I think you are mistaken about Portugal or Thailand not having been culturally significant in decades, and I suggest taking a second look on the current state of the Balkans gentification (Croatia and Montenegro first, Albania next).
I suggest asking to locals where to find a bar for old people downtown, with cheap coffee/tea. When they'll tell you that such places do not exist anymore and were transformed in yet another hipster barbershop, burger bar or McDonald fast food parlor (looking at you Lisboa) maybe you'll agree it's not progress - it's whoring yourself to uninterested tourists.
I suggest asking to locals where to find a bar for old people downtown, with cheap coffee/tea. When they'll tell you that such places do not exist anymore and were transformed in yet another hipster barbershop, burger bar or McDonald fast food parlor (looking at you Lisboa) maybe you'll agree it's not progress - it's whoring yourself to uninterested tourists.