People live here too
Yiannis and Elena used to live in New York until 2005 when they decided to return to Athens. They wanted a place downtown so they could get everywhere on foot. They found what they were looking for in a block of apartments built in 1939 on Ermou Street. The apartments had initially been built for residential purposes, as were all the apartments above the shops. «The estate agent was a little intrigued as to why we wanted to convert it back into a house. There is no other permanent resident. We had to renovate, change some of the rooms, and put in double glazing as there is quite a lot of noise when the shops are open. In September, we moved in,» they said. «It would have been expensive for a merchant, as there is no shop window. For the purpose we wanted it for, the price was more affordable. The best feeling is when you return home. You sit on the sofa, close your eyes and relax. When you open the windows you can hear a strange but relaxing hum. It is the footsteps of the people walking on the paving stones.» (1) This article first appeared in Kathimerini’s color supplement K on March 4, 2007.
