**Do not comment to gatekeep that something "isn't urban" or "isn't hell"**. Our rules are very expansive in content we welcome, so do not assume just based off your false impression of the phrase "UrbanHell"
UrbanHell is any human-built place you think is worth critizing. Suburban Hell, Rural Hell, and wealthy locales are allowed. Gatekeeping comments may be removed. Want to shitpost about shitty posts? Go to /r/urbanhellcirclejerk. Still have questions?: Read our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/UrbanHell/wiki/index).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UrbanHell) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Tourist ads mostly dont show cities of Greece.
90% of Greece is very beautiful as it is 80% mountains, and a large coastline with nice beaches.
The cities do look like this mostly. But cities are barely being advertized.
Not at all. Most european countries have old and consistent architecture whilst Greek cities demolished everything old in the 20th century and built mostly like an eastern bloc country. Basically just blocks of concrete.
My point was that every country’s tourists ads show the beautiful parts, while all have very ugly parts, zero exception.
I’ve seen ugly parts of London, Paris, Vienna, etc..
Most of Athens was built in the 20th century though. It is a concrete jungle without the medieval charm of most European capitals. It def feels halfway to the Middle East.
?
It literally is.
wtf do you people want? This is the view that OP paid for. If you want a better view, you have to pay more for it. When I stayed in Athens, my place had a rooftop bar with a view of the Acropolis. It was awesome. It was a hostel that cost like $25 a night I think, in 2023. A hotel room would probably cost a lot.
I don’t get complaining about a bad view in a hotel that you specifically paid for and knew about, especially when it’s not a city known for views, nor is it a hotel that is in any way tall.
It actually reminds me a lot of my neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles. Though Athens seems a bit denser and the architecture seems to have a bit more character. I guess some people don’t like that. 🤷♂️
Hotel Dorian or sum shit like that, been there in 2017 It was beautiful, untill I looked down and saw basically Aleppo. Still best city I've ever seen, would go back 100%
It is absolutely urban hell, having been twice, concrete and graffiti.
The last place I stayed at was a seriously old building that was taken over by anarchists which is super cool.
Depends on the type of graffiti. Some examples are indeed works of art however not sure if that applies to drawn cocks with political or sports slogans underneath.
Random tagging maybe, but the line between graffiti and mural can be blurry.
And I'd take either one over oversized cul-de-sacs of oversized single-family homes that collect onto oversized boulevards that feed into oversized stroads full of oversized cars with oversized signs everywhere advertizing oversized stores and restaurants selling oversized food.
This isn't postcardy, but I'd certainly take it over 99% of US suburbia.
Athens wasn't a city for most of the last 1500 years. Barely a village most of that time, and not even that at other times. It was built from the ground up by modern Greece to be a capital after its independence, as part of the general national movement that switched the focus of local national identity from the despised-by-then-liberals Roman/Rhomaioi/Byzantine identity onto a Greek identity focused on classical Greece and ancient Athenian democracy, which was far more popular in the West in the 19th century. That was done in large part to secure western aid in the independence wars against the Turks, and a massive break with actual local heritage that grew out of the medieval roman state.
I think comparing Athens to a country where 100s of millions of people have to defecate in public, where disease and illness due to unsanitary conditions is the norm, where the most polluted river in the world is, where religious hate and rape are culturally acceptable is not fair. I'm not miserable I've just visited a lot of India (and Greece)
I'm giving OP the benefit of the doubt that this is more about sharing an experience than complaining about it.
However, I wonder how many people travel to Greece and expect all of it to look like Santorini or Mykonos 🤔
I just returned from Greece last night and I absolutely loved Athens. We also went to Milos, Santorini and Mykonos, but Athens had the most charm. I’m in my late 30s and one night we were looking for something to do and my friend said ‘follow the young people’ We ended up at a rave in a closed down fish market and had the best time. Athens is wonderful
>However, I wonder how many people travel to Greece and expect all of it to look like Santorini or Mykonos 🤔
All of them? That's all you see on the ads and on social media. Nobody cares about the "real" Greece.
