Κoukaki is a downtown area of Athens, Greece in just 10 minute walk distance from the Acropolis. The past 5 years has grown from a quite, underdeveloped suberb to a high rent area due to increasing demand for bnb apartments mainly for tourists.

Our studio is located in Koukaki, so it was about time we shared our point of view οn was is happening and what is yet to come.

Koukaki has gained prominence in the Airbnb short-term rental platform and became an ideal location for visitors who want to wander around the historic center of Athens but, at the same time, to enjoy the ancient city through the lens of synchronicity.

For quite some time now, due to accommodation oversupply in the area, a conversion of short-term rentals into long-term ones, monthly leases has been noticed, making us wonder whether the golden age … is coming to an end.

Will there be a future for Koukaki when a new balance in Real estate in the region is achieved or frequency of visits will be decreased?

Have we perhaps lived in a bubble that was accompanied not by improved public utilities but merely improved rental prices?

How can our neighborhood productively make use of the reputation and global attention it has received and transform itself into a forward-looking suburb?

There are two main axes of development: a. culture and b. authenticity.

a. Culture

Between two significant landmarks, the Acropolis Museum and the National Museum of Modern Art, it seems that in our area the glorious past amalgamates… with the forward-looking future!

In Koukaki, art workshops, dance schools, photo studios and architectural offices are hosted that make individual efforts to communicate their artistic and professional activity.

But instead of these private initiatives, an organized network of sites, professionals and businesses could be created to promote Culture, upgrading, in this way, the area to a cultural hot spot in downtown Athens!

Graphical designers, architects, street performers, artists, ceramists, product designers, fashion designers can collaborate with art workshops, galleries, conservatories, handicraft shops, folk art shops and Greek souvenir shops.

This will result in business promotion but also in Koukaki standing out as an artistic area!

A creative beehive, to be visited by both foreign visitors and Athenians who wish to see innovative exhibitions, well-designed spaces, interact with creative personalities, learn about new trends and what Greek sculptors, writers and fashion designers work on…

And all this under the aura of the Holy Rock (=Acropolis) !

b. Authenticity

The new culture in Tourism, namely storytelling places and experiences, has fueled Koukaki with services centered around experiencing the city under the ‘live-like-a-local’ concept.

Nowadays, in Koukaki, we find that food walks coexist with bike rides, old retailers with design object manufacturers, while atmospheric cafes and restaurants, decorated in retro style, have begun to experiment with Greek and foreign cuisine.

However, the area risks being converted to a huge hotel nearby Acropolis or an album of old photos that we will nostalgically leaf through, whereas it may evolve into an energetic suburb, constantly evolving, due to the authenticity and variety of actions organized.

Recording and displaying its qualitative characteristics, namely the historic buildings, architecture, traditional workshops, themed events, local customs or products, can be combined with guided tours, walks, music and art festivals and open air events.

The result will be a constant attraction for visitors as well as an area upgraded to a forward-looking neighborhood that loves itself and sets an example!

Therefore, visitors to Athens, looking for something authentic and different to surprise them, will understand that Koukaki is not only a suburb having a strategic location for excursions to historic Athens but also a neighborhood that is itself a destination to visit!

Since you have this guide in your hands and read this article, the beginning has … already been made