Athens is all about the Parthenon and the ancient stuff. Recently, travelers have gotten to know the southern suburbs and its relaxed beach charm. The Athenian Riviera is definitely making a grand entrance. And that’s great and righteous. Lately, however, the chatter coming out of Athens has been all about food and graffiti and even about the economy (in a good way, gasp!). Quelle surprise then, to find out that Athens still has a few aces up its sleeve. One of them as it turns out is the enchanting up market district of Kifissia. Located in the northern end of Athenian suburbia, Kifissia is covered in green. And shops. Lots of shops. And real expensive, too. Which kinda gives you a good idea of where this is going.
Kifissia is at the foot of Mt. Penteli (yes, the same marble they quarried to build the Parthenon) and the mountain air is one of the main draws. That and the killer views, that is. Most pertinently though, Kifissia is where the ‘old’ money resides. This is where statesmen, lawyers and tycoons live. As opposed to Glyfada and the southern suburbs situated next to the sea which is where all the ‘new’ money is (singers, football players and Instagram models). This is due to the fact that many people built their summer houses there back when Athens was just a town. People with money built their grand stone mansions in Kifissia to avoid the searing heat and because the Royal family had their summer residence there it sort of became a thing. Living in Kifissia means taste, class and no small amount of incredible houses. There is a decidedly uppity ambience, with loads of fur coats and elderly ladies with their Chihuahuas strolling about.
Kifissia is like the Hamptons in that sense; heaps of high end designer stores and an obscene amount of shopping malls and stores all catering to the well-heeled. Christmas time is extra special in the northern suburbs. More cold means more wind and snow which makes for a snug and cozy fireplace ambience. And from the looks of it, this Christmas is gearing up to be especially cold, folks.
