Moving to a new city, especially abroad, can be both exciting and frightening. When it comes to Athens, though, the challenges are considerably lower mainly because of its multifaceted and multicultural identity, the open-minded culture and the friendly and easy-going lifestyle that it offers to its residents.
Athens has been a destination of choice for expats who seem to love the city’s exquisite combination of climate, culture, and cuisine. If you are looking to move for studies, work or retirement to a city that has all the characteristics listed below, then Athens will definitely be the right choice for you.
- Multicultural
- Lively
- Historic
- Culturally rich and multifaceted
- Growing
- Resilient
- Innovative
- Warm and sunny
- Affordable
- Adorable
AN EVOLVING CITY
Athens is currently undergoing transformation towards a more resilient, thriving future. The City of Athens is creating a toolkit that will help people to live and work in Athens, as well as to study, invest, have fun, or find a quiet place in the city.
Today it’s in our hands to build a resilient and thriving city. In 2020, the municipal council increased the budget for urban development and revitalization projects by nearly 40% over the previous year. Every neighbourhood will be a catalyst for economic growth, social support, and digital innovation. The new strategy will touch the lives of everyone in Athens, starting from the ground up. The streets are being re- rebuilt and more space is being made for cycling. Sidewalks are being re-engineered and barriers removed to improve accessibility throughout the city. Vacant lots are being turned into pocket parks. More trees are being planted along the streets to create shade. New green corridors are helping push cool air through the streets to let the city breathe more easily.
Athens is prioritizing a green and resilient recovery. The city is investing in its culture of recycling and raising awareness about waste management. Solar panels and student gardens are being installed at schools throughout the city to inspire the next generation as they build a circular economy. Projects at the National Garden and Lycabettus Hill are helping to restore the city’s natural spaces and adding new defenses against land erosion. And the first urban parks to be created in several generations are planned for the neighborhoods of Elaionas and Ampelokipi, helping to mitigate ground pollution in areas once crowded with light industry.
Athens is investing in its Historic Business Districts to help small businesses adapt to global pressures and to establish focal points for sustainable tourism. Every neighbourhood is full of small and unique family businesses with distinct identities and common goals for their neighbourhoods. The city is creating business clusters that will help each neighbourhood to sustain its own commercial districts that are alive with foot traffic. Working with the business community, the city will help roll out new standards for service quality that will improve competition and transparency. The city will also invest in upgrading shopfronts to make them more energy efficient and will provide support for the creation of online shops to help expand their reach.
Athens is strengthening the ecosystem of innovation and youth entrepreneurship at the Athens Digital Lab by giving local talent the resources, mentorship, and opportunity to lead the digital transformation of the city. A growing suite of visitor applications and the web portal at This is Athens, the Official Visitors’ Guide, is helping to create a sustainable tourism experience by sharing information about Athens in multiple languages. A new digital “city card” will make it easier for visitors to access cultural institutions during their trip.
Meanwhile, the digital reconstruction of municipal business is letting the city do more of its day-to-day work through its e-services platform and reducing the need for residents to make a trip to City Hall.
City facts and numbers
With over 300 days of sunshine a year, Athens is known for its mild climate and clear, blue skies. Temperatures usually remain above 22º Celsius from April until October. During the autumn and winter, temperatures generally range from 7° C to 15° C.
Icy days are rare, but you can enjoy snow up on the surrounding mountains.