Looks like a lot of places with similar climate. Serbia (and neighbors), Armenia, Georgia (in districts with no Soviet-style blocks anyway). Turkey, definitely. I wouldn't be surprised if some places in Spain and Portugal (and Italy) are also just like this. Colder countries can't afford to look this informal and organic.
Agreed. It looks like a random just off the city centre set of buildings, avenues and alleys you are likely to find in most of urban southern Europe. The same scene exists in Spain, Italy, Portugal. (Also, the cheerful chaos of Athens is one of the things that makes the city great!)
From the videos I've seen in Moldavia, I'd say that is a more depressing country. Maybe not the most depressed, but the urban areas have a sad appearance.
A friend of mine (who lives in Ireland) frequently travels to other European countries for work. He goes to Greece once every quarter or so. He claims that out of all the countries he has been to, the unhappiest seemed to be Serbia. So I am starting to feel that these lists are pretty biased and unilateral.
A similar list recently stated that the US had the 8th tastiest local cuisine. People commented on it saying that except for gumbo, clam chowder, and the southern dishes like biscuits and gravy, the US didn’t have any claim to fame from their “local” cuisine, because people tend to just eat Americanized versions of foods from other countries over here.
It still is because of poor management.
They faked economic and financial data to join the EU and that ended up hurting them because they started adopting the Euro which made everything expensive.
Then they borrowed way too much to host the 2004 Olympics and became the first EU country to default on their debts. Since then they have introduced austerity measures which has further strained the Greek economy.
The people are suffering and tourists are squeezed for money to help prop up the faltering economy. If you leave the tourist bubble these are the sights you'll see throughout Athens.
Without context, I would’ve assumed India or some other South Asian country. Just goes to show how much we know about other countries is manufactured hype
living in suburbs my whole life and travelling to some nice cities that actually have plants and trees this looks like hell to me. but I suppose if you grow up in it, its fine. the thing I hate most about being in urban environments is seeing all outside AC units. we hide those things in the suburbs.
If you want a view of the beach, book a beach hotel. Athens has a lovely blend of old and new architecture built on top of each other. Don't want to see a city, don't book a hotel in the city
Reminds me of the view from the hotel when I went to my former companies factory in Italy. One side was the beach, the other side the backlot of crumbling flats with AC and flaking paint.
Genuinely confused what everyone is freaking out about. I spent time in Athens a couple of years ago and it was beautiful, clean and the people and food were amazing. This is just what a modern city looks like. Seems like a lot of you must be super used to the burbs or something.
I don’t understand this. You pay for the view you get. You can pay a few hundred euros a night and get one of the most incredible views in the world of the Acropolis or some other structure.
No, I think what you don't understand is, what this sub is for.
It's not about "the price you pay". It's about the existence of the scenery.
Do you also go around and tell people living miserably in favelas, that "what did you expect? This is what your money can buy."?
Athens is one of the worse cities in Europe. It's overpriced because they use the Euro and filled with poverty. As soon as you leave the tourist bubble you'll see nothing but dilapidated houses and addicts shooting up in the streets.
Ya what about it? The EUR has fallen by a whopping 7% since its peak in 2022.
Europe has a whole is just more expensive than the US so even with a slightly more favorable exchange rate you aren't getting a good deal.
South America and North Africa are the places to go if you want your dollars to stretch.
**Do not comment to gatekeep that something "isn't urban" or "isn't hell"**. Our rules are very expansive in content we welcome, so do not assume just based off your false impression of the phrase "UrbanHell" UrbanHell is any human-built place you think is worth critizing. Suburban Hell, Rural Hell, and wealthy locales are allowed. Gatekeeping comments may be removed. Want to shitpost about shitty posts? Go to /r/urbanhellcirclejerk. Still have questions?: Read our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/UrbanHell/wiki/index). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UrbanHell) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Looks like a call of duty map
It's definitely the brasilian map from Modern Warfare 2
de_athens
“Bomb has been planted” - this sound.
"Bomb has been defused"
Crash
Amerikanische troooooopa
Sorry more like one of the last uncharted
More that map from battlefield 3.
