The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is funding the reopening of Atticon and Apollon, the two emblematic Athens movie theaters. Atticon and Apollon were burnt down by protesters during riots that took place in May 2010, after it was announced that Greece was entering a bailout program that would entail harsh austerity measures.

President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Andreas Drakopoulos, recently gave a comprehensive account of the foundation’s work of the past twenty years, culminating in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) which now houses, among others, the National Library and the Greek National Opera.

“It is better to give more and let people call us stupid than do injustice to some and appear arrogant,” Drakopoulos said from the National Library building, speaking of the countless donations of the foundation.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

Discover Athens from a tourist who turned a local, the editor-in-chief of Why Athens! Walk around the city to find ancient monuments, live music, outdoor cafes, and rooftop cocktails and truly experience all Athens has to offer.

“There is so much to do in Athens, in fact you can get through several days without visiting the Acropolis but if you haven’t, it should be on the very top of your bucket list! Beyond its ancient history and fascinating sites, Athens is a cultural city with a long heritage in theatre.”

“Food and wine has reached new heights with a lot more international flavours emerging than ever before. Greeks love their sushi and Japanese is done exceptionally well at the Galaxy Bar and Restaurant on the twelfth floor of the Hilton Athens, Nobu Matsuhisa at the Arion Resort is one of the best and Sushimou is a humble alternative.”

“Buzzing plateia (large city squares) will lure you in for an extended coffee break, or the small spaces between buildings may see you at the latest day bar, where the new generation hang out. Six D.O.G.S is a favourite of mine.”

To read this article in full, please visit: Why Athens

Thanksgiving day is celebrated primarily in the US and Canada. It is celebration dedicated to giving thanks for a bountiful harvest, something that the ancient Greeks also did thousands of years ago.

Thesmophoria, in Greek religion was an ancient festival held in honor of Demeter Thesmophoros which was celebrated by women in many parts of the Greek world. The meaning of the name Demeter Thesmophoros still remains unresolved, although it perhaps translates to “bringer of treasure or wealth,” an obsolete sense of thesmos. 

Ever since ancient times, festivals for giving thanks have been celebrated in many regions around the world.

When Hades, the god of the underworld, abducted Persephone, her mother Demeter wouldn’t feed the world, and winter came upon the land. When Persephone was returned Demeter gave the gift of agriculture to humanity.

The Greeks believed that it was because of Demeter that the earth provided the harvest it did. Honoring her with offerings and ceremonies would guarantee a new and fresh harvest every year. The holiday dedicated to Demeter was called Thesmophoria.

 

To learn more about Thesmophoria, please visit: Encyclopaedia Britannica

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We've said it before that food is an integral part of Greek culture. Hence the fact that Athens has been voted of the greatest cities in Europe for eating out! And if you're looking for something alternative to a restaurant, we have put together a list with the best places in the city to enjoy  some delicious street food!

Wine region: Santorini

Standout points: Centuries-old basket-trained vines; unmissable Assyrtiko wines 

Winemaker: Paris Sigalas

Wine style: Volcanic wines focused on the Assyrtiko grape

Greece's recovery from the economic crisis is still ongoing, but as its startup and tech community has begun to grow in earnest, so has the demand for flexible co-working spaces from entrepreneurs and executives over the traditional, fixed office environments that come with long-term leases and high overhead costs.

Co-working spaces provide shared, collaborative environments that can house like-minded people, and have been used by companies to better manage risk and reduce CapEx/OpEx, while Athens has become a real hub for the country's burgeoning tech sector, which is now starting to truly thrive.

Marco Veremis, an angel investor and the founder of one of Greece's tech success stories, Upstream, recently told the Financial Times that he estimates Greek tech companies today have a combined market capitalisation of around €2bn – a decade ago, it was nearly zero.

This has been helped by the government-backed investment schemes created in recent years to help young Greek businesses get going. Uni.fund provides seed capital to startups in Greek universities focusing on R&D and the tech space, while SMEs can apply to EquiFund, a fund-of-funds co-financed by the European Investment Fund that aims to strengthen the venture capital market in Greece.

While tech companies grow and the country’s economy continues to recover, flexible workspaces are becoming increasingly popular. By September, IWG will have opened four coworking spaces in Greece in the space of a year.

Katerina Manou, VP Sales at IWG in Greece, says flexible workspaces have emerged in the country as a response to specific market conditions and firm requirements. “Increased external volatility, high sunk costs for setting up conventional office space, an emphasis on flexibility to expand and contract operations in line with business development are all factors that have contributed to making flexible workplaces an attractive option,” she said.

One of the outcomes of the crisis over the past decade has been that perceptions within the business community about the most efficient way to run both small and large firms have been “fundamentally reshaped,” Manou said. “It is now clearer than ever that the workspace should not be a liability for the bottom line of a firm, but an asset contributing to a firm's operations,” she added.

