Yes, Athens is saved by its metro. It's like a whole parallel world of orderliness and tranquility under the chaotic car-infested streets above. I would carefully study the city map and basically avoid going to whole neighborhoods unless I could get within striking distance by metro.
The Athens soil is obviously an archeological treasure trove, I believe that explains many of the construction delays. It's the same story in Rome.
The impressive incubation period also explains why it doesn't even have platform screen doors. But otherwise it seemed to me quite spacious and well-built.