұрын

Well said, will visit this summer. Stoked af

@user-oi4cn7rt8t

Ай бұрын

@kingkrubb8880 Thank you mate 💙

We dont care if Athens is beautiful or not, we love her in every possible way. 😊

@LordPrutsikas

Ай бұрын

you love ugly things? Nice...

Im Mexican & I had Planned for All Europe Visit for a Month¿ My First Stop was Athens.. Guess what ? I liked Greece & Special Athens City soo Much.. i Spent Almost my whole Vacation There...!!! Planing to go Again Back this Summer.. 🌞..by the the way.. you make Amazing job Educate as bout Athens .... Wish you Well with your Documentary 🎉

Really emotional! Kudos! I think you gave to the viewers a glimpse of the real spirit of this city and of the Greek urban culture. Not easy for a foreigner to do so. It's like someone you don't expect, sees right through your soul. You can see beauty only if you have ugly along. Then you can appreciate both even more and become a moderate person, a virtue that so many ancient philosophers tried to teach us

The reason Athens looks and feels ugly in everyday life is not the polykatoikias but the way authorities (do not) care about people's everyday life, no matter which political party has the power at a time.

@localphoenix

Ай бұрын

Let's face it. The polykatoikies themselves along with their poor maintenance contribute to the urban decadence. (I am Greek and living in Athens)

@alexandergkionis

Ай бұрын

You can't always blame the authorities and the politicians. The look of a city is also a reflection of there inhabitants. Who is littering for example? Who does the graffiti? Who destroys public property in the city?

@localphoenix

Ай бұрын

@@alexandergkionis well said.

@XX-mw5fh

4 күн бұрын

Wrong. Don't blame politicians. The citizens are disrespectful. Look at all the dog s#@* that people leave on sidewalk. And the army of civil servants who collect salaries with doing their jobs... The local mentality is not European and never will be. The local people are cowards.

Ariel, you are a great storyteller. Your dedication to the finished product here is amazing. We all get to see so much through the lens. You captured the city and the people beautifully. Good luck on winning the Peabody as well. Peace my friend. 😊🙏🏽

your epilogue for this city is so profound and sο emotional!

@UrbanistExploringCities

22 күн бұрын

It’s wonderful to hear that you resonated with it!

@user-md3wm3qx7w

20 күн бұрын

@@UrbanistExploringCities να' σαι πάντα καλά!

Yessss!!! ATHENAS IT’S one of the must beautiful city in the World

Amazing series dude! As a Greek Australian you hit the nail on the head in all aspects explaining Athens.

I am half Dutch and half Italian. I am currently leaving in the Netherlands but I lived for 19 years in Rome. What I like about south Europe is that, in most southern European countries, you have these condominiums that have shops/restaurants at the ground floor and appartments in the upper levels. This is something you can find mostly in countries like Italy, Spain and Greece here in Europe. I noticed that central, northern and eastern European countries prefer to separate residentials areas from the commercial ones. In these other countries usually you have a square with all the shops sourranded by townhouses or communist blocks (in the case of eastern Europe). This is so sad because mixing the two areas make cities so vibrant and is actually even more convenient! In Rome I had to walk 5 minutes to do my groceries and while walking I passed by many other commercial activities. Here in the Netherlands I have to walk more or less the same time, but on my way to the supermarket I pass by only houses.

@jennyal8857

Ай бұрын

It is brivant aw you said but the noise of th e people talking and the music if you live in an area like this is so frustrating

@FreeMind...

Ай бұрын

I understand you...but because of that, we (Greece) have now a huge parking problem. Instead of shops, restaurants, cafe and grocery stores...there should be garages. Try not thinking like a tourist, but as a local. Netherlands is a great country. I wish Greece was like the Netherlands in terms of infrastructures and urban development. Do you know that in Greece we don't have parks and sidewalks?

