Orientation
As a visitor, you're likely to spend most of your time in the central grid of Athens, a compact, walkable area. Only on arrival at, or departure from, the various far-flung stations and terminals, do you have to confront the confused urban sprawl. Once in the centre, it's a simple matter to orient yourself. There are four strategic reference points: the squares of Syndagma ("Syntagma" on many English-language maps) and Omonia and the hills of the Acropolis (unmistakable with its temple crown) and (to the northeast) Lykavitos . Once you've established these as a mental compass you should not be lost for long - anyone will point you back in the direction of Syndagma or Omonia. Syndagma (Platia Sindagmatos, "Constitution Square", to give it its full title) lies midway between the Acropolis and Lykavitos. With the Greek Parliament building - plus mammoth metro tunnelling and traffic diversions - on its uphill side, and banks and airline offices clustered around, it is to all intents and purposes the centre of the capital. Almost everything of daytime interest is within twenty to thirty minutes' walk of the square. To the northeast, the ritzy Kolonaki quarter curls around the slopes of Lykavitos , with a funicular up the hillside to save you the final climb. To the east, behind the Parliament, the jungly National Gardens function as the city's chief lung and meeting place; beyond them are the 1896 Olympic stadium and the attractive neighbourhoods of Pangrati and Mets , both crammed with restaurants and bars. To the southwest, up to the base of the Acropolis , spread the ramshackle but much-commercialized lanes of Plaka , the lone surviving area of the nineteenth-century, pre-Independence village. Beyond the Acropolis itself is Filopappou Hill , an area of parkland bordered by the neighbourhoods of Koukaki and Ano Petralona , also good choices for accommodation and meals. Northwest of Syndagma, two broad thoroughfares, Stadhiou and Panepistimiou (officially but ineffectually named Venizelou), run in just under a kilometre to Omonia (in full, Platia Omonias, "Concord Square"). This is the heart of the city for the ordinary Athenian, with department stores, computer software and discount-priced electronic goods attracting a lively trade on Saturday morning. Omonia's backstreets were not long ago compared to those around Piccadilly Circus or Times Square: more than a bit seedy, with fast-food cafes, gypsies, pickpockets and a scattering of porno shows and bordellos. This is rapidly changing, however, with the commercial success of Psyrri , the entertainment district to the southwest of Omonia square. Buildings on and near Omonia have been renovated, local theatre groups have set up headquarters in old warehouses in Psyrri and a plethora of trendy ouzeris, cafes and clubs is flourishing. The area's popularity is spilling over into Keramikos , a diverse residential neighbourhood west of Psyrri. It has a pleasantly low-key atmosphere in comparison to frenetic Psyrri and is now home to a few chic restaurants and bars. Southwest of here is the neighbourhood of Gazi , named after the defunct gasworks, that once spewed out noxious fumes but has now been converted into the sleek Municipal Technopolis Centre gallery. Even further west, Rouf , once distinguished by its large gypsy population and produce market, has also undergone something of a renaissance. With the recent opening of a couple of very upscale restaurants, the area is being labelled the next "hotspot". To the northeast of Omonia, beyond Panepistimiou, lies the student neighbourhood of Exarhia , a slightly "alternative" district, with a concentration of lively tavernas and bars there and in its extension Neapoli . Southeast of Omonia, stretching down to Ermou street and the Monastiraki bazaar district on the borders of Plaka, lies the main commercial centre, crammed with offices and clusters of shops offering everything from insurance to airline tickets, machine tools to household goods.
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