Where You’ll Live

CYA students live in self-contained apartments in residential apartment buildings in the Pangrati area of Athens. All apartments are a short walk (2 to 10 minutes) from the Academic Center.

The neighborhood of Pangrati is desirable for its central location, proximity to sites, monuments and museums, and access to the National Gardens and the wooded slopes of Lykavittos Hill. It is also within easy walking distance of grocery stores, cafes and restaurants, bakeries, dry-cleaning shops, banks, and other amenities, including a lively weekly outdoor “people’s market” offering fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, and flowers.

Take a 360 Virtual tour of the CYA student apartments

There are generally only a few CYA apartments in any given apartment building. The advantage of these accommodations over typical student dormitories is that you will have more opportunity to interact with your Greek neighbors and generally live like Athenians do.

A typical apartment houses four or five students (in double and single rooms) and includes a common area, a kitchen (stocked with tableware and basic cooking equipment), bathroom, and balcony. Apartments are simply but fully furnished, with standard twin-sized beds, clima units (heating/cooling) in each bedroom and WiFi Internet access. In addition, each student has the use of a desk with a locking drawer. Although there is space to store clothing and personal belongings, storage space is limited and we therefore advise you not to overpack. CYA provides a pillow, two blankets, and a bedspread for each student and bed, but semester and full-year students must bring towels, sheets, and pillowcases.

Student housing is arranged by CYA and is included in the program fee. Accepted students should fill out the Housing Form as soon as possible; this form helps CYA staff match students with their roommates. While every effort is made to accommodate specific requests and placements, preferences cannot be guaranteed. CYA’s priority is to accommodate you in a safe environment which is conducive to learning and cultural immersion. For these reasons, CYA reserves the right to alter or change accommodation at any time.

Student Housing Between Semesters Full-year students may remain in their CYA apartments at no extra cost between semesters (see Fees).

Safety

Since CYA apartments are located in residential buildings, students live among Greek families. Apartment main entrance doors have safety locks. Emergency information is posted in each apartment near the door, and smoke detectors, a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket are part of standard equipment in all apartments.

Housekeeping

Program fees include housekeeping services for each apartment once every 8 to 10 days. Students are nevertheless expected to keep common areas clean and in good order.

** Summer students only: Linens (sheets and pillowcases, towels, blankets) are provided and laundered in conjunction with regular housekeeping services.

Laundry

Students are responsible for laundering their own clothing, sheets, and towels. Washers and dryers are available at the Academic Center, and apartments are equipped with laundry lines for air-drying as well as irons and ironing boards.

Utilities

Heat, electricity, and water are included in the program fee. However, students should be aware that Greeks are accustomed to conserving water and that North American homes would be considered overheated by Greek standards. Each apartment includes an electric water heater that must be switched on and off manually. More information on the safe use of the water heaters is included in the Student Handbook.

Etiquette

Living side-by-side with Greek neighbors and their families is one of the benefits of CYA student housing. It is important to be a good neighbor, however, and CYA students who are accustomed to dormitory or student-apartment-complex living may need to make some adjustments. Being a good neighbor means being aware of noise levels at all times as well as respecting Greek social customs, including greeting neighbors in hallways and elevators and respecting the traditional “quiet hours” set by law (2 pm until 5 pm and 11 pm until 7 am).