@user-qy4ov8dp5y

Ай бұрын

@@jennyal8857 Напълно подкрепям. Трябва има зони за спокоен живот и такива с търговски и развлекателен характер.

@user-qy4ov8dp5y

Ай бұрын

@@FreeMind... Вече писах, че в Атина има прекрасен исторически парк точно до двореца, но не е в добро състояние. А относно паркирането в големи градове - голям проблем навсякъде по света, когато няма ясен и санкциониран режим от страна на властите.

@FreeMind...

Ай бұрын

@@user-qy4ov8dp5y In English please...I don't understand what you're writing and there is no translation option.

You are the first person on KZread I’ve seen tell the full story of Athens❤ thank you for you all your work I’m really enjoying your videos 🎉

Yet another amazing video. I'm traveling to Athens for the first time next week and these few videos and made me fall in love with the city without having even been yet. Your descriptions of the frustrating yet charming idiosyncrasies I can understand perfectly, and I would say the same of the city where I now live - Tbilisi, Georgia. I recommend you visit one day. Otherwise, keep up the good work.

Thank you for these wondeful videos, I have been watching all of them. they give me such a sense of comfort, they make me feel at home. I moved from Hamburg, my birthplace, to Rome immediately when I turned 18 and I find Rome a city ust as beautiful and full of meaning as Athens. I have been studing greek for aome time now and can totally imagine myself living there. What a beautiful city, yes, and what beautifyl people. Thank you!

Ariel Bravo, What a wonderful series. I moved here from the States many years ago. I loved this city and hated it at the same time. Now I think I know why. You have shown me a new appriciation for Athens.

Thanks for the series. Went to Athens some 15y ago, It is the life, the feeling of it around you that makes it special. The organic feeling of it.

I love spending time with you exploring different places. It's always such a pleasure. Thank you for these experiences!

I really appreciate how in this video not only the touristic and historical center is shown but truly the whole image of Athens especially the residential areas that play such a key role in the experience of this city. There are even images from the suburbs that are a big part of Athens. Once you understand that Athens and the suburbs are one big modern city you can truly appreciate how life works there . It's a great documentary about a quite misunderstood city, that has so much more to offer than the ancient monuments and the touristic restaurants. Its a very respectful video that tries to truly understand what Athens is today for Athenians with its many negatives but also its positives. Athens is a city that you can love without understanding exactly why... But in the end I think that the closest answer to that, is that the vibe of Athens is so unique, special and strong and you can not find it anywhere else.

Wholeheartedly, thank you for this series.

Thanks Ariel Thanks Maria and all of your fabulous guests.

Great job guys!!! Loved every video!!! Congrats to all of you!!!

Well done. This series has been so interesting and moving. Bravo.

Love Greece 🇬🇷 ❤

Thank you Ariel for your beautiful videos of my country Greece. You have a special way of showing the true vibe of Athens, its energy and light. I saw all your other videos as well, throughout Greece. You get it. Ευχαριστώ πολύ ❤😊

What a series that was. The visuals, the storytelling, the interviews and the topics you explored were really engaging even for people who aren't urbanist enthusiasts like me. Definitely gonna rewatch it ps The track Athenian Urbanism is stuck in my head now ahahha

It is more than obvious how much Athens has stolen the hearts of those who walk its streets and can truly see who this city is, both in its crumbling facades, as well as the obvious glory of its ancient past. This “new” Athens is raw, vibrant and exciting, though we hope the ghosts of its past will linger and whisper to those who still wish to hear them. ζήτω η Ελλάδα 🇬🇷❤🇬🇷

Great videos my friend! I'm a Greek Australian living in this vibrant city, you hit the nail on the head!

Excellent work. I thoroughly enjoyed this six-part series on Athens.As a Greek Canadian who visits yearly starting in the 60's as a child and throughout all the decades following and up until now. I've seen the city grow and change over the years and do believe that its at it's best now. I love Athens with all my heart and watching your series helped put it all into perspective for me as to why I love it so much and I learned things I did not know about the city as well. Great work Ariel, Thank you.

