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Enjoy your journey!
This time nobody stopped us. Not a single inquiring look, nor an “are you guys journalists?”. We believe that the reason for this lack of interest is easy to understand. One of the most common clichés about Milan is that its inhabitants constantly run. Usually, we tend to dispel this myth by saying something like “Come on, have you ever lived in London? We are way more relaxed than Londoners!”. But this is not the case and this area totally embodies the aforementioned cliché. It does’t matter if they are shopping in Corso Buenos Aires, catching a train in Stazione Centrale or running to attend a class in Piazza Leonardo: here everybody runs. During our pilgrimage, we have been overwhelmed by crowds of commuters, by youngsters chasing us with flyers of the brand-new tanning center and by students who were repeating formulas and calculations. We have nevertheless succeeded in disentangling from the crowd and in walking quietly in the neighborhood.
Starting from Lambrate railway station , we have reached Città Studi and then Piola, walking through Via Pacini. From here, you can decide wether to pop out at the beginning of Corso Buenos Aires (Piazzale Loreto) through Viale Gransasso, or walk through the quieter streets and arrive in Lima. We suggest you to chose this second option and have a tour of Via Donatello, Piazzale Bacone and Via Oberdan. From Corso Buenos Aires, proceed towards your left and you’ll find Corso Venezia and Palestro. In front of you, on the right, the walls (bastioni in milanese) will lead your way towards Repubblica and the Central Station. Follow these streets keeping in mind that the bastioni are only one of the many innovations conceived by Maria Teresa D’Austria, a key figure in the history of Milan because she brought a wave of enlightened, simple and elegant royalty in the city. It was Maria Teresa herself who opened the Giardini di Porta Venezia and commissioned to various neoclassical architects (among which Piermarini) the construction of some of the beautiful buildings located in this area.
To sum up, this is a neighborhood that embodies Milan frenzy, but that, we assure you, still keeps some oasis of peace.
DOS | |
|---|---|
| Run into the amazing breakers performing under the Gazebo of Porta Venezia Gardens or enjoy the skaters’ show in front of the Central Station: they usually gather in these locations and fulfill amazing jumps and breathtaking pirouettes. | |
| Wait for someone to open the door of a building to sneak into and admire the courtyards. | |
| If it’s warm enough, go to Piazza Leonardo at night: it is always full of young students singing, dancing and chatting. If you are still a youngster, you’ll certainly meet new friends. If you are a bit older, it will recall memories belonging to the past… a hint of melancholy never killed anybody! |
DONTS | |
|---|---|
| Avoid buying a sandwich or a drink in the bars alongside Corso Buenos Aires: they are expensive and you will be disturbed by the comings and goings of the people passing by. | |
| Don’t think about having a quiet walk in Corso Buenos Aires: here people are in a hurry, you’ll have to walk at a very brisk pace! | |
| Don’t walk around Stazione Centrale without keeping an eye on your bags and backpacks: the number of thefts here is really high. |
WHY THE MILANESE LIKE IT | |
|---|---|
| Because the Central Station renewal has made it one of the most groundbreaking of Europe. Now, while waiting for a train, he can window-shop instead of sitting with resignation on one of the benches. | |
| Because he can do some shopping in Corso Buenos Aires without risking to sell his soul to the devil. | |
| Because he can walk through the Bastioni and quickly get to Repubblica and Stazione Centrale without getting lost in tram stops. |
Choose a neighborhood from the map or select it from the list.
Enjoy your journey!