2: Porta Genova. Entrees €6-13. Open M-F noon-2:30pm and 6pm-2pm, Sa noon-3am, Su noon-2pm.
RUGANTO
V. Fabbrini 1.
RISTORANTE
02 89 42 14 04
Ah, Italia. Pasta and pizza on the piazza, and in the shadow of ancient Roman columns to wit. Here, the cuisine is classic Italian, made as it should be.
2: Sant’Ambrogio. Walk down V. Edmondo de Amicis, turn right onto C. Porta Ticinese. Beer €4-5. Pizza €6-12. Primi and secondi €9-20. Open daily 12:30-3pm and 7:30pm-midnight.
NIGHTLIFE
In terms of sheer variety, very few places on earth can rival Milan when it comes to nightlife—and there are plenty of locals eager to rave about their city’s vibrant after-hours scene. Corso Como is home to the city’s most exclusive and expensive clubs, where mere mortals can mingle with models and football stars. Dozens of small bars with big (and inexpensive) aperitivo buffets line the canals of the Navigli area, drawing students and young people to the neighborhood in droves. Beyond these hubs, the nightlife spokes stretch to all edges of the city, throughout which both local bars and international clubs are scattered.
Piazza Del Duomo and Fashion District
Nightlife on P. del Duomo is pretty much the same as the daylife: a lot of tourists gawking at the pile of intricate stonework that is the Duomo and Galleria Vittore Emmanuelle. The Fashion District is a business area, so most things close early.
TASCA
C. di Porta Ticinese 14
ENOTECA
02 83 76 915 www.iltasca.it
In vino, veritas, the saying goes. Does that translate to Spanish? After several glasses of wine from this lively spot, there are more than a few people—inhibitions erased—who are willing to tell the whole truth to any passerby who will listen. Inside, the owners focus on Spanish cuisine, fixing up tapas as they take a few sips of Chardonnay themselves.
2: Sant’Ambrogio. Follow V. de Amicis and make a left onto C. di Porta Ticinese. White wine €5-6, red €5-9. Tapas €5-10. Open M-Sa 12:30pm-1:30am.
CUORE
V. Gian Giacomo Mora 3
BAR
02 58 10 51 26 www.cuoremilano.it
Interesting fact: in Italy certain liquor licenses prohibit dancing, as places are supposed to be bars not clubs. Cuore is a bar, but some travelers report getting their illicit dance on here, even though busting out your interpretation of The Robot is technically illegal after 11pm in the small dance floor brought to life by a pumping DJ set.
1/3: Duomo. Follow V. Torino to C. Porta Ticinese, and turn right onto V. G. G. Mora before the columns. Beer €5. Cocktails €7-8. Open daily 6pm-2am.
Giardini Pubblici
Nightlife is possibly the only category where “crowded” isn’t a dirty word. In the summer months at Giardini Pubblici’s tiny bars, it’s not just the buildings themselves that fill up, but the sidewalks, too, as patrons march to their next cocktail.
ATOMIC BAR
V. Casati 24
BAR
02 89 05 91 69 www.atomicbar.it
Thirsty students recline beneath Pop Art murals as their overstuffed and well-worn space-age chairs burst at the seams. Students don’t stay seated for too long, however, as the dance floor heats up to beats spun by a different DJ every night of the week (starting 11pm).
1: Porta Venezia. Cocktails €10, €8 during happy hour. Open daily 7pm-2am.
L’ELEPHANT
V. Melzo 22
BAR
02 29 51 87 68 www.lelephant.it
Small groups of men and a few women recline on couches and chitchat at L’Elephant, one of Milan’s oldest hangouts for the GLBT community. The buttoned, plastic-feeling faux-leather on the walls makes the whole place seem a little like the couches that sit off to one side, but the palms overhead and pink boas draped about will remind you where you are.
1: Porta Venezia. Cocktails €5-8. Open Tu-Su 6:30pm-2am.
MONO
V. Lecco 6
BAR
33 94 81 02 64 www.myspace.com/monomilano
Hipsters in fedoras mingle outside this über-retro corner bar. Definitely a hipster bar, Mono is full of molded plastic chairs, dim lamps, and an old-school radio and record player.