Congratulations Ariel on such a fantastic series. Really enjoyed every episode.!

Talking as a local who have travelled a lot (all over the world) but also lived for over 15years abroad (from Greece) in South and Notrh of Europe, I always say to visiting freinds Athens is not an easy city to appreciate...it is not a straight forward touristic city (like Rome, Batchelone etc.)...It is a lovely city but not in the conventional manner...it is a city that in order to understand and appreciate you need to live it and mingle with the locals... We are ok...we are loud...disorganised but mostly friednly people (in our unique way)...and propably that is why Athens is like this... Athens is a city with a lot of problems and many things to correct but still a city that is really interesting and not only for the 4000+ years of history...

Great job Ariel! Wonderful team work. 👋Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to the Scottish adventures as well.

I‘m a bit sad that this has come to an end. It was a great ride and I got so many impressions of Athens that I now want to go and look for myself 💙 You can be very proud! You and your team did an excellent job and the overall views of this series show that you’re on the right path. Can’t wait to see the Edinburgh Urbanist. And I looooove outtakes 😂

Thank you for an awesome series about one of my 2 favorite cities (Rome is the other one). I had never heard of you until this series, but I am following and subscribed now. You are going to do well.

I watched all your 6 videos , simply amazing! amazing work, a great showoff of how the real Athens is! My new favourite travel vlogger!

This documentary showed me how similar Detroit is to Athens. Our differences are geographic, language, alfabet, economics, & societal. Our similarities are our neighborhoods, multiculturalism, & urbanism. We all need food, clean air & water, housing, safety, culture, & purpose. This was very interesting & well done. I was reminded tonight that sound needs to improve. I had a bit of a hard time hearing the white haired gentleman. At times he spoke too softly. There was too much crowd noise, & then add the score music was a bit much. Congratulations & thank you! 👍🏻⭐👏🏻

Nicely done! Kudos!

There is something extremely charming and warm about Athens. You can see the strings of life happening.

This was such a tremendous documentary. I look forward to the Edinburgh and the Coffee Documentary too. You’ve inspired me so much with your passion for travel, history, spirituality, music, food, coffee, and culture of cities around the world. I hope you can do one in San Juan, Mexico City, or Brussels. Keep up the great work and congratulations on the Peabody nomination! You have a tremendously bright future ahead :-)

I appreciate your hard work❤

@UrbanistExploringCities

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much 😀

amazing!

Amazing

Loved the series Ariel, especially as an Athens centre local, living abroad! Btw my mother co-curated that exhibition about the Polykatikoia Nikos mentioned :)

Εμείς ευχαριστούμε γι αυτή την ολοκληρωμένη παρουσίαση της Αθήνας και βάζοντάς μας σε σκέψεις όπως : ''λές να είναι όμορφη τελικά η Αθήνα;''

@asprigata8372

Ай бұрын

Αν δεν είχε τόσα πολλά αυτοκίνητα και ήταν πιο καθαρή η πόλη χωρίς μουτζουρες χωρίς βρώμικους κάδους και με περισσότερο πράσινο θα ήταν λουκούμι η Αθηνα

Hey Ariel, may I recommend a visit to Patras for you? Patras may not have the same size as Athens but is also a very vibrant (due to the large student population) city that has managed to preserve a good number of neoclassical buildings and that special feeling you can get in many Athenian neighborhoods. I am from Athens but I studied in Patras, and judging from the things you like in Athens I believe Patras will be at minimum a very enjoyable visit. Great work as always! Thanks for showing a beloved piece of home :)

@skatiarhs007

Ай бұрын

ρε φίλε την Πάτρα, σοβαρά τώρα?