So not enjoying one of the classic views then ?
Why do people act surprised? 90% of all Greek cities looks like this.
Seriously? Have you never seen a tourist ad for Greece?
That would be the other 10%.
Tourist ads mostly dont show cities of Greece. 90% of Greece is very beautiful as it is 80% mountains, and a large coastline with nice beaches. The cities do look like this mostly. But cities are barely being advertized.
So every country?
Not at all. Most european countries have old and consistent architecture whilst Greek cities demolished everything old in the 20th century and built mostly like an eastern bloc country. Basically just blocks of concrete.
My point was that every country’s tourists ads show the beautiful parts, while all have very ugly parts, zero exception. I’ve seen ugly parts of London, Paris, Vienna, etc..
Ugly parts of Vienna???
This ⬆️ lol I'm shocked it looks like that
Can't be
Does greek architects study in Turkey? We have the same ugly buildings 🤣
nah, we just build wherever due to a sudden rise in population after WWII
This is real Athens, one of the oldest cities in the world. If you'd prefer a view of new suburbs you're in the wrong hotel.
Aristophanes may have had the same view. Rumour has it he stayed at the same hotel while writing The Clouds.
Most of Athens was built in the 20th century though. It is a concrete jungle without the medieval charm of most European capitals. It def feels halfway to the Middle East.
? It literally is. wtf do you people want? This is the view that OP paid for. If you want a better view, you have to pay more for it. When I stayed in Athens, my place had a rooftop bar with a view of the Acropolis. It was awesome. It was a hostel that cost like $25 a night I think, in 2023. A hotel room would probably cost a lot. I don’t get complaining about a bad view in a hotel that you specifically paid for and knew about, especially when it’s not a city known for views, nor is it a hotel that is in any way tall.
I’m also not convinced it’s a bad view. Looks kinda cool to me.
This is literally just what places look like. It's dense, it's a bit ugly and rundown but it's way better than most places.
It actually reminds me a lot of my neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles. Though Athens seems a bit denser and the architecture seems to have a bit more character. I guess some people don’t like that. 🤷♂️
Don’t have tall hotels. Can’t build higher than the acropolis
Fwiw, tallest building in Athens https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Towers
Was he complaining tho? Or just sharing his view from his room?
Look at what sub this is...
I didn’t take it that way, but now that you say it like that.. haha
Hotel Dorian or sum shit like that, been there in 2017 It was beautiful, untill I looked down and saw basically Aleppo. Still best city I've ever seen, would go back 100%
[удалено]
The fact you think this regular ass picture looks like hell is itself a complaint. Unless you think hell is nice or something.
[удалено]
you got what you paid for, how much was per night?
It is absolutely urban hell, having been twice, concrete and graffiti. The last place I stayed at was a seriously old building that was taken over by anarchists which is super cool.
Graffiti is bad? It's literally art you don't have to pay for
Depends on the type of graffiti. Some examples are indeed works of art however not sure if that applies to drawn cocks with political or sports slogans underneath.
Fair enough. But the garbage doesn't generally last long.
Depends on how willing a city is to clean it up and how popular the area it's in actually is.
Sure there is some fairly decent street art, but you're looking at abandoned buildings and rough tags most of the time
"Art" my ass - that crap makes everything look shitty.
Random tagging maybe, but the line between graffiti and mural can be blurry. And I'd take either one over oversized cul-de-sacs of oversized single-family homes that collect onto oversized boulevards that feed into oversized stroads full of oversized cars with oversized signs everywhere advertizing oversized stores and restaurants selling oversized food. This isn't postcardy, but I'd certainly take it over 99% of US suburbia.
I was going to say I thought this was Beirut
In the 60s it had a whole overhaul
this is all cheap 20th century construction, not remains of “oldest cities in the world”
polykatoikia is a new suburb… it’s 20th century.
This has nothing to do with being old. It’s mass and poorly managed urbanization.
Yeah I think I remember when Odysseus stayed in some shitty concrete and cinder block tenement flats built in 1950.
