Neos Cosmos reloaded

 Onassis center app offers fresh perspective on historical Athenian neighborhood

By Nikos Vatopoulos

After walking around for about an hour, mobile phone in hand and earphones plugged in, I was acutely aware of the fact that the Athenian neighborhood of Neos Cosmos was nothing like I had thought, even though I had been pretty sure I knew the district quite well.

My tour of the area lying between Kallirois Avenue and the foot of Mount Hymettus was part of a pilot program launched by the Onassis Cultural Center that uses an interactive application for smartphones and tablets. My fellow journalists and myself were sent out into the area with absolutely no idea of what to expect and returned having experienced something wonderful and gained a wealth of knowledge.

The app allows users to take a free tour, alone, through a part of the Greek capital that is somewhat neglected, maybe even ignored, yet without a doubt interesting in a bittersweet kind of way. The length of the tour can be adapted to suit your mood and how much time you have.

The Onassis Cultural Center’s long-term aim is to broaden the application to take in other parts of Athens – including that which will be subject to a revamp under the Rethink Athens initiative – and to have it in English and other languages too, offering a different perspective not just to visitors but also to residents.

Anyone with a smartphone or tablet can download the application (instructions are available at the OCC) or can otherwise be supplied with a mobile device to be returned after the tour. One tap on the “walking” button and you’re off.

The tour reveals Neos Cosmos in all its facets: a neighborhood settled by refugees from Asia Minor in the late 1920s and 30, developed on...