Santiagodc wrote an epic, three-part account of the 2019 prepandemic scene in Athens. His posts were my guidebook, but of course a lot has changed. Here is my update:
Theaters
Sadly, the wild, astonishing places that Santiagodc vividly described were shuttered. You’d think the guys who sold themselves there would have moved to nearby Omnia Square, but not the case.
Omnia Square
Nothing like the cruising nirvana that Santiagodc saw. Usually no more than a couple of guys, if any, were waiting by each metro escalator. And most of them were neither attractive nor making any eye contact.
Usually, only one or two guys, if any, in the whole Omnia area were signaling availability. Overall, there was neither the quantity or quality that I’d expected. I erroneously thought the pandemic would bring out more immigrants needing cash.
One reason may have been a police crackdown. Police were everywhere around Omnia, especially on the weekend.
I nodded to one good-looking young man who followed me around the corner where I discovered he was selling grass only. He refused to consider sex even with a generous offer.
Omnia side streets
A few guys were hustling on the side streets that Santiagodc had identified. But again, few were good choices. Around here I found only three (during a week) worth taking to the short-term hotel one block over.
€5 rooms
Santiogodc’s tips on the €5 short-term hotel rooms and how it all works were spot on. Rooms were surprisingly clean too.
Parks
Same pattern. Not nearly as many guys hustling as I’d expected – only a few, day or night.
Fees
Santiogodc’s summary of expected payments was higher than I paid. I always said, as if not open for debate: €20. None ever hesitated and they all smiled. But these were for short action in €5 hotel rooms or bar washrooms or park thickets, not for longer sessions. (Santiagodc took some guys back to his hotel room.)
Multinational
As Santiogodc described in detail, you do see a variety of the Balkans through to Central Asia. I personally promoted international relations with Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Iraq, Kurdistan, and often Persia.
Bars
Many of the bars were closed and a few were just beginning to open back up. One place that was open had a number of healthy-looking, nearly middle-class, easy-going, G-for-P, Persian guys was Sami's.
Bonus Eye Candy
Among the many Greek policemen in their 20s or 30s, quite a few were hot and, as their tight uniforms revealed, have toned bodies and nice bulges. In every group of four or five, invariably one was extra, jaw-droppingly sexy.
Tourist tip
Get the Acropolis at 8am when it opens and be rewarded with having the Parthenon all to yourself. Then go to the new Acropolis Museum nearby and have breakfast with a view on the upstairs terrace.
Of course, “your mileage may vary.” But, if you want to visit Athens anytime soon, you can have fun, but I’d caution against expecting the full, grand scene with wild theaters that Santiagodc recounted from years past.