Neighborhoods in Milan, Italy
Three women from the US, first time in Milan. would like to rent an apt as we are going to be there for 5 days. want to know something about the areas of Milan before we rent. We don't want to be in a new building or a highrise in the downtown. would like to be in a quaint, older area of the city with shops and restaurants and bars. don't want rowdy crowds.
Barbara
Louisville, KY USA 12/18/12
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Downtown is the oldest part of Milan.
Good airline hub. Fantastic shopping. Great Duomo and Opera House. Great restaurants and regional food. Otherwise, it's just a modern city and the business hub for Italy.
The foothills of the Swiss Alps are 45 minutes north (around Lake Como.) This is a favorite vacation spot for many.
Try looking at booking.com for maps of the city and different areas. I like the area around the Duomo and Via Montenapoleone, but I usually stay near the train station.
You need to look specifically for each building where you might be interested in renting instead of neighborhoods then.
I do not recommend the uttermost central area around the Duomo, it's not a very good place in terms of restaurants and bars and else.
The problem is that the major areas that fit your bid for lower and older buildings also have reasonable crowds.
my advice is, stay in the downtown, it is the oldest and best part, however, five days in Milan are a very long time, take the train and visit other cities of Lombardy.
Hello Barbara, I hope that I'm not going to lead you astray here. Some years ago after my first trip to Italy, I read about a neighbourhood in Milan that has small canals and a vibrant local dining scene. I think that it was a link from this website to a UK travel article. I haven't been back to Milan since to check it out. Hopefully someone else on this forum knows more. Ciao, Sherry
Sherry is talking about the Navigli district. I had thought about staying there until I read about the noise level on the streets at night. Unfortunately, the number of apartments I've found available for rent in Milan is much fewer than in the most popular tourist cities. Many of the ones I found were in the near "burbs," nowhere I'd call quaint. If you find something in the old city, snap it up!