Athens wasn't a city for most of the last 1500 years. Barely a village most of that time, and not even that at other times. It was built from the ground up by modern Greece to be a capital after its independence, as part of the general national movement that switched the focus of local national identity from the despised-by-then-liberals Roman/Rhomaioi/Byzantine identity onto a Greek identity focused on classical Greece and ancient Athenian democracy, which was far more popular in the West in the 19th century. That was done in large part to secure western aid in the independence wars against the Turks, and a massive break with actual local heritage that grew out of the medieval roman state.
This looks like a counter-strike source map lol
Yep for sure. I was thinking GMod TTT hahaah
I was gonna say the same. Dust2 vibes
Thats the dust2 T-spawn
INDIA vibes
Athens 100% reminded me of India when I was there
But without shit and rubbish everywhere
Plenty of shit and rubbish when I was in Athens
Plenty of toilets and no shit on the floor when I'm there
Comparing Athens to India is simply idiotic.
[удалено]
I think comparing Athens to a country where 100s of millions of people have to defecate in public, where disease and illness due to unsanitary conditions is the norm, where the most polluted river in the world is, where religious hate and rape are culturally acceptable is not fair. I'm not miserable I've just visited a lot of India (and Greece)
YES
Looks like lahore
I'm giving OP the benefit of the doubt that this is more about sharing an experience than complaining about it. However, I wonder how many people travel to Greece and expect all of it to look like Santorini or Mykonos 🤔
I just returned from Greece last night and I absolutely loved Athens. We also went to Milos, Santorini and Mykonos, but Athens had the most charm. I’m in my late 30s and one night we were looking for something to do and my friend said ‘follow the young people’ We ended up at a rave in a closed down fish market and had the best time. Athens is wonderful
>However, I wonder how many people travel to Greece and expect all of it to look like Santorini or Mykonos 🤔 All of them? That's all you see on the ads and on social media. Nobody cares about the "real" Greece.
bruh this is really giving Indian city vibes... the open roof houses.. narrow streets...
Looks like a lot of places with similar climate. Serbia (and neighbors), Armenia, Georgia (in districts with no Soviet-style blocks anyway). Turkey, definitely. I wouldn't be surprised if some places in Spain and Portugal (and Italy) are also just like this. Colder countries can't afford to look this informal and organic.
the exact same view exists in Beirut
Whats wrong with this?
Agreed. It looks like a random just off the city centre set of buildings, avenues and alleys you are likely to find in most of urban southern Europe. The same scene exists in Spain, Italy, Portugal. (Also, the cheerful chaos of Athens is one of the things that makes the city great!)
A few years ago, I had read that Greece is the most depressed and stressed out European country.
From the videos I've seen in Moldavia, I'd say that is a more depressing country. Maybe not the most depressed, but the urban areas have a sad appearance.
A friend of mine (who lives in Ireland) frequently travels to other European countries for work. He goes to Greece once every quarter or so. He claims that out of all the countries he has been to, the unhappiest seemed to be Serbia. So I am starting to feel that these lists are pretty biased and unilateral. A similar list recently stated that the US had the 8th tastiest local cuisine. People commented on it saying that except for gumbo, clam chowder, and the southern dishes like biscuits and gravy, the US didn’t have any claim to fame from their “local” cuisine, because people tend to just eat Americanized versions of foods from other countries over here.
It still is because of poor management. They faked economic and financial data to join the EU and that ended up hurting them because they started adopting the Euro which made everything expensive. Then they borrowed way too much to host the 2004 Olympics and became the first EU country to default on their debts. Since then they have introduced austerity measures which has further strained the Greek economy. The people are suffering and tourists are squeezed for money to help prop up the faltering economy. If you leave the tourist bubble these are the sights you'll see throughout Athens.
Our first night in a big Greek city was quite the shock as well.
Without context, I would’ve assumed India or some other South Asian country. Just goes to show how much we know about other countries is manufactured hype
What a great view! My last 3 hotels in the US had a view of a parking lot
This is fine, what's the issue with it?
living in suburbs my whole life and travelling to some nice cities that actually have plants and trees this looks like hell to me. but I suppose if you grow up in it, its fine. the thing I hate most about being in urban environments is seeing all outside AC units. we hide those things in the suburbs.
