No Widgets found in the Sidebar

What a place! What a transformation!

A buzzing, lively neighborhood 24/7

It is bound by Athinas Street, Ermou Street and Piraeus Street. You may get there from the Monastiraki or the Thiseio Metro stations

In the past, during the day, Psiri was the warehouse district, the center for industry and the place where tradesman went to restock and repair their tools, small shops selling everything from restaurant equipment to welding supplies from furniture to leather and leather working tools, paints, locks, plumbing supplies, etc. In fact some of my greatest photographs have been shot in Psiri. My most favorite one is the “Garlic sellers”, an older couple in front of their shop braiding garlic strands. Their dog, a big German shepherd, laying guard at their feet. It shows the traditional use of the neighborhood.

In the old days the area turned dark and unsavory after sunset. Today, it is a cosmopolitan Mecca with its roots still showing. Sure, when I go for my garlic fix I’m usually passing a few people getting fixes of their own. I’m like a local, so I don’t pay it too much attention. But a word of caution to visitors, this up and coming neighborhood ain’t done comin’ up. It is, though, one example of urban development. Take a rundown, neglected, colorful neighborhood and at no cost to the taxpayers transform it into a happening attraction for locals and tourists.

By day, the sounds of industry fill the air. The narrow winding maze of streets are full of mini-trucks and gypsy three wheelers, scouring for remnants of scap metal, while cabinet makers sand away at their latest project and welders catch some air outside their garages. A young man scurries across the street, carrying a traditional triangular coffee tray as he deliveries Greek coffees and frappes to the merchants. The hum continues until early afternoon, when the rollers and gates come down over the storefronts. By 3 or 4 the streets are empty, and a quiet settles the area until after siesta time, when the cafes, bars and restaurants start to prepare for the evening’s visitors.

By 8 pm, the streets are once again humming. Restaurants and bars of all types will keep this neighborhood busy and awake until the industrial shops open up in the morning, when the cycle begins all over again. If you happen to be closing one of Psiri’s many clubs, don’t miss a warm loukouma or koulouri from the bakery at XXX street. Join the workers in line as they stop in for their breakfast.

On Sunday morning Psiri transforms itself yet again becoming a huge outdoor flea market. If you’re headed toward Monastiraki for the famous “flea market”, it’s moved: to Psiri. It’s a great place to find that unique and sometimes rare gift or antique.

Truly a place that never sleeps. When visiting at night time don’t let the dark streets bordering Athinas and Ermou deter you from going on.

Ochre and Brown Hotel, Psirri

Boutique hotels the likes of Ochre and Brown are starting to appear in the neighborhood. They join the older budget hotels, like the Pella Inn, offering a place options for travelers at all price points and comfort levels. It is such an incredible multipurpose use of a neighborhood.

The old warehouses, transient hotels, the flea market, mixed with upscale hotels, trendy clubs and bars, chic boutiques and art galleries, coexist in a place that depending on the time you go has a different look and feel.

Hotel Pella Inn, Ermou Street

By Athensguide

How does a little girl from Skokie, Illinois find herself in historical Athens, leading curious explorers through the winding streets of Plaka, down "pezodromos" to hidden ouzeries for tempting mezedhes and homemade barrel wine? The journey began more than twenty years ago, and regardless of whether the wanderlust comes from the spiritual and culture DNA flowing through my veins, or the alignment of the stars on that cold mid-December day this Sagitterian came into the world, I never seem to tire of exploring my adopted homeland of Greece. Here you'll join me as I explore Athens: be it the back streets of Psirri and Gazi, or through the National Gardens and Zappeio where a family of turtles makes their home, or down wide, treelined Imittou Street in Pagrati, which pulses with Athenian life 24 hours a day. And while Athens has stolen my heart, the rest of Greece vies for my curiousity and wanderlust. My two guys (that'd be the Greek God, Vasilis and our Greek dog, Scruffy) and I can often be found settling in for a long weekend in some charming mountain village, or a quaint fishing port on a nearby island, or learning how Greek vitners are producing wines that rival some of Napa Valley's finests productions, or celebrating a panayeri in Epirus or sharing in the festivities as a family of Cretan sheepherders come together to sheer their 1500 sheep in the spring ... And if you happen to find yourself heading to Athens, consider finding yourself a real home for your stay. Living amongst the locals, be it for 3 nights or 3 weeks, will offer you the chance to experience true Athens, beyond the Acropolis. Choose from one of our 5 beautiful penthouse and historical homes, and who knows, I may be leading you down that winding "pezodromo" to our favorite hidden ouzerie!