Experience in Milan, Italy by Valentina

What is it like to live in Milan? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Milan is the most European and smart city in Italy. It's the capital of fashion, economy, art, a place to settle a new start - up. We can find very nice places to go out, at all prices (you can find very good offers, moreally than Northern Europe most expensive countries! ). Milan is not just a beautiful city to visit as a tourist but to live, thanks to its many worldknown cultural events: the Milan Fashion Week, the Design week, every night events in Navigli and Isola neighbourhood, the wonderful arts exhibition in Mudec and Palazzo Reale museums... you'll love it if your are an artist or love literature and Italian culture, but even if you're a scientific mind! We have one of the best Engineering Universities of the world, the famous Politecnico. And Milan is, least but not last, Leonardo Da Vinci's country!

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What is the student lifestyle like in Milan?

The student lifestyle in Milan is a very cool one. You can attend classes at the University, and we have very good and beautiful ones as Università degli Studi di Milano, Politecnico, Bicocca and other private ones (Bocconi, Iulm, Cattolica). Then you can go shopping, visiting an art exhibition, to the cinema or theatre (you have discounts if you are on the student's list), going for a beer in Ostello Bello or praticising sport in gyms or outdoor, like in Parco Milano Nord, which is one of the largest in Europe. If you are a runner or a cyclist there are plenty of sport events for you all over the year (like StraMilano, Milano Color Run, Vodafone Milano Ride). At night, you can go for a happy hour in a cozy bar alongside the Navigli, in Sempione square or in Isola Neighbourhood. You'll find the famous "aperitivo" with a drink + free food at 10/12€. You can then go to the club (Plastic, Magazzini Generali, Le Banque, Alcatraz, Fonderie... ) or to street events. Of course, you can taste Italian food any time during the day. In Piazza Gae Aulenti you can find friendly Illy coffee bar (Illy is one of the most famous coffee brands). You can also have pizza, Sicilian food, regional food, and Luini well known panzerotti for a good price, above all in the neighbourhood of universities.

How much does it cost to live in Milan?

It depends. You can find a room in a shared apartment from 320-350€ on. Prices can be higher depending on the neighbourhood and the dimensions of the flat, but remember you'll receive an Erasmus grant of about 250€. So it's not so expensive than Paris (I've lived there for nine months), London, or other European countries.

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Is it difficult to find accommodation in Milan? Is there any advice you can give?

It's not so difficult if you start looking for a room in advance. Sometimes you can find accommodation at the university residence, on FB group like Esn Milan Facebook group, through websites. But you'll also find plenty of offers from students at the uni. Just give a look around at the boards hang at the uni walls, you'll often find good proposals

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Food in Milan is good. Whether you are vegetarian or vegan you'll find lots of shops, supermarkets, bars and restaurants specialised for your diet. Otherwise you can always find dishes for you in each coffee bar. The same, if you don't eat particular kind of food, you'll find restaurants dedicated to you. But, of course, I suggest you to try the typical Italian food, like pasta, pizza, panzerotti, cakes and ice-creams. In some restaurants, you can also taste typical Milan food like risotto (a special dish based on rice) and osso buco alla milanese (meet with peas and tomato sauce). special cakes are Panettone (a Christmas cake), Colomba (Easter cake). Venchi is then a very famous patisserie for ice-cream and chocolate. And Signorvino is a place specialised in wine happy hour. I love everything about Italian food, so it's very difficult for me to support a particular dish. Anyway, if you miss your home country food or you want to try exotic tastes, you can also go for a Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Eritrean, Indian... restaurant. It's also very popular (but expensive too) to go for the particular Brazilian sushi.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Milan?

If you love art: Duomo, St. Ambrogio Church, St. Eustorgio Church; Brera art district, especially during the Salone del Mobile /design week; Mudec museum, the Castle museums, the Museum of the XthX century and the expositions at Palazzo Reale. If you like wandering, you must go to Cimitero Monumentale, Piazza Gae Aulenti, Moscova street, Garibaldi street, Navigli... you can start from Duomo, the very heart of the city, and then move from circle to circle (as Milan was once shaped in different concentric circles by water channels). Apart from the most famous monuments, you can descover the new vertical gardens in Piazza Gae Aulenti, Indro Montanelli and Sempione parks, the little characteristic China Town in Paolo Sarpi street. You can just walk or catch one of the picturesque tramway to explore each corner of the town.

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Is it good to eat out in Milan? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Yes, it is. You can find anything you want to try. Just some suggestions for happy hours: Movida bar in Naviglio Piccolo (12€), Avucciria (Sicilian street food), Duomo in Sempione square (10€). You can also have particular sandwiches and salads at Panini Durini (different spots in all over Milan, very tasty but a bit expensive) and again Sicilian food in Antica Focacceria san Francesco (a bit expensive as well, bit it's worth it! ). You should also try an excellent fishburger in Darsena fish bar. You might hear that in Milan you can surprisingly find the best fish and seafood (it's very fresh and tasty in steet markets and strolls like in Lima square).

Is the nightlife good in Milan? Where is good to go?

Yes, it's really good. You have plenty of cinemas like Odeon, Arianteo and Spazio Oberdan for cinéma d'essai. You can choose among plenty of theatres like Teatro Piccolo (one of the most famous in Italy), Teatro Elfo Puccini, Teatro Franco Parenti and others. And you'll love for sure just spending the night at the Navigli and in Darsena, meeting people and talking to new friends. You'll also like going clubbing, to Gattopardo, Old Fashion, Plastic, Magazzini Generali, Alcatraz, Le Banque and many others... you should try karaoke too in Sempione and Paolo Sarpi neighbourhood.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Milan?

Make the most of your experience! As you are Erasmus students, the period you're gonna spend in Italy will he one of the most wonderful of your life. Remember to learn some words of our beautiful language and make frequent trips to other cities too (Milan is well connected by train to Turin, Venice, Florence, Bologna, Rome, Naples... ). Always keep smiling and... in bocca al lupo!