Neighborhood Stories: Michalis Maniatis
Michalis Maniatis, one of the most popular actors of the 80s, having stood out for his performances in the films “Angelos”, “Rebetiko”, “Loufa & Paralagi”, shares his own
story from the Athens Flair building.
Why did you choose to stay with your family at the Athens Flair house?
The reason I chose to stay in the house located at Delfon & Didotou Street was because this house reminded me a lot of my childhood house. I was looking for a familiar home, a warm and a special place to live with my own family. Since I was a child, I used to live in a detached house, so I was used to the autonomy it offers.
When it came to my attention that this house was for rent, then everything worked in a positively way, everything led me to this house. All circumstances were leading me to this house again. In this very special house, which I had visited several times as a child.
My family had personal relations with the famous actress, Elli Lambeti so I was often at her house during the years she lived there, during my early teenage years, on various invitations and celebrations. Elli Lampeti fascinated me since I was a small child. She was a truly magical woman, a special artistic personality. Somehow, I feel like this house had enchanted me since I was a child – it was such a magical setting!
So, my choice to live in this house felt like it was a one-way street, despite high rent I decided to take the opportunity and to stay there with my family.
Living in this residence, creating a “warm” and unique energy. I used to host friends and colleagues from abroad and everyone immediately felt like being at home. They were not only fascinated by the distinctive architecture of the building, but by the general aura of this house. This house also served me as a workplace, I had daily meetings with artistic directors, members of my crew, actors, artists… it was a “beehive” of people of art and letters.
How many years did you lived there?
I lived in this house for 3 years, from 1985 to 1989! Three years of intense creation and love.
The memories of that time, what images & aromas bring you to mind?
This house brings back many memories to my mind….and most of all a feeling of incredible warmth. The land, the property, the staircase, the rooms…. everything gives me a feeling of excitement, emotion, and warmth. The memories of that time were: the aromatic trees of the pedestrian street, the feeling of the neighborhood …a magical neighborhood, with a different kind of magic…just as attractive as this house.
Anyone who came to the house was enchanted by the feeling of home. This image always comes to my mind….of the imposing marble staircase and also the classy interior wooden staircase. The house on Delphin Street reminded me so much of my childhood’s house located on Deinokratous Street! The house on Delfon street was influenced by the Athenian baroque style of that time.
What emotions do you feel after your visit to Athens Flair – after its current form?
This house was and remains a point of reference in Athens. When I realized that now has been used as a hotel, I got really excited! Added a gem to the treasure that is called Athens! I am so glad that this building is “open to pubic” and that those guests who will choose this hotel for their stay in Athens will get some unique joy… like the joy I had experienced during the years I used to live there.
It is an excellent initiative to utilize the building as a hotel highlighting that way all the features of the building and preserving the old glory of the residence. This building is a building of cultural heritage, it has a special identity and a historical character, it’s a neoclassical masterpiece. Personally, I don’t just see it as a common building, this building has a “soul”!
How much has Athens/Kolonaki changed since that time?
When I was a child growing up in the city of Athens, at that time Athens was a city with an identity. Then, there were houses with courtyards, neoclassical, beautiful buildings in the city. The city has now changed a lot. Another osmosis of people has been created… For me, as an original Athenian, Kolonaki was essentially my “village”. The square of Kolonaki was full of people from the neighborhood, where we all said our “good mornings”, I felt that we were all a big family, a big group of friends. In those years, the feeling of intimacy between people was strong and people of the same neighborhood were building strong, warmth and true communication. Greeks in those years still maintained their warm hospitality and authentic human aspect.
I used to visit the public market and to meet my neighbors and friends. Now, an impersonal field now prevails. In the 80s-90s, Kolonaki was not characterized by the economic prosperity of the residents, it was a welcoming neighborhood for up-and-coming artists, politicians, writers, but also everyday people to live in a quiet area. But it was an artistic nucleus, a nucleus of people with a creative spirit, a mixture of people, a world that interacted with each other. This element is now completely gone.
However, society changed dramatically, so gradually the old residents of Kolonaki left the neighborhood and chose to live in the suburbs of Athens, because they could not stand this change and Kolonaki was no longer “what it was then…”. Sociologically a new atmosphere appeared, and this change was intense for me. Many commercial shops and cafes/restaurants were created. The old-class elegance and authenticity of Athens has now been lost.
Do you have something special to share from those years?
The years I lived in the Delfon Street residence were years of happiness! It was a happy house, always full of people and guests from Greece and abroad. Consider that our dining room could accommodate up to 24 guests. The years I lived in the Delfon Street house were right after the films of Rebetiko & Angelos, in a creative moment for my career.
I lived there with my wife and her daughter. My wife’s daughter was a teenager at that time. So, she spent her critical teenage years in that house and developed her teenage values, aesthetic/artistic criteria, met her first teenage fling, hosted her first parties, and generally she created great memories to carry her through her adult life. This house left a major imprint on her character. The years we lived in this house are the sweetest memories of another era, an era that was infused with love, respect, and creativity.
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