1: Porta Venezia. Cocktails €8. Open Tu 6:30pm-1am, W-Th 6:30pm-1:30am, F-Sa 6:30pm-2am, Su 6:30pm-1am.
Castello Sforzesco
Home to one of Milan’s most student-friendly clubs, the area around Castello Sforzesco is otherwise full of quieter bars and lounges, some of which cater to an older crowd.
OLD FASHION CAFE
Vle. Emilio Alemagna 6
CLUB
02 80 56 231 www.oldfashion.it
If you’re under 30, this is the place to see and be seen in Milan—everyone you know will probably be here on Friday, and Tuesdays could bring some familiar faces too. If you’re over 30, you’ll probably be driven crazy within 100m of the place when your ears first catch the sappy pop songs mixed in with bass beat.
1/2: Cardona F. N. Walk up V. Paleocapa and turn slight right onto Vle. Alemagna. The club is to the left of Palazzo dell’Arte along a cobblestone path. Cover €10. Open M-Tu 10:30pm-4:30am, W 10:30pm-4am, Th-Sa 10:30pm-4:30am, Su 11am-4pm and 7pm-midnight.
Navigli and Outskirts
Areas outside of Milan’s centro feature some of its best known clubs as well as a few exotic outliers. Students on a budget frequent the Navigli to chow down on the aperitivo buffets during happy hour then hit up one of the clubs for DJs and live music. Elsewhere, Corso Como, north of the Duomo near Porta Garibaldi, showcases the city’s world-renowned nightlife. It also plays host to an informal fashion show as well-dressed out-and-abouts strut the street on weekend nights. East of Corso Buenos Aires and Stazione Centrale are a number of bars popular with locals. You’ll also find much of the city’s GLBT scene here. To the south and west are a number of scattered clubs and bars, the more suburban of which can be hard to find.
LE TROTTOIR
P. XXIV Maggio 1
CLUB
02 83 78 166 www.letrottoir.it
This ever-crowded Navigli club attracts all comers with live nightly music (11pm-3am) ranging from rock and pop to reggae and soul. Upstairs, where a DJ spins (Th-Sa 11pm-3am), a rotating art exhibit showcases alternative—and sometimes raunchy—pieces. If the art is too hot and heavy for your taste, park yourself outside in one of the comfy seats on the deck.
2: Porta Genova. Located in P. XXIV Maggio as its own island in a sea of roads. Concert schedule online. Cover €8, with table service €9. Beer €6-7. Cocktails €8. Pizza and sandwiches €6-8. Open daily 11am-3pm.
ONDANOMALA
V. Lampugnano 109
CLUB
393 33 60 025 www.ondanolmala.it
Here, in a trendy club tucked behind a housing development, there’s sand between the toes and bamboo on the bar, even in the center of northern Italy. On weekends, hundreds of people pack the sandy main room and seven private areas.
1: Uruguay. About a 15min. walk. From V. Croce, turn left onto V. Omodeo. Turn right at V. Montale, which becomes V. Lampugnano. 1st drink €7-15, depending on day of the week; afterward cocktails €7. Open May-Sept Tu-Su 6pm-3am; Oct-Dec Th-Su 6pm-3am; Feb-Apr Th-Su 6pm-3am. Happy hour 6-10pm.
ATMOSPHERE SOUL JAZZ
V. Sidoli 24
BAR, JAZZ CLUB
335 69 42 059 www.atmospheresouljazz.com
There’s live music every night—if the employee banging drumsticks on the bartop counts as live music. Otherwise, Friday and Saturday are the evenings to come for live jazz, soul, and “funky” blues.
1: Porta Venezia. Take tram #5 or 33 in direction of Ortica or Limbrate to Piazza Savoia. Continue walking in the same direction 5 blocks. The bar is on the right before Piazzale Susa. Beer €3-4. Cocktails €6. Happy hour €6. Open daily 6pm-2am. Happy hour 6-10pm.
TAXI BLUES
V. Bocconi 6
BAR
02 58 31 52 46 www.taximilanobl
ues.it
Local students enticed by Taxi Blues’ €6-7 aperitivo (though vegetarians might want to steer clear on Friday when sushi is served) sink into plush, white leather couches in this psychedelic wonderland of a bar.
