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The tattooed city

One axiom of urban living is that the more graffiti there is, the less you notice it. If I lived behind these shutters, I could not bear to be without it.


I used to think Brussels was the most-heavily graffitied capital in Europe, but I think we have new frontrunner. Non-demeaning political messages expressed in spray paint are an indication of social health, imo.  Are there bright-line provisos? Sure, and if you can't tell the difference between "Kill the Jews" and "Fuck Cops" we have nothing to talk about. Most people have a slightly rebellious streak when it comes to prevailing notions about high culture. If we did not, everything Banksy touches would not be worth its weight in gold bricks.


This is Athens' hard-left neighborhood of Exarcheia, where calls for "mobilization" and "resistance" are everywhere. You know what else is everywhere? Cops. With riot shields. With those weird shoulder-pad thingies that make them look like a robot Peter Weller. Intimidating cops in green uniforms. More-approachable "helper" cops in blue uniforms. 


Tiny Exarcheia Square is blocked off ― fenced off ― with chain link and corrugated metal sheets (already graffitied) . I asked an officer why the square was no longer accessible, and he said it was for people's safety. In poker, this is called a "tell."


Anyway, soak it up. There are lots of other reasons to like Exarcheia. Its narrow streets and mature trees create a lot of shade, the residents I spoke with (including a Donald Trump admirer who said he was able to buy an apartment here for a pittance during the 2010s financial crisis) were all smart and interesting, and the food is great.


















"Airbnb for tourists
Camps for immigrants
Welcome to Greece"
This is absolutely a conversation we should be having. 




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