| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Prefecture: | Attica |
| Metropolitan Area: | Athens |
| Location: Latitude: Longitude: | 38.103 (38°6'18") N lat. 23.8338 (23°50'1") E long. |
| Population: (1991) - Total - Density - Rank | 4,081 816.2/km |
| Elevation: -lowest: -centre: | about 300 m (Cephissus) 330 m(centre) northwest |
| Postal code: | 14578 |
| Area/distance code: | 11-(00)30-210-813 |
| Municipal code: | 0115 |
| Car designation: | Y (prev.)Z pres. |
| 3-letter abbreviation: | EKA Ekali |
| Address of administration: | Kennedy Sq. Ekali 145 |
Ekali (Greek: Εκάλη, Latin: Hecale) is a rather exclusive suburban community in Attica, Greece -- just about 20 km north of Athens. Ekali has strict building regulations to ensure the conservation of its character as a pleasant, verdant suburb.
Ekali sits between the Athenian plain and the Penteli mountains. The plain is to the west; the forests at the foot of the Pentelic mountain range lie to the east.
Ekali is accessed via an interchange with GR-1/E75 (Athens - Lamia - Thessaloniki) at the 18th km near Varybobi, to the southwest. The Penteli mountains, mostly forested but now increasingly urbanized, lie to the east. The Cephissus River lies to the west.
Ekali is located SE of Thiva, S of Euboea and Oropos, NE of Kifissia and N of the Attiki Odos (number 6).
The main street is Thisseos (Theseus) Avenue, which connects GR-83 with Dionyssou Avenue towards the communities of Dionysos and Rhea, as well as Leoforos Marathonos towards Drosia north of Ekali, and with Kifissia to the south. An automobile rest area is situated to the west in the service road of the superhighway.
Until the 1960s and the 1970s, farmlands covered the western part of Ekali up until the 1990s. Urban development accelerated in the 1960s and the 1970s, with the establishment of luxury houses in the till-then mainly forested sections of Ekali. The construction of houses continued unabated in the 1980s and the 1990s, reaching all the way to the foot of the Penteli mountain. Housing construction continues to this day.
The street plan is mainly of mixed triangles and lines that run parallel, not as a grid. The streets lead to squares and circles and one main street connecting with GR-1/E75. In terms of urban planning, there are a couple of children's playgrounds, and a few squares (plateies), including Kennedy Square.
Ekali is purely residential, which means retail shops or commercial and professional businesses are not permitted within the community. Despite that, there are four kiosks (newsstands), one taverna restaurant, one hotel and a members-only country club (Ecali Club) operating within the community's perimeter. Ekali has a primary school, a secondary school, several churches, a monastery, and a privately-owned acquifer providing independent water supply to the residents of the suburban community.
Landmarks includes the Giannis Spyropoulos Museum.
On September 7, 1999, the September 1999 earthquake rumbled Thrakomakedones causing no damages to properties. Most of the population are urban while until the 1960s and the 1970s
In 2005, an off-road rally named the Ekali Adventure Trophy occurred.
| North: Anixi and Stamata | Northeast: Drosia | |
| West: Acharnes and Kryoneri? | Ekali | East: REA and Dionysos |
| South: Nea Erythraia |