Piraeus - deserted or buzzing at 5.30am?

We are catching the overnight ferry from Chania, arriving in Piraeus at 5.30am on a Thursday, mid Oct. We can't catch the catamaran to Hydra until 8.00am (first boat of the day).

Will cafes and shops be open at 5.30am or will the whole place be deserted? I've read it's not a very safe area, any suggestions where to wait? Ideally we'd like to find a nice cafe, have breakfast, read and people-watch until we can get the Hydra ferry.

Thanks for any help.

1)Where have you read that Piraeus is not a safe place , may you can tell us where you read this article and by who?
2) There is a 24 hrs open Cafeteria and Snack at Gate E1 another at E2 and E8 at Karaiskaki square .Plus free wifi acces all around Piraeus port check here http://www.olp.gr/images/outside_teliko.gif. If you arrive at 5.30 ( 5.45-6 IMHO) until you get out of the ship will be 6.15-6.30 until you get on the public bus or walk to the exit opposite the Piraeus metro will be probably 7 am and already the traffic will be dense, all cafes ,bars ,tyropitra snack bars will be open, even the Mc Donald's and Goodies. Iside the Piraeus metro you can have snacks and coffee at a very well known franchise snack and sandwich place. Also at Karaiskaki square you will find snack bars, periptera and many travel agencies.

Thank you for the information, if there are 24 hr cafes that is good to know. We hope to have time for breakfast before catching the first boat to Hydra.

The Lonely Planet Greece books says Piraeus can be dangerous.

The times when Piraeus use to had a kind of unsafe area was until the end of the 60's,and that was the red light district of Troumpa at Filonos street, that became famous from the film Never on Sunday. The area was cleaned up by the military regime (the Greek Junta) at 68 during the mayorship of A.Skilitsis. Today in Filonos street you will find only maritime buildings and offices. The only uncomfortable situation are the numerous street-sellers that will approach you selling cheap items like sun glasses watches ech. , mainly in the Cafeterias of Karaiskaki square.

The latest LP is very negative about Piraeus - doesn't even list any hotels! which is pretty lame. Apparently we should go into Athens if we are there between boats.

I have stayed in Piraeus twice and never had any problems. Its a great port town and personally I love it. The atmosphere on the wharf is incredible.

A local "Piraeotis" has wrtitten a great report here on Piraeus piraeus

Here is another report from a local Pireotis about Piraeus

I will put things in order as I was grown up in Piraeus and now live in Hydra so twice a week I find myself around the port.
Definitely when you arrive at the port the area is not what you might dream of, but certainly not dangerous. Most of people when they dissembark the boat from Chania they take the free shuttle bus to Metro station. From there it's 5 minutes walt to hydrofoils to Hydra. Because it's so early some cafes nearby are not open (though there is a Starbucks just behid the cathdral of Aghia Triada). There is also a nice cafe inside the metro station which I recommend and it should open as soon as the metro starts running. Even staying at the port next to hydrofoil and wait is no problem.
There are hotels in Piraeus and it's shame they're not mentioned. Theoxenia Palace is a new 5* just 5 minutes walk from the port. Just behing is Argo Hotel (nice clean and not expensive-I have accommodated friends there). The area is very safe despite its look. In fact it's where I lived and where my whole family still lives...and never never any problem any time of the day