Chaotic city planning, barely any green spaces, ugly and moldy apartment buildings with bits of concrete having fallen off the balconies, outside of the city center (and sometimes inside it) splotches of paint and dried concrete aren’t that uncommon to be found on the pavement, the sidewalks themselves are heavily cracked and in most cases half assedly repaired. From the average Athenian’s apartment building the city somehow manages to be even uglier, rusty railings on balconies, rusty antennas at the top of buildings, the aforementioned mold which is also on the balcony tents, and the heavily faded paint that plagues every building in the area, as most haven’t been maintained in over 40 years.

I could go on and on as Athens has many more issues, but I’ll leave it at that. The city outside of the center and the Acropolis is quite ugly and in a seemingly perpetual state of decay with not much going for it, this is evident in the fact that when I go somewhere like Corfu or Ioannina or Xanthi or Komotini the locals will give me like 30 different places I can visit, Athenians only give me the same 4 or 5.

The idea of Athens that’s in a lot of people’s heads is just that, an idea. This idea of a pretty Athens with a long and rich history (having a long and rich history is supposed to inherently make it aesthetically beautiful, somehow?) is almost single handedly perpetuated by the fact that it has the Acropolis/the Parthenon as part of its ‘skyline’. If it didn’t, it would just be a generic ugly city, like dozens of others in the world.

[https://c8.alamy.com/comp/AN5H0C/compact-and-ugly-houses-in-athens-AN5H0C.jpg](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/AN5H0C/compact-and-ugly-houses-in-athens-AN5H0C.jpg)

[https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/athens-city-populated-areas-ugly-260nw-182317751.jpg](https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/athens-city-populated-areas-ugly-260nw-182317751.jpg)

[https://live.staticflickr.com/5475/10041106615\_7f4f093496\_b.jpg](https://live.staticflickr.com/5475/10041106615_7f4f093496_b.jpg)

[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ElC1EkoXUAA6GtG.jpg:large](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ElC1EkoXUAA6GtG.jpg:large)

41 comments

  4. 1. If you subtract **only** the Acropolis from Athens there are still tons of historical stuff. Yes the Acropolis is by far the most famous and recognisable but still

    2. You focus only on the city center. Thats a mistake. Athens center is only one of the like 30+ different Athens municipalities. Yeah the center is filthy af at many points but have gone to Paris? Yeah it’s got the Eiffel tower, the Louvre museum but its extremely filthy as a city. Whats your opinion about that?

  5. >Chaotic city planning, barely any green spaces…

    Unpopular opinion, but I don’t think green spaces is a big problem in Athens. It’s roughly the same as New York, Paris, or Barcelona. Although, I *do* think we can use more trees planted along streets. Trees of course can present a problem in urban areas with their roots, but you can make it work with the type of tree. And some city squares and parks are in bad condition.

    Urban planning: depends on the area. Generally, I’d agree. I think Athens has certain strengths, such as the street plan. OTOH, the total lack of *regional* planning for greater Athens was a total mess in the post-war era, and we’re living with that today. The really pathetic attempt to turn the Votaniko area into a modern CBD was a huge lost opportunity; no planning or vision whatsoever, just plop some buildings there, and an ugly multi-lane street with motorway characteristics, just totally stupid. This is why I’m very excited about the Elliniko project, as well as the Faliro waterfront regeneration, as it will bring a new urban planning mindset.

    Regarding the state of buildings, I think you’re generally being harsh. I will however be the first to say that the aesthetic quality of architecture in central/historic Athens is very ugly. *Who* in their right mind thought it would be a great idea to replace neoclassical buildings with 70s glass-and-steel 5 story boxes…the mindset of that generation just boggles my mind.

    The positives:

    Athens is laying the groundwork for the future, with the rapid expansion of the metro and tram networks, and some other projects like burying portions of Poseidonos Avenue, burying portions of the main northbound intercity rail line. The expansion of the metro and tram systems can boost the marketability of central Athens, which can hopefully bring gentrification and maybe, just maybe, tearing down those ugly 70s buildings and rebuilding neoclassical buildings with the interest of private investors. You have to keep in mind that Athens grew after WWII very fast, without groundwork infrastructure. You need that basis to create the market demand for the development of a proper city. Athens is only laying that ground work *now.*

    For the outer parts of the city, all we really need is better sidewalks, and plant trees along the streets, and you can turn a πολυκατοικία street into mid-century chic. [Those buildings built in the 50s and early 60s](https://www.kathimerini.gr/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/g_ele_c01–2-768×480.jpg) are charming, and with better street/sidewalk condition and vegetation, the difference can be like night-and-day.

    Edit: downvotes! (totally unsurprising). Looks like I ruffled someone’s feathers!

