Agony over the gentrification of Athens

Every time I go to a nice new wine bar in some Athenian neighborhood on the outskirts of the city center, I am overwhelmed by contradictory feelings.

On the one hand, I think about how admirable it is to create serious businesses with good music, interesting food, lively people from all over the world, and moderate prices, and, on the other, I panic at the prospect of the gentrification of yet another corner of Athens that until recently had remained untouched.

I think of the skyrocketing rents, the proliferation of short-term rentals, the boutique hotels that will also open there, the sound of suitcase wheels trundling along the sidewalks that seems set to become the national anthem for yet another summer.

The distinctive combination locks at building entrances will proliferate, the cleaning crews will slip in to get the rentals ready for the next batch of...