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Where to stay away from Tourist but still be able to trace down teenage memories from 70's

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Things have changed so much since I lived in Ellinikon (air base) area and hung out with friends all over, as a teenager '74-'77. This is my first time back.
A group of us will be in Athens a few days before a cruise (Staying close to the Hilton), then when we return hubby and I will stay a few more days to trace down my memories, if I can find them.

I am overwhelmed. It would have been easier to decide if it was my first time.
I want to see my old home (by the old airport and base), old beaches (but it is May and too cold to swim and most are now private).
We will not have a car so we're relying on the public transportation.
We are not clubbers and I want to have the authentic greek feel for food and walking the streets. Not tourists and commercialism.

I have looked at the beach cities, but wonder where we will be able to walk to eat and still have a close bus or metro stop.
Now I am thinking to stay in Athens (like the first part of the trip) and just commute down for a day to see the areas I want to see.

Can a get recommendations of what PARTS of Voula, Vouliagmenis, or quiet Glyfada would work for us....or an area in Athens that is from the old years? The more I study, the more frustrated I get. I don't want to see tourists, shopping, malls, souvenir shops, overpriced restaurants, etc.
Thank you.

Posted by
18 posts

"old beaches (but it is May and too cold to swim and most are now private). " There are no private beaches in Greece so you'll be able to access them all. But yes, it will have changed.

Posted by
3492 posts

Don't bother trying to revisit Ellinikon Air Base or your old home, you'll be very disappointed. It's currently a massive construction site called Ellinikon, the largest in Europe, which will transform the entire area into a kind of Dubai with apartment buildings, hotels, malls, a marina, etc.

Here's what it looks like these days:

https://youtu.be/wPMMVOzA2q8

In Glyfada and its surrounding areas, the beaches aren't private, but you have to pay for sunbeds, and some even charge a fee to access them. There were very heavy rains in Glyfada last month, causing landslides, and the area has been declared a disaster zone.

https://youtu.be/HcApD7qY-Uo

Personally, even outside the Ellinikon site, I find the whole area lacking charm and unattractive. There’s a busy avenue with heavy traffic and a few luxury private resorts that are surrounded by walls with guarded access. Traveling from Syntagma Square to Glyfada (and beyond) is quite easy now with tram line A2. The metro and tram network map is available here:

https://www.oasa.gr/en/oasa-network/

While I’m not entirely certain, considering I first visited Athens in the 1980s, you might still catch a glimpse of the Athens from that time in neighborhoods like Exarchia. This area, known for student protests against the Greek Junta in the 1970s, hasn’t changed much. Omonia Square area still retains a vibe reminiscent of that era, but overall, gentrification and tourism have taken over much of central Athens.

That being said, Even in the bustling heart of Plaka, the tourist hotspot, if you manage to ignore the crowds of visitors, you might be able to rediscover the atmosphere you once knew.

You will see...

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