And Manou says that “a new generation of entrepreneurs and executives have embraced the idea, and are driving demand, as the Greek economy is slowly picking up again”. On a real estate level, turning conventional office premises into coworking spaces can breathe new life into under-utilised properties, and can revive entire districts that are run down due to the economic downturn,” she added. 

But flexible workspaces offer benefits to all types of businesses, not just start-ups. And as IWG's 2019 Global Workspace Survey has shown, flexible working is the new norm. After canvassing more than 15,000 businesses across 80 countries, IWG found that the number of employees who want flexible working options has grown to 75 per cent, while over half of workers globally are getting their job done from outside their main office headquarters for at least 2.5 days of the week.

And while flexible working may once have been the natural choice for small-to-medium sized businesses, it is becoming a cost-effective option for a number of large, global corporate companies that are using it as a way to become more agile and to help mitigate risk, the research found. A total of 65% of businesses said having a flexible workspace helped them to reduce CapEx/OpEx, shed unnecessary assets, and consolidate their portfolio.

Manou adds that while flexible workspaces allow companies to reduce the cost of operations and become more competitive, which in turn benefits the Greek economy, they are also helping a new era of business leaders “who have come to terms with the idea that business survival depends on how flexible firms are in reacting to external disruptions, and are able to adapt by turning challenges into opportunities,” she said.

Could a serviced office be the right option for you?
Check out Regus' flexible workspace locations to find a base for your international team!

This content has been sponsored by IWG - an XpatAthens Brand Partner.

For the 5th year in a row, Dine Athens, the capital's much-anticipated gastronomy week, is back to take Athenians on a delicious culinary journey!

In the past years, Dine Athens | The Athens Restaurant Week has been inviting the Athenian public to visit exceptional restaurants and to taste, specially designed menus at great prices. Last year, more than 30,000 Athenians enjoyed high-end gastronomic creations at 130 selected restaurants.

This year Dine Athens will take place from January 27 to February 16; for 3 weeks, 140 restaurants–some of which are among the most outstanding in Athens–will be serving unique menus that will satisfy even the most demanding guests at fixed prices.

The participating restaurants will offer one of three specially tailored dinner menus at a pre-set price of €15, €30 or €60 per person. Additionally, some restaurants will also offer lunch menus at the pre-set prices of €15 and €30!

(Please note, the Dine Athens website is currently only available in Greek.)

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Hundreds of Greeks danced and sang from inside their cars at a drive-in concert, the first concert since the ban of mass gatherings in Greece. The show took place in a football court at the seaside suburb of Glyfada on Tuesday night.

 

Cars were parked on designated spots to safeguard the health of the concertgoers who came to enjoy a free performance by famous Greek singer Natasa Theodoridou. The 300 car spaces were raffled in a lottery of more than 7,000 applications.

I have never done something like this before, it's a nice experience, a new experience,' affirmed a spectator.

'This is an example to all of us that nothing stops, we can do everything if we have patience and positive thoughts,' said the performer on stage.

Live concerts in Greece are expected to resume on July 15.

To read this article in full, please visit: reuters.com

The Municipality of Athens created the first-ever Japanese garden in Greece, located in Nereidon Park, in Pangrati, just behind the National Gallery.

With a total area of ​​3,500 sq.m, the new thematic park is fast becoming one of the most important recreational areas in the Greek capital. Part of Athens' "Adopt Your City" program, this project was realized with the support of JT International Hellas, under the auspices of the Embassy of Japan in Greece. The idea behind the design of such a special meeting point between Greek and Japanese culture was inspired by the President of the Greek - Japanese Association, Demosthenes Vratsanou.

Based on the “biophilic design”, an architectural concept aiming to increase connectivity between people and the natural environment, the garden includes various elements from different eras of the Japanese tradition, featuring spots with lush vegetation and water, set in accordance with the principles of Japanese culture for a balanced shift between earth, water, and fire. 

The selection of plants has been based on the local climate. The garden includes both Japanese and Mediterranean plants. Japanese maples, cherry blossoms, and bamboos coexist in harmony with laurels, myrtle trees, and daphnes. The garden also features shrubs, rocks, and pebbles forming beautiful paths, as well as charming relaxation areas made from granite. 

A ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the project was held last week in the presence of the Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakoyannis, the Ambassador of Japan, Yasunori Nakayama, and other officials.

“Athens is dynamically evolving into a metropolis that looks forward. The newly upgraded park of the city, covering an area of ​​3.5 acres, creates a green "oasis" in the dense urbanscape of Athens, radically changing its appearance. We invite Athenians to visit the park, walk along its paths, and discover the feeling of peace that this special place offers. Big projects for the city are ahead. Athens will continue to become greener, more beautiful, and more sustainable.", Costas Bakoyannis stated. 

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XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in.