Glad you enjoy my city🫶🏻🙏🏻

Such historic moments

Μαρία και Κατερίνα !! Είστε φανταστικές !! Η συνεισφορά του ταλέντου σας στα βίντεο μου θυμίζουν ολα όσα μου λείπουν απο την Αθήνα

Athens is awesome. 2022 really enjoyed it much. Every morning, i could see the 'shelter of the gods' ...then walked her steps too. The people were 'live let live attitude. More serious than i am. I see humor that others do not. Long live Greece,& ATHENS !!

Thanks!

Wow! What a beautiful series! You made me rediscover the beauty of my city! This is very interesting. I was reminded of beautiful parts I haven't visited in a long time, but i also got to remember what makes parts of Athens insufferable. I want to be fair. Athens is as original as it gets, either you like the city or not. Athens is full of ugly unkempt buildings, especially very old polikatikies. Which often makes me wonder why some people tend to overromanticise the ugly parts of the city. But, while you walk under the shade of their concrete, you sometimes turn at the end of the corner, at the city block, and behold :the Acropolis! And your day becomes a bit better. One thing that this documentary is missing, is the exploration of the outer suburbs of Athens. It's still Athens, but every suburb has its own vibe and atmosphere. If you visit places that are still very dense, in population and architecture, but further from the center, you will feel something very different. For example, if you visit Neapoli or Shistó, you will be able to see the city from above, while still in it. Without the crazy rhythm of Athens Downtown. You get a sense of a place that is mainly just homes, without the crazy traffic and tourists pandaemonium at every other street. It's a feeling on itself. Very cozy and heartwarming! Loved these docu-series! This work deserves an award, and the people that made it, all the recognition and praise! Well done!

Sometimes, in Athens, the cement facades are misleading. I live in the sixth floor of a cement polikatikía , in a cement looking area, but outside of my doors, in all the balconies of the flat, there is a dense tropical jungle of plants, that I planted and take care of. I feel like living in a forest-though in center of Athens, that i love. Many people support same secret gardens throughout the city. It’s not as “ a desert of cement “, as most foreigners think. I think , actually, that due to the verticality of the plants, Athens now, has much more vegetation than it used to have before any building was here. Appearances are deceiving in Athens. ( in many aspects 😇).

@user-qy4ov8dp5y

Ай бұрын

За съжаление, като турист не съм очарована от града. Може би местните жители са намерили начин да създадат уют в домовете си. Посетих забележителни исторически места и музеи, но като цяло инфраструктурата не е поддържана добре, да не говорим за района около Националния театър, където си беше направо неприятно и мисля, опасно.

@issith7340

Ай бұрын

@@user-qy4ov8dp5y δεν καταλαβαινω τι γραφει εδω. Νομιζω οτι χρησιμοποιουμε τα αγγλικα ως γλωσσα επικοινωνιας εδω. Οποτε και εγω σας απαντω, στα ελληνικα, ανταποδιδοντας την φιλοφρονηση.

Hey Urbanist Exploring Cities, I just watched your video and I must say that it was really informative and well-made. I was wondering if I could help you edit your videos and repurpose your long videos into highly engaging shorts? I can also make high CTR thumbnails for your channel

Very nicely made video. I have been grown up in Athens but don’t leave there for over 20 years, visiting it however quite often. Athens was a beautiful city in the 50s 60s. Now, despite your amazing work, I wouldn’t consider Athens as a „beautiful „ city anymore. It’s actually quite ugly and chaotic. I know many Athenians who moved to other towns, and are very happy with their decision. There are definitely many beautiful cities in Europe, Athens has some vibe but nothing more. For visiting as a tourist might be good…

Thanks

@UrbanistExploringCities

Ай бұрын

My pleasure! Thank you for the kind contribution 🙏

Ariel the only thing I didn’t see and that would give a much more complete picture of Athens is a reference and footage from north suburbs of Athens which is much more green and open and more from the south suburbs along the coast line and the very long marina that literally looks line Monaco down in mikrolimano. That would give a much more accurate picture of Athens. Great work though, keep up what you do!

