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Comment by stavros | Hacker News Reader

Thessaloniki, Greece: Great food, great nightlife, all the beaches you could want within a 30 min drive, ski resorts in the winter an hour away, lots of Greece to explore within a few hours' drive. The city itself is vibrant, the waterfront spans the entire city and is very nice to walk on, the city as a whole feels extremely safe.

Cons: It's in Greece, so drivers are idiots, there's government corruption, can't really make a living wage, rents are so high that I'm not sure how anyone can afford to live here, and it's so hot in the summer that you really do want to be at the beaches for those three months.

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I visited a few months ago, and it was a very nice city! I normally spend time in Athens or on the islands, so I decided it was time to see the big city. Walking through the city was a great experience. Tons of historic spots to encounter, and I had the best bougatsa I have ever had. The drive from Thessaloniki to Delphi and then to Athens was also a fun trip.

Πολύ ωραία.

We do indeed have the best bougatsa! It's our specialty, I'm glad you like it.

I was just there this past summer. I spent one particular drive glued to the window as there seemed to be an endless number of half-built and/or abandoned buildings. Did I misjudge what I was seeing or is that a real concern/symptom for you?

Hmm, not especially, where did you notice this? There are various abandoned buildings, but mostly in areas where people don't really want to live in, I haven't seen this being a significant issue, I don't think.

Whe I was in Greece I also saw a lot of buildings that seemed incomplete, often with apparently a floor missing. I was told it was something to do with tax and by not "completing" the building some tax was avoided.

Hmm, how do you mean a floor missing? Was the top floor half-built or something? I've never seen this that I can recall.

They had steel poles sticking up from the concrete. Essentially they looked like another floor was supposed to be added.

Ahh, I see. I feel like I've seen this in otherwise half-finished buildings, but not really in buildings that otherwise look complete, with people living in them, etc. Maybe I'm so used to it that I just don't notice it, though. I'll keep an eye out and report back!

I was driving to/from the coastal peninsula region southeast of the city starting at the airport

Oh hmm, were those buildings unused? I think that happens when they run out of money, mostly.

are there sidewalks in the city? are the roads in good condition?

There are sidewalks everywhere, but sometimes cars may park on some, which means accessibility is not great for people with mobility issues. The roads are in moderately good condition, a few potholes here and there but not much worse than, say, London.

It also depends on what you're used to, though.

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