Student life around the world

My expectations visiting Thessaloniki on terms of pretty much everything except maybe partying, were pretty low. I was 19-year-old visiting a city that 1/7 of its population are students, so it was certain I would be having an amazing time and I was psyched. The low expectations on everything else were based mainly on experiences from other big Greek cities where a cloud of discomfort and a general decadent vibe through the ugly buildings, hide away -and tone you down about- the things that the place has to offer. There are a lot of beautiful things to be offered but they need to be dug out. Thessaloniki was nothing like that. Life was radiating from the roads, the pavements, the squares, the walls and most of all, the people from which the city center was packed of. Young people mainly. I caught myself trying to remember when was the last time I saw an old man or woman or even a child or a baby. It was like the university campus had expanded throughout the whole center. Just walking in the streets cheered you up.
The second night, my friends and I were walking through an empty street near the center borders far from the sea, trying to find a tavern that I was advised to go to. The lovely hustle that never stops in the center, no matter what time it is, had been been wearing off several streets before and as we were fending off, the decadent vibe that I mentioned earlier was slowly filling up the atmosphere. It was pretty quiet but you could sense that a lot of people have been passing through this particular street. My friend noticed a small entrance to an alley between two apartment buildings. Really dark and shady, nothing actually advised you to get in there. There was a dimming light at the end of it and the entrance was a portico consisting of two columns and a sign that you couldn't read in the night time.
At the end of the alley around 10 meters from the portico, some steps lead to the Bit Bazaar square. All the quietness of the street before the portico, was crushed by music and cheers from maybe a thousand people sitting around the taverns of this well-hidden square. Protected by the tall buildings this square hosts small taverns that serve wine and some traditional Greek food, filled with some of the friendliest people that you could ever meet. You could tell that the place was really old and was as cozy as nothing I have seen before. Some good company and you can get a taste of what Thessaloniki student life feels like. And its astonishing.