@panoskatrin4910

Ай бұрын

No, this is a part of athens who only the rich experience.Ruined buildings with nice parks and coffee shops with police hitting protesters,a church near by , a graffiti and down the road an ancient ruin.This is athens and its beautiful in its own way

Only academics seem to fetishize bad conditions and subpar urbanism. I also have no doubt that with a prettier city that would inspire people to be better, Athens is stuck in time because people look around and don't see that it's worth to do more. Athens is lucky to be where it is, with it's sunny days, and to have such a joyful population.

Athens could be a beautiful city if 3 millions of the inhabitanst would move back there citys and towns . Athens is today too economically dominant in Greece, alla the jobs, power center are in Athens , Athens is a state within the Greek state.

At 29:26 to 29:36 or so. Fireworks over Ariel's left shoulder

00:32 Very good..

You can only love this city

Please do Malaga next

Best ATHENS !

You're this generation's Anthony Bourdain. Well done

@sarseer6722

Ай бұрын

Bourdain didn’t like Greeks or Greece much. His disdain for them was pretty apparent on the one episode he did about Greece. Not a good comparison to this series.

the greek salad was spot on. You just got it right. Thats it.

YOU BETTER HAVE GONE TO KYPSELI

@UrbanistExploringCities

Ай бұрын

I did, back in Episode 3 :) and we show a little bit more here

@asprigata8372

Ай бұрын

Τι να κάνει στην Κυψέλη να βλέπει της μουτζουρες στους τοιχους

When was this shot? Why is everyone melting?

@UrbanistExploringCities

Ай бұрын

It was shot July 2024 when there was a heat wave 😂 temperatures were 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 40+ degrees Celsius

Athens mentality is like if Berlin had 300 days of sun, but with the 100% of the people speaking English and to be normal at 1 oclock in the morning EATING food in a taverna while you are drinking wine or ouzo

I saw a story this week that Athens is the best smelling city in the world. Not sure why. One comment was figs.

That love hate relationship is what keeps us alive ! Do you agree?

I' ll tell what Athens and Greek cities in general have, that you wont find easily in other countries: *the neighbourhood.* The neighbourhood can provide close to everything you need and people strongly support their neighbourhood. You won't find this easily outside Greece, and surely not in the extent that is happening in Greek cities.

5!00 and earthquakes. And civil war. Most of the buildings replaced by apartment blocks were stone-built houses - whether in Athens (that were sold by their owners for the benefit of erecting a multi-apartment building in the same land space) or in the countryside (that were abandoned for the two reasons above). A better life in Athens, in a safe apartment, was a greater prospect than a life in the economically ruined/defunct countryside in a house that could come down in the next earthquake.

you scared a pigeon at 13:58😅

At 24:50 “it doesn’t feel like a race to maximise profits” you nailed it Ariel…bravo

@user-tv7mz9vt8i

Ай бұрын

Nah that's just a silly quote. Like, what is this supposed to mean? Athens is just another (western) capitalist city. Of course there is a race to maximise profits. It's extra funny if you think that he didn't discuss the whole gentrification issue in the video. But of course he didn't, it doesn't fit the narrative of the locals "reclaiming the city" and the overall tourist gaze of the video.

Greece is a beautiful country but in the urban aspect they were wrong and rushed to build their cities, the largest urban centers are a perfect uniformity, it is enough to visit a certain neighborhood of one of their cities and you have seen all the cities of Greece. another shortcoming is because, due to the Ottoman occupation, this country did not live the renaissance period like the rest of Europe, it is enough to look a little carefully and you will understand that for 500 years the clock in this country had stopped. however, they are a wonderful people who live well, love their homeland and know how to organize their lives well.

@ckoumenis

Ай бұрын

They didn't "rush" really... The biggest and sharpest increase in population occurred within less than a decade when the Asia Minor disaster and expulsion of Greeks from their cities there in 1922 created a huge refugee problem (the population of Athens more than doubled in a few years). There was a need for housing all these displaced people and their children. The city was not designed over decades.

