the view, part 2

On Saturday I climbed to the top of Lycabuettus Hill. From the top, I was convinced I could see all of Athens. I sat next to the small church for an hour trying to identify the streets and landmarks below. From here, I could see the uniformity in height of the buildings as well as a sea of balcony awnings. I suspect there is an enforced building law limiting building heights and perhaps making balconies mandatory. Along with outdoor cafes, the balconies are ubiquitous here. It's hard not to romanticize the effect they must have on the social dynamic or vice versa.

I walked around Exarchia and noticed a lot of the older apartment buildings (some over 150 years old) were abandoned or in disrepair. Perhaps they are too expensive to renovate? Perhaps people prefer new buildings to old? Maybe it's better if they get demolished; there is certainly no shortage of old things here. However, I feel sad that these old buildings may get torn down. Maybe I feel this way because I come from the "new world" or because the city I grew up in already destroyed it's old buildings.