  7. There’s a good reason for why that happened, or rather, 3 main ones:

    1) Athens was a little more than a village surrounded by pastures until 1832, until it was hastely turned into the capital of a newly found and rather poor nation, meaning it had to develop fast and there wasn’t always time for efficent planning, especially with the influx of internal immigration that followed the decleration of the town as the capital

    2) fast forward 90 years later, the city had to deal with another massive immigration wave after the greco-turkish war of 1922, 1.2 million people, about 1/4 of the country’s total population at the time, and Athens obviously had to deal with the bulk of that wave. Naturally, they had to build slams to house all these people, and after that, they had to build actual houses for them, as fast and cheap as possible

    3) post-war internal immigration. Large waves of people moved from the couyntryside to the capital, partly encouraged by the post war governments who tried to brute force urbanisation because the agrarian population was thought to be more susceptible to the socialist cause and ideas, and they didn’t want that

    4) another wave of shift urbanisation after the 1980’s following the the PASOK governments and their army of public sector workers that needed housing.

    The gist of it is that Athens is ugly and messy because it never really had time to be properly planned and developed as a city. It’s the result of a series of immigration waves that required cheap and fast housing. “Cheap and fast” sums up the entire situation

  9. Επειδή βλέπω στα ποστ σου μια(θέλω να πιστεύω καλώς εννοουμενη) κριτική για την Αθήνα “είναι άσχημη είναι το ένα είναι το άλλο” θα σου πω το εξης: η Αθήνα δεν πρόκειται ποτε και για πολλούς λογους να γίνει ας πούμε Βιέννη. Δηλαδή μια “όμορφη” πρωτεύουσα.

    Αυτό που μπορεί να γίνει ,και προς τα εκεί βλέπω μια κινητικότητα, ειναι μια μοντέρνα πρωτεύουσα.

    Η Γεωργία Βασιλειάδου όσο make up και να της βάλεις δεν θα γίνει ποτέ Ζιζελ.

    Αν της βάλεις όμως βιονικά χέρια και laser eyes θα γίνει τουλαχιστον κουλ.

  10. i think athens was voted as one of the three most beautiful nighttime cities.

    And again Athens bad spot is downtown which has an energy unlike other cities. Rest of the city is wonderful.

    And again some parts of Athens were voted as the most beautiful or nice places to live in europe.

  16. 4Κ walk Athens tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjzIN0zTnGs

    Checking the comments, many local and foreign people like Athens (even the non-historic areas).

    Improvement is definitely needed. But for some reason, Athens is always presented as one of the worst cities in the world. That’s not fair or true. I really like living in Athens when I visit, I wish I could return.

    New Smynri (non-historic) was even voted one of the best areas to live in Europe by the Guardian recently: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/feb/10/10-best-city-neighbourhoods-europe-readers-travel-tips

    edit: επισης ολες σχεδον οι φωτος δειχνουν την Αθηνα απο ψηλα. Δηλαδη τις ταρατσες. Οι ταρατσες ωγ γνωστον ειναι ασχημες by default. lol Αν ηταν πρασινοi κηποι οι με κεραμιδια θα εδειχναν διαφορετικα.

    Η Αθήνα θα έφτιαχνε παρά πολύ ακόμα και με ένα βάψιμο. Κι αν έφτιαχναν όλα τα σπασμένα πεζοδρόμια.

  17. Γιατί πού το πας με της λακούβες στον δρόμο που της περισσότερο φορές νιώθω λες και οδηγάω σε χωματερή με το μηχανική.Επισης υπάρχει και θέμα με τα πεζοδρόμια σε πολλα σημεία όπου απλά δεν μπορείς να τα χρησιμοποιήσεις είναι πολύ μικρά έχουν ξεμπαρκο δέντρα (δεν λέω να υπάρχει πράσινο αλλά όχι και μεσα στον λεπτό δρόμο κάθε δύο μέτρα και από δέντρο) και σπασμένη πλακάκια για αυτό τόσα άτομα περπατάνε στον δρόμο μερικές φορές είναι απλά not possible να χρεισινοποιεισεις τα πεζοδρόμια

  18. Δεν είναι μόνο η Ακρόπολη αλλά και η Πλάκα και το Ψυρρή. Και ο Λυκαβηττός. Και υπάρχουν και άλλα μέρη στην Αθήνα που είναι αρκετά όμορφα. Αυτή η μισαλλοδοξία και η μιζέρια των Αθηναίων και γενικά των Ελλήνων είναι αρκετά υπερβολική και κουραστική.

  22. Aggliko post ellina sto elliniko reddit hahahaha, malaka trava vres kana hobby and/or another topic to rant abt. Mporeis px na kaneis join se mia ypoga kai na se kratane ekeinoi apasxolimeno/h.

