Photo Gallery Hellenic on Earth
In Athens, a street artist reads a newspaper in the touristy Plaka district. The economic crisis in Greece has stalled the retail sector in the city, which has a metro population of close to 4 million.
Greek men attack a migrant in the center of Athens in May in what appears to be a racist incident. The earlier stabbing death of 44-year-old Manolis Kantaras prompted a wave of attacks on migrants who have moved to Athens. Many greeks have blamed immigrants for the increases in crime in their city.
Riot police arrest a protester in one of the many demonstrations in downtown Athens this past summer. Athenians are feeling the crunch of higher taxes, greater unemployment, lost wages and higher crime as their government deals with huge debts and economic reforms.
Athenians are seeing change to their city from new austerity measures, protests against the measures and crime that police attribute to a mix of economic factors and immigration trends.
A man walks in front of overflowing garbage bins in a suburb near Athens in October. Trash has piled up in the city at times when striking city workers have blocked garbage dumps and prevented garbage collection for days.
A stray dog naps in the sunshine of a downtown Athens street this month. While the city has always had some stray dogs, locals say the number seems to be increasing. A good number of stray dogs roam the city, feasting on trash and possibly looking for new owners.
Unfinished buildings dot the landscape of Athens and other smaller cities in Greece. Locals say the financial crisis has stalled many construction projects and cast a pall over the real estate market.
A woman walks by a storefront in downtown Athens with a sign that reads, "Greek Manufactured Products: Closing Down." The country's financial crisis has forced many small businesses to close.