It is both one of the most beautiful and one of the ugliest cities in Europe. This depends on the area and the neighborhood. It has the potential to be a true gem but unfortunately it has been left underdeveloped due the crisis and poverty...with roads and pavements un-repaired for decades and buildings painted in ugly graffiti. But in the end it makes you feel something no other city in the world can

Athens has not more than 5 million people but more than 3, and thats the whole metro area.

Bring more tourists to Athens. Rents are not enough. Prices are not high enough. Basically, tourists go home

Greek guys can get it!

6:10 A-hem, of the what?

Good attempt to romanticize the problems of this city, the whole series actually. Need to point out some personal disagreements though: 1: Poor infrastructure should be mentioned. Some of the worlds worst sidewalks, not able to acommodate people in wheelchairs or mothers with strollers are a little example, not to mention things like electricity cables "littering" the sky etc. is something that you would notice more if you lived there permanently. 2: A lot of the good things mentioned, just come out of mediterranean lifestyle (also to be found in South Italy or some Balcan countries) and doesn't have to do anything with Athens in particular, or it's urban identity. Most of the people mentioned "I love the people around, or the feelings, memories, the way the city is always alive etc" this is something to be found in bigger or smaller cities in the above mentioned areas. 3: The video is really commenting from the point of a tourist, as Natassa underlines at some moments, tourists will get a different vibe. You might have hours and hours to chill at the cafes, but if you had to work 8 hours a day and commute another 2, you would basically need more safety and reliability in everyday things such as public transport, parking for vehicles and less traffic on the streets. Mobility in this city is terrible, 5 millions in a city with 3 metro lines, just thing about that. Parking problem can be seen clearly in the video, no other city not even in America, to dedicate so much street space percentage to vehicles. 4: History says that Athens center was abandoned to rot, mainly because at the better financial days of the country, people moved to the suburbs in order to have higher quality surroundings. Nowadays, a lot of central neighborhoods such as Kypseli which you mostly wander around, still offer some of the cheapest rents and young people chose to live there in order to save money, since suburbs are way more expensive. Gentrification problems and Airbnb are also complicating the situation, but I just wanna point out that the "ugliness" that nobody can deny yet a lot romanticize, was and can still be a hard-to-accept thing if you live in it every day, and it has already made a full circle from when people believed Athens center is like Dhaka in Bangladesh. The point about middle sized cities (Athens is on the 5 biggest European cities though) is actually accurate. The difference between US and EU though, is that American metropolises were designed to get large, while Athens and other ancient cities just got more dense and complicated along their history, which makes them exciting but hard to catch up to modern amenities at the same time. Sorry for the long comment, keep this content up. I'm an architect, born and raised in Athens btw.

@Eaglos

Ай бұрын

Spot on. Ugliest capital in EU.

@alphajames33

Ай бұрын

Εξαιρετικό σχόλιο!

@user-er3bx8qb1j

21 күн бұрын

I agree wholeheartedly. Athens has a lot of shortcomings. It's great to visit, to be a tourist, but living here is decidedly unpleasant.

I m hearing a lot of complains about tourism and how it pushes locals out of center. First of all, let me tell you that the biggest majority of Athenians don't want to live downtown Athens. It's mostly hipsters, writers and Erasmus students who wanna live there, or old rich families, that can afford living in the good part of the center. So as an Athenian, let my tell you, if it wasn't for tourism, Athens center would had been a complete shithole. Just like it was before tourism, but even worse, since all the companies, (startups and olds alike), are moving up north or in other areas of the city. Thanks to the tourism industry, a lot of areas that before were unwalkable, especially at night, now are buzzing with people, locals and turists alike and many areas around the center, has seen a new boom with local activity, from locals that are avoiding the turisti parts of the center. Before tourism these areas were full of brothels and junkies. And the areas that are now expensive, so locals cant afford, before tourism were considered ugly, old, packed neighborhoods that no one wanted to live to anyways. That's why the part of the center that's the farthest from the monuments has become a ghetto for immigrants and junkies.

