Experience in Athens, Greece by Lior

What is it like to live in Athens? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Well, Athens - I love it. It's huge but in a way small, easy to find your way. For me, just the view of the Acropolis on my everyday way home is so great. It's full of music and there is something so easy going about it. There is no rush.

It has clubs, million bars and cafes and it's full of art. The hand of capitalism somehow didn't manage to reach it yet, which makes it even more wonderful for me. People are very kind here and life is simple and sunny. Of course, the effects of the crisis are visible, yet I find the Greeks to be very social in nature.

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How much does it cost to live in Athens?

The rents are fairly cheap. 150-230 for a studio, 300-400 euros for a big apartment. The flats are huge. Electricity is not very cheap but still reasonable. In general, eating and drinking out can be cheaper than cooking. You can also find cheap places to eat if you settle for gyros.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Athens? Is there any advice you can give?

There are lots of apartments available in Athens, though finding a furnished one is more of a challenge.

There are several websites and applications:

• EX
• Spitogatos
• Justlanded

And for some areas you just need to roam the streets and see the adds on the front doors (Exarcheia, for example).

It helps to understand first which area is good for you and best, of course, to sit with someone who speaks Greek 'cause many owners don't.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Dominating the cuisine is the Souvlakias - meat meat and more meat. Mostly pork and chicken. Gyros is available everywhere and is always cheap. The vegetables are great and the summer fruit is fantastic.

I prefer the more vegetarian dishes - Fava (mashed yellow peas), stuffed peppers, aubergine salads, dakos (tomato and feta cheese on hard bread) but also the mousaka is great.

After the 5th gyros, you might want to try something else and Athens has some very good restaurants.

What places would you recommend visiting in Athens?

Filopapou Hill is one of my favorite spots. It's a huge beautiful park in the center right across from the Acropolis, great for hiking and has a fantastic view.

The New Acropolis museum is beautiful.

Psiri and Exarcheia are great areas for bars, restaurants, cafes, Galleries and street art. The walk from Koukaki to Thissio is very nice and ends up in Monastiraki.

The museum for traditional instruments.

And for sure - if you have a day or two off - visit Aigina - it's a near by Island - very sweet place.

Is it good to eat out in Athens? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

There are some pretty good restaurants:

• Ama Lachi
• Rakomel (cretan style) and Achileas in Exarcheia
• To Mavro Provato (the black sheep) in Pagkrati
• The market on Athinas street has some good sea-food restaurants.

Is the nightlife good in Athens? Where is good to go?

Depends what you look for. Gazi has clubs, Keramikos and Exarcheia have really nice bars. If you like Greek pop music you should try a Bouzoukia.

What advice would you give future students heading to Athens?

• Never drink Ouzo/Raki/Tsipouro on an empty stomach.
• Travel whenever you can because Greece is amazingly beautiful.
• Internet installation for the house can sometimes take two weeks. Don't panic. Every cafe has Wi-Fi.
• Look up FB groups in Athens for buying stuff/advice/recommendations etc. there are a lot of foreigners coming and going.