Where to live in Athens: The crusade of the five neighbourhoods (3)

Now we have arrived at the last of the neighbourhoods that I've personally gotten to know, despite leaving many out due to lack of experience (Glyfada, Faliro y Pireos on the coast; Patissia, Nea Smirni, Xalandri further inland... they all have pros and cons. )

To know about the previous neighbourhoods I lived in read this post (Kallithea and Victoria) and this post (Maroussi and Exarcheia).

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Today I'm going to talk about...

Evanggelismos

This is the neighbourhood in which I currently reside, I'd describe it as quiet and well-located in the more residential centre.

More central? How is it possible?

Well, the centre of Athens is very relative. Evanggelismos is considered the centre because it's really close to the Syntagma Square, only one metro stop away on the blue line.

It's not the historic centre, but there's a lot of big hotels there and, above all, the majority of hospitals where you can find the emergency rooms, both her as in the next station of Megaro Mousikis. The location makes this a relatively ideal place as it's accessible from many points of the city.

To get there, in addition to the metro, there's also a lot of buses available, amongst them the X14 express night bus and the no. 11 trolley (circular) that operates all day. Generally during the day, the most useful are the 732 and the 224 that stop in Exarcheia, or on the street 28 Oktobriou. The 550 also passes through here, but I wouldn't recommend taking it if you want to get to Kifissia, at least not in the summer, because it's a long and hot journey.

With the metro you have easy access to Katehaki (the closest stop to the Polytechnic Universities in Zografou), and to Monastiraki or Kerameikos that are hardly two or three stops away. If you prefer walking, via the well-maintained streets of Kolonaki, in less than 15 minutes, you'll reach Syntagma.

It's also on the border with the Pagkrati neighbourhood, which isn't highly appraised, as burglaries are abundant as is street crime, but it's not as bad in other areas.

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Is it a nice house?

Well, I must say that it's very similar to the house I acquired in Kallithea, and the style of life in these surroundings here is also the same. It's a shared flat for 3 people.

We have all the basics and even more (TV), and although the building mainly houses older people, it doesn't suffer any flaws, not even in the oldest elements, such as the kitchen. The appearance is of a little granny's house, but this gives it charm, and it has a perfect terrace that catches the morning sun and is nice and cool from midday onward and in the afternoon.

The price that I pay, being a shared flat, does not exceed €200. It's not as cheap as Victoria, but it's not expensive at all. The good thing is that it's not in the area of Kolonaki, where I'm sure it would really change things, so it's perfectly affordable and it has many advantages.

The only really bad thing of this location, specifically this house I mean, is that it's in front of the garage of a big tourist hotel, and every morning they bring trucks with merchandise at 7am, which means there's no day in which I have a break from this thunderous noise. A suggestion is you live here: don't live literally in front of a hotel or hospital. You'll be overjoyed with the rest.

Can you go for a calm walk easily?

So easily! Also, the Evangelismos station is located just in front of a park, perfect for taking a stroll or waiting for someone who'll probably arrive late.

The maze of streets is very familiar, with its supermarkets, its high street, and the abundance of traditional cafes, which are a little baffling to be honest, because they are full of older men that occupy the pavements sitting down, and they just look at you walk by. There are also a lot of unique kiosks and shops, small squares, and cafes. I must mention, if you want to get a coffee or a beer around here, look for somewhere far away from the hotels, because of course, the price is unthinkable.

You'll have no problems walking towards Syntagma or in Kolonaki, because the streets are well-maintained and even wide (truly surprising, being in breach of custom). From the station there's an abundance of green, I suppose it attracts the attention of tourists, or provides a relaxing view for the patients in the hospital.

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The lifestyle?

It's between the family-oriented and the wealthy, both count. It's common to see children running around or playing in the small squares, and groups of people sat down in the taverns or cafes. The atmosphere is relaxed and calm, well, a little more that the tourist visits or traffic that is always bubbling around here.

Also, as I mentioned before, there are several hospitals nearby which is very convenient if there's reason to need them, or at least gain an understanding of how the healthcare system works here (generally with emergencies they respond quickly and directly which I know, so if you can consider it so, it's better).

Of course, the prices of the shops go up once entering Kolonaki, which is considered the best of all the central neighbourhoods as for quality of life. You feel it mostly in the taverns, but also from the appearance of the porches and the streets, which are decorated with bright trees and and very well maintained.

And what can I do? I'm neither a tourist nor rich.

Understandable, but the good thing about living here is that it's well connected with different parts of Athens where you can do things without having to sell your kidney, or it's enough to stay at home and relax.

Nearby, in addition to the park of the station and its church being available, there's a small cinema (Chrisos 40 street) where they show recent films, even Spanish ones (a little while ago I went to see the latest film of direct Alex de la Iglesia). As a note, the films in Greece are not dubbed, but they always show the original version with subtitles in Greek, so the people can enjoy films from all over the world, including from our countries.

On the other hand, if you want to find a small job for the year (waiter, personal tutor... ) I suggest asking in the different establishments on the streets or putting up adverts. Being a relaxed, family area, the pay is not usually low, and you'll have more luck here than in other areas.

And so the tour ends. As I noted at the beginning, there are many others to see, but of those that are unknown, they can only be discovered by looking to see how it is. Good luck to everyone and I hope you find the perfect corner for yourselves.

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