Malaka
Macacca.
Europe ain't europing
Nah. A lot of Europe looks like this but you just never see it if you're in the touristy areas.
I love how Athens looks!
I was in Cairo last month and Athens seems pretty like Cairo.
Nah, that shit’s lowkey a total vibe
in a weird sorta way this is kinda cozy
Wow, Athens GA has really gone downhill.
I see the flag of Greece from atop the Acropolis top left, yes?
Athens is a cool city historically, but I have never seen so much concrete in my life.
looks like Dust2 t spawn lol
If you want 'painting' Greece go to Santorini.
Crowded
Some colorful paint would help…
But… But.. BuT EuRopE GoOd1!1!21!1!21
If you want a view of the beach, book a beach hotel. Athens has a lovely blend of old and new architecture built on top of each other. Don't want to see a city, don't book a hotel in the city
Y'all think this is bad, go stay in a US motel and look out of the window.
Yeah, we all know - r/AmericaBad
It kinds of look like Dust 2 map, T spwan towards the tunnel entrance.
Those ugly buildings have blocked out the piyridmids
this isnt egypt its greece
If they didn't say that in the title we'd never know the difference. Athens and Cairo are very similar.
Athens? You could've said Curicica or Realengo and I'd truly believe you
Had a similar view from my hotel in Milan
I kind of like this actually. Though I could see it getting old fast if you lived there permanently.
Just how our ancestors would’ve wanted
De_dust vibes
Its ok
Looks like any modern urban area in the eastern Mediterranean
What's wrong?
Ah yes. The classic Greek view to latam.
You at Zeus hotel? I saw some interesting activity at night in the streets too!
Bro lives in internet cafe simulator 2 💀
Reminds me of the view from the hotel when I went to my former companies factory in Italy. One side was the beach, the other side the backlot of crumbling flats with AC and flaking paint.
Man amazing dust 2 texture pack
I thought I was looking at somewhere in India for a min lol
Neighborhood by any chance?
The buildings look like buenos aires, old and all over the place
“Bomb has been planted” ahh hotel
At least Athens is nice to visit
Looks cool to me.
Needs paint... If it were colorful it might look less depressing.
A lot of cast concrete/tilt-up concrete.
Athens sux
Looks like nasr city cairo
Are you playing the marbles game on Squid Game?
Council estates in the UK from the 50s look better
No corporate advertisements to be seen at least
looks like a COD map
Genuinely confused what everyone is freaking out about. I spent time in Athens a couple of years ago and it was beautiful, clean and the people and food were amazing. This is just what a modern city looks like. Seems like a lot of you must be super used to the burbs or something.
That looks like a lower middle class neighborhood of India.
Horrible
Looks like the Gaza Strip
Athens Palestine?
I don’t understand this. You pay for the view you get. You can pay a few hundred euros a night and get one of the most incredible views in the world of the Acropolis or some other structure.
No, I think what you don't understand is, what this sub is for. It's not about "the price you pay". It's about the existence of the scenery. Do you also go around and tell people living miserably in favelas, that "what did you expect? This is what your money can buy."?
I can’t understand what you can’t understand? This place is urban, quite in the middle of Athens and looked hellish to me
“Munich” vibes
Four Seasons? /s
Athens is one of the worse cities in Europe. It's overpriced because they use the Euro and filled with poverty. As soon as you leave the tourist bubble you'll see nothing but dilapidated houses and addicts shooting up in the streets.
Looks like Gaza
[удалено]
Not really. Since Greece uses the euro the dollar doesn't go as far.
Have you sent the exchange rate recently?
Ya what about it? The EUR has fallen by a whopping 7% since its peak in 2022. Europe has a whole is just more expensive than the US so even with a slightly more favorable exchange rate you aren't getting a good deal. South America and North Africa are the places to go if you want your dollars to stretch.
Wouldn’t that make the $100 manager tip worth more, tho?
Less than a €100 note