Psyri

Coordinates: 37°58′40″N 23°43′30″E / 37.97778°N 23.72500°E

Iroon Square

Old buildings

People dance in a nightclub in Psyri.

Psyri or Psiri or Psyrri or Psirri (Greek: Ψυρή or Ψυρρή,^[1] pronounced [psiˈri]) is a gentrified neighbourhood in Athens, Greece, today known for its restaurants, bars, live music tavernas, and small number of hotels.

Until the early 1990s, Psyri had a dangerous reputation, but it has now become one of the most fashionable and trendy choices in the centre of Athens for accommodation, entertainment and food hospitality.

The central square of Psyri is called "Heroes square" (πλατεία Ηρώων - plateia Iroon), because the streets leading to it carry names of heroes (Karaiskakis, Miaoulis). In the era of the 'old Athens' (namely, during the last quarter of the 19th century), the nickname "plateia of Heroes" was a derisive reference to koutsavakides (κουτσαβάκηδες), who used it as their hangout.

Lord Byron was accommodated in the neighbourhood during his stay in Athens and here is where he wrote the poem "Maid of Athens". The most famous Greek inhabitant of Psiri was Alexandros Papadiamantis who lived in the area for more than two decades.

Notes

1. Probably derived from Ψυρής "inhabitant of Psara" (formerly known as Psyra or Psyrii).

References

• Καιροφύλας, Γιάννης. Η ιστορία της συνοικίας του Ψυρή, ed. Φιλιππότη, Athens, 2000 (Greek)
• Στασινόπουλος, Επαμεινώνδας. Η Αθήνα του περασμένου αιώνα (1830-1900), Athens, 1963 (Greek)
• Μπίρης, Κωνσταντίνος. Αι τοπωνυμίαι της πόλεως και των περιχώρων των Αθηνών, ed. Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού:Ταμείο Αρχαιολογικών Πόρων και Απαλλοτριώσεων, 2006 (reprint of the 1971 edition) (Greek)