@issith7340

Ай бұрын

I am not a hipster nor an erasmus student, not a turist, etc. Im a normal Greek, from another place of Greece that decided to live in the center of Athens, many years ago, before all that things that you say, happened. Actually i choose one of “the wrong areas “ of the city , as you define them. And i did so, cause this area is most correctly constructed ( in the urbanist sense), than any suburb of Athens wes ever built. I have everything i need in a 5min walking distance, and i also have no need to use my car or any public transport to go to my job. Cause my job is literally 5 minutes walking distance from my house. It didn’t happen by luck- i did it. And it was a blessing, improving the quality of my life a lot. I really can’t understand why it’s so difficult for Athenians to realize how much easier life can be without having to loose, at least 2-3 hours every day in a car. I did realize, and i thank god for it.

@95evamak

Ай бұрын

Yeah you are most definetely not an Athenian or grew up in a suburb. Guaranteed

@issith7340

Ай бұрын

@@95evamak yeah! But living here 30 years-yeah🎉🎉🎉

There are two Athens - Αθήνες. Athens municipality and Athens Metropolitan. The first is where most tourists stroll in specific "sterilised" parts (Ancient Agora, Acropolis, Monastiraki, Plaka, Kallimarmaro etc). Outside of those sterilised places, the municipality is a bit of a shithole. Cramped roads, ugly architecture, zero aesthetics, noise, pollution, zero respect for pedestrian needs and so on. If you venture further down, to Omonia square and beyond, you will meet the other part of the city, drugs, poverty, abandonment, prostitution, a multinational ghetto that many avoid. The second Athens, the metropolitan one, is actually way better. Mountains, hills, seas, open spaces, a bit cleaner, a bit less cramped up, same chaotic "architecture", same lame aesthetics and so on. In any case, no Athens is not a beautiful city. It has some iconic spots here and there to visit, drink eat, it has the tourist area around Acropolis and a few other places in the general metropolitan vicinity but the rest is hit or miss and we are talking from the tourist's point of view. All of us who are living in this dumpster, have to fight every day to commute in a very hostile environment were cars are the dominant species, open spaces are scarce and the "architecture" makes us want to gauge our eyes. I am not even going to touch topics like healthcare, education, sports parks etc.

@issith7340

Ай бұрын

You are wrong. You sould know the city better, before declaring which place is a “shithole”, and which is not. Something big is happening in the city- and it doesn’t have to do with rbnb, turists, etc.And you hace no idea, living in your distant superb, with your mind glued back to the era, when your suberb was built. You need to take some long walks around Athens. Foreigners know the city better than you.

@Eaglos

Ай бұрын

@@issith7340 I live in Pagkrati for almost half a century. I have been walking, cycling and driving in, out and across the municipality a billion times on a daily basis. It is a mess that deteriorates each and every year.

I am Greek , I lived in different cities all around Europe for 15 years and for the last seven years I am back to Athens. The answer to the question of the title is : Definitely NO !

1980s

I’d choose Thessaloniki, a city that boasts the largest university campus at its heart. It’s a city steeped in history, a metropolis that has never lost its grandeur - and it shows. Thessaloniki is a city with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It’s renowned for its delectable cuisine, delightful sweets, and vibrant energy

It's beauty in its ugliness

Athens is both beautiful and ugly, if it makes any sense!

yeah, but public transport is apain in the ass. And that's putting it nice.

I get depressed everytime I visit Athens. It's realy an ugly city except of some nice areas.

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Oh well this certainly an fairytale-ish way to present such a dystopian cement-favella, where is little-to-none greenery to be found, horrible traffic and the unmatched selfish Greek attitude.