3: Porta Romana. Follow Vle. Sabotino to Vle. Bligny. Beer €5. Cocktails €7. Open daily 7am-2am. Happy hour 6:30-9:30pm.
SPRITZ NAVIGLI
Ripa di Porta Ticenese 9
BAR
02 83 39 01 92 www.spritz-navigli.it
A big sliced orange—and crowd of waiting 20-somethings—marks the entrance to this student favorite known for its varied and scrumptious happy hour food.
2: Porta Genova. Happy hour buffet €8. Open daily 6pm-2am. Happy hour 6-10pm.
HOLLYWOOD
C. Como 15
CLUB
02 65 98 996 www.discotecahollywood.com
The spotlight is on at this celeb-filled club, among the most elite in Milan. Man or woman, the dress code here isn’t just elegant but “dress to impress” if you want to make it past the ropes into the blue-tinted lobby. Tuesday’s Erasmus night is packed with students seeking half-price admission and the attraction of deafening bass in a strobe-lit basement that not any old dorm room can provide.
2: Garibaldi F.S. Exit the station to the right, follow Vle. Sturzo and turn right onto C. Como. Dress code is described as “elegant.” Some female travelers report being able to get in for free earlier in the evening. Cover €20-25. Cocktails €10. Open Tu-Sa 11pm-5am.
BLANCO
V. Morgagni 2
BAR
02 29 40 52 84 www.blancomilano.com
Wearing sunglasses inside might be cool all over Milan, but Blanco’s blindingly white interior virtually requires it. Fortunately, the majority of patrons at Blanco’s well-known happy hour flow into the street, where the pulsating beat can be heard (and felt) over the din of hundreds of voices.
1: Porta Venezia. Head north on C. Buenos Aires, until making a right at V. Stoppani. At the park, Blanco is across and to the left. Cocktails €8. Open M-Sa 6:30am-2am.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES: Informazioni Accoglienza Turistica is Milan’s central tourist office. It publishes Hello Milano, which offers information in English on events and nightlife, and the monthly Milanomese, which has a comprehensive listing of events and exhibitions in Italian and English. (P. Duomo 19A 02 77 40 43 43 www.visitamilano.it Next to the pharmacy, on the left when facing the cathedral, and down the stairs or elevator. Open M-Sa 8:45am-1pm and 2-6pm, Su 9am-1pm and 2-5pm.) Stazione Central Branch. (02 77 40 43 18/19 Directly across from the tracks.)
• GLBT RESOURCES: ARCI-GAY “Centro D’Iniziativa Gay.” (V. Bezzeca 3 02 54 12 22 25 www.arcigaymilano.org Open M-F 3-8pm.)
designer stores
If any city can claim its designer fashions are worth their astronomical pricetags, it’s Milan. That’s because clothes really do make the man (or woman) in this world center of fashion. Particularly after the semiannual shows held here, wealthy disciples of the current season flock to Via Montenapoleone and the surrounding environs to buy up the newest style of suit or handbag in one of the street’s temples to fashion. Here are the main designer stores you might be seeking out.
• ARMANI. (V. Manzoni 31 02 72 31 86 00 www.armani.com Open M-W 10:30am-7:30pm, Th-F 10:30am-9pm, Sa 10:30am-7:30pm, Su 2:30-7:30pm.)
• GUCCI. (V. Monte Napoleone 5-7 02 77 12 71 www.gucci.com Open M-F 10am-7pm, Sa 10am-7:30pm, Su 10am-1 pm and 2pm-7pm.)
• PRADA. (V. Monte Napoleone 6-8 02 77 71 771 www.prada.com Open M-Sa 10am-7:30pm, Su 11am-7pm.)
• SALVATORE FERRAGAMO. (V. Monte Napoleone 3 and V. Monte Napoleone 20/4 02 76 00 00 54 and 02 76 00 66 60 www.ferragamo.com Open M-Sa 10am-7:30pm, Su 11am-7pm.)
• VERSACE. (V. Monte Napoleone 11 02 76 01 12 71 www.versace.com Open M-Sa 10am-7pm, Su 11am-6pm.)
• DISABLED SERVICES: AIAS Milano Onlus. (V. Paolo Mantegazza 10 02 33 02 021 www.aiasmilano.it)
Emergency!
