Kypseli, Athens
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The district of Kypseli forms much of the 6th municipal department in the centre of Athens, the capital of Greece.
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[edit] Features
Kypseli, along with Kolonaki, was one of the first areas to have modern apartment buildings built in the 1930's, with Bauhaus and art-deco elements. Many beautiful such buildings, built between 1930-1960s, comprise a large part of its building stock. There are also some older houses, mostly in the neoclassical style; many of them were abandoned until recently but now increasing numbers of them are in the process of renovation. The historic Fokionos Negri street, now pedestrianised with numerous cafes and a park along its length, runs through the middle of the district. Although it was a bourgeois neighborhood in the 1930s to 1970s much of its original population moved to the suburbs and it now includes many foreign immigrants. The prices of real estate have plummeted since its glory days; however, Kypseli still has some of the nicest old apartment buildings in Athens, one of the biggest pedestrian streets (Fokionos Negri) and will eventually acquire two metro stations, one in Kypseli square and one in Evelpidon Street near the Courts of Justics. This development may make things turn again in the future. It is the home of the athletic club Panellinios Gymnastikos Syllogos.
[edit] Problems
Kypseli is the most densely populated area of Greece. According to the last census, there were 147,000 residents in the 6th municipal department, although the municipal authorities estimate the population of the area of just over 400 hectares to be between 300,000 and 400,000. Green space per person amounts to two square meters.
[edit] Neighboring subdivisions
Kypseli is bordered by Patission Avenue on the south, by Galatsi and the Alepotrypa quarry on the north and northwest, and by the Pedion Areos Parkon the west.
[edit] History
Kypseli is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Athens outside the historical centre. The suburb's limits were first defined officially in 1908. "Kypseli", meaning "beehive", derives from the area's comprising then many small clusters of buildings. The old Kypseli municipal market (Δημοτική Αγορά της Κυψέλης) built in the 1930s on Fokionos Negri was recently occupied by locals after the municipality announced plans to demolish it and build a parking lot. It is now run by volunteers and is a self administered center that focuses on social issues related to the district as well as hosting cultural events.
[edit] External links
- Kypseli: Central Athens From www.ekathimerini.com
- Kypseli Facts & Figures Also from www.ekathimerini.com
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