The Oldest Apartment Building? Athens
Thirst for life
My decision to write about this spot came from stumbling upon this oddly beautiful sight while exploring Patision St. I thought this decrepit old building next to an equally decrepit Coca Cola ad summed up the visual identity of the center of Athens quite nicely. Old ad murals like this one are slowly disappearing, but finding one (e.g. the one I've also written about in my IWATSU Japan article) always gives me a twitchy shutter finger. The slogan under the ad reading δίψα για ζωή (dÃpsa gia zoà - thirst for life) just makes this portrait of modern urban decay all the more compelling.
Those of you with a keener eye for details might notice another ad (about a furniture shop, by the way) hidden beneath - or is that laid over? - the one about Coca Cola. The past and the even deeper past get entangled, just like they eventually do in our collective memory, until no-one knows, or cares, what came first.
Talking about collective memory: the apartment building on the left, with its two floors, eight apartments and more than a century of life clocked in already, is apparently Athens' oldest apartment building still inhabited today! You can check out more pre-war apartment buildings on Patision street here.
About this spot
Laskaratou 2 & Patision 348
€
no-price
Explore cities like a local with Spotted by Locals - discover hidden gems and all our locals’ favourites! Get full access to our Athens guide.
Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:
Discover all other hidden gems in Athens
Giorgio Hatter – For the hat lovers
Quality and unique materials, special and simple colors, fashion, and personal style are combined in a large collection of men's and women's hats.
By
Andreas
Papadopoulos
Buho Bruncherie – The ideal place for brunch
The unique pancakes at Buho (sweet and savory) are in my opinion, the best I have tried in the city and the menu has enough options to satisfy all tastes.
By
Antonis
Tsapepas
Talking Breads – Talking about street food
My favourite burger is the Bacon Mushroom Melt, and my favourite sandwich is the Tika, which is slightly spicy and causes a chain of flavour explosions!
By
Antonis
Tsapepas
Zefyros – An open air cinephile experience
Here is where viewers, myself included, got to know the worlds of Bunuel, Welles, Tarkovsky, Ozu, Bergman, and many more emblematic filmmakers.
By
Antonis
Tsapepas
La Bella Napoli – Italian pizza like no other
At this place, they make pizza the original Neapolitan way. The dough is thin and tasty, and the tomato sauce has a refined taste.
By
Antonis
Tsapepas
Shedia – Human is the answer
Shedia is heavily focused on sustainability and inclusivity: pets have their own menu, the menu is also offered in Braille, and the oil used is produced by the Niarchos park trees and then recycled.
By
Zoe
Tziakou
Teras – A pretty monster
Teras is full of contradictions: it is unconventionally named (teras means 'monster' in greek) in an ugly way but it is one of the most beautiful places to enjoy your drink.
By
Zoe
Tziakou
KAFAO – Street art everywhere
We call these boxes KAFAO (ΚΑΦΑΟ in Greek) and they are basically the Greekized pronunciation of the German acronym KV (Ka-Fau)...
By
Andreas
Papadopoulos
Rizopoulos Coffee 1901 – The oldest coffee house
The story of Rizopoulos family's involvement with coffee begins in the early 20th century, specifically in 1901, when Andreas Rizopoulos arrived in Athens,
By
Andreas
Papadopoulos
To 24oro – Budget restaurant around the clock
It's really close to both Akropoli and Syggrou-Fix metro station, it has a nice vibe, a great selection of Greek international dishes and large portions!
By
Dimitris
Hall
CatDog Urban Bar – Berlin meets Pokemon
I've been here with friends and they've all been amazed at the low prices, cool vibe and '90s memorabilia. Even the cocktails are named after Pokemon!
By
Dimitris
Hall
Kitschen – Port-side Asian fusion Nirvana
Once you enter, you will be amazed by the Japanese-cool decoration, especially by the huge blue mural with the 3D elements and the pink circle.
By