  25. Πόσο πιο κριντζ πχια..

    Η Αθήνα είναι όπως είναι γιατί έτσι δημιουργήθηκε. Τριπλασιαστηκε σε μέγεθος μέσα σε δύο δεκαετίες και κάλυψε τις ανάγκες ανθρώπων που κινδύνευε η ζωή τους είτε λόγω διώξεων είτε λόγω φτώχειας.

    Σήμερα, φέρει αυτή την ιστορία. Γι αυτό είναι τόσο ζωντανή. Γι αυτό είναι η πιο πολυπολιτισμική και φιλελεύθερη πόλη στην Ελλάδα. Έχει χαρακτηριστικά μητροπολιτικής πόλης με πολλαπλά κέντρα και αχανή έκταση. Δεν είναι μόνο το κέντρο της Αθήνας από την Αλεξάνδρας ως το Μοναστηράκι. Είναι ένας σχεδόν συνεχής ιστός από το Πέραμα έως το Σούνιο και τον Μαραθώνα.

    On top of that, η Αθήνα έχει και την πλούσια αρχαία ιστορία της. Η συνύπαρξη του παλιού με το καινούριο. Η ταυτόχρονη παρακμή και των δύο μέσα στην κρίση, ο πολιτισμός που δεν σταματά να νοηματοδοτεί.

    Πέρα από κριντζ, αυτά τα σχόλια κρύβουν και το αθάνατο κομπλεξ του βλαχοβαλκάνιου. Όπου δει μπαρόκ/γοτθικό ρυθμό με ποτάμι ανάμεσα ενθουσιάζεται σα σοβιετικός με McDonald’s.

    Μάθε να εκτιμάς κάθε πόλη γι αυτό που είναι. Δες την ιστορία και τη ζωή της κάθε πόλης και μην κουμπώνεις προκάτ σχήματα “όμορφου και άσχημου”.

  26. >The city outside of the center and the Acropolis is quite ugly

    The city outside of the center is actually way better than the center

  28. Athens is a dump. The crumbling infrastructure speaks for itself. Even in the rich suburbs of Glyfada; you can’t even walk on the sidewalks.

    Greeks simply do not care. They only care about what’s inside their four walls only.

  29. you know what can fix athens? the goverment force everyone to remove all of those fucking antennas and have a single low profile one for each building

  30. Και αν η γιαγιά μου είχε αρχιδια, θα ήτανε παππούς μου. Έβαλες μια φώτο από κάποια ποντικοτρυπα, θεωρήσες ότι όλη η Αθήνα είναι η ακρόπολη, για κάποιο λόγο είπες ότι σου προτείνανε μόνο 5 μέρη να επισκεφτείς, χωρίς να μας πεις τι ακριβώς ρώτησες, το γράφεις και στα αγγλικά, λες και θα του δώσεις παραπάνω κύρος… Κείμενο τύπου να ‘χαμε να λέγαμε που δεν καταλήγει και πουθενά.

  31. Η εικόνα θα άλλαζε δραστικα΄αν αντί για ταράτσες είχαμε ρουφ γκάρντεν η κεραμοσκεπές

  32. What you’re saying is complete BS. Yes most of Athens is ugly but it’s getting better for sure. And if you want to talk about construction quality, Greece is second to none. Go to the us for instance where should you trip you may end up going through the wall. Pieces of concrete having fallen off the balconies is nothing common unless you are in very rundown areas of the city. Additionally claiming that any other place in Greece has more things to see and do than Athens is simply absurd.

  33. Athens is the dirtiest city I’ve ever visit. Cigarette butts, graffiti, dog feces everywhere. It’s disgusting and the greek citizens should care but no one cares enough to do anything. Corrupt politicians don’t care. Everyone thinks it’s someone else’s job to clean up.

  34. Ναι αλλά εμείς έχουμε stronk sperm, greek god εσείς είστε βάρβαροι που τρώγατε βελανίδια /s

  35. Δίκιο έχει ο άνθρωπος. Δεν ξέρω γιατί γράφει Αγγλικά, αλλά η Αθήνα είναι άσχημη εκτός από πολύ συγκεκριμένα μέρη. Είμαστε φτωχή χώρα ναι, αλλά και οι φόροι μας δεν πάνε κάπου. Η πικρή αλήθεια είναι πως έχουμε άσχημη πόλη.

  37. I like Athens, like most Athenians, and I think in the chaos you can see the history of the place. Better than London by far in my opinion. ❤️

  40. Μπουρδέλο είναι όπως και η Θεσσαλονίκη. Όποιος ισχυρίζεται το αντίθετο λέει μαλακιες.

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