• POLICE: (In P. Cesare Beccaria, near Duomo 02 77 271)
• LATE-NIGHT PHARMACIES : These can be found in Stazione Centrale (02 66 90 735) and Stazione Porta Garibaldi (02 29 06 32 62). Most other pharmacies post after-hours rotations.
• HOSPITALS/MEDICAL SERVICES : Ospedale Fatebenefratelli (C. Porta Nouva 23 02 63 631) and Ospedale Maggiore di Milano. (V. Francesco Sforza 35 02 55 031 5min. from Duomo on inner ring road.) Ospedale Niguarda Ca’Grande is in the north of the city (P. Ospedale Maggiore 3 02 64 441).
Getting There
By Plane
Milan is served by three primary airports. Malpensa (MXP) is the main airport, 48km northeast of the city. There’s a 50min. shuttle to Stazione Centrale ( €7.50.) Linate (LIN) is just 7km away and receives mainly European flights. It also has a shuttle to Stazione Centrale ( €5.) Bergamo airport is 58km northeast of Milan, but services a number of budget airlines and is often the cheapest way to reach the city. There is an hour-long shuttle ride to Stazione Centrale ( €7.90.)
By Train
Milan’s main train station—Italy’s second busiest—is Stazione Centrale. (89 20 21 Northeast of the city center in P. Duca d’Aosta.) Trains to Florence ( Eurostar €52, regional trains €27.50. Eurostar 2hr., departs every hr. 5:45am-8:15pm. Regional train 3hr., departs every 3hr. 6:50am-8:15pm.); Rome ( Eurostar €89, regional trains €46. Eurostar 3½hr., more than once an hr. 5:45am-9pm. Regional train 6½hr., every 3hr. 6:50am-11:30pm.); Turin ( €9.55. 2hr., every hr. 5:15am-12:15am.); Venice ( €30. 2hr., every hr., 6:35am-9pm.); and numerous local destinations.
Getting Around
By Public Transportation
Milan’s extensive and efficient transit network is the pride of the city. The Metropolitana Milanese underground system runs from 6am-midnight and is the quickest and most useful branch of public transit. Line 1 (red) streches from the suburbs of Sesto northeast of the city (Sesto 1 Maggio F.S.) to the exposition centers of Rho-Fiera in the northwest and to Bisceglie in the southwest. Line 2 (green) links Milan’s three primary train stations while spanning from Cologno Nord and Gessate in the east to Abbiategrasso in the west. It crosses 1 at Cardona and Loreto. Line 3 (yellow) runs south from the up-and-coming neighborhoods near Maciachini to San Donato, crossing 2 at Stazione Centrale and 1 at Duomo.
The subway’s reach is not all-encompassing, so beyond its range a system of trams and buses connects Metro stations to the less accessible parts of the city. Trams #29/30 circle the city’s outer ring road, while bus #94 circles the inner road. Tickets (€1) are good for Metro, trams, and buses for a period of 1hr. after validation; €3 buys a 24hr. pass, and €5.50 gets 48hr. Evening tickets (€1.80) are valid after 8pm until close on the day validated. For late-night travel, ATM operates a Radiobus service (02 48 03 48 03), which will pick up passengers holding valid ATM tickets anywhere in the city for a €2 surcharge (€1.50 if purchased in advance from the locations above), from 8pm-2am.
By Taxi
White taxis are omnipresent in the city, and cab stands in major piazze usually have cabs day and night. Otherwise, call one of the three major companies: Autoradio Taxi (02 85 85), Taxi Blue (02 40 40), or RadioTaxi (02 69 69).
By Bike
If you want to ride around town, try the new bikesharing program bikeMi (800 80 81 81 www.bikemi.it), which has installed dozens of pick-up and drop-off locations where locals and visitors can check out bikes and leave them at their destination. These are sprinkled throughout the city and its outskirts. ( Daily subscriptions €2.50, weekly €6, plus fees of €0.50 per 30min. after 1st 30min. up to 2hr. maximum. After 2hr., fines of €2 per hr. apply.)
turin torino
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The 2006 Winter Olympics put “Torino” on the map—literally. The confusion over which name to use, the hard English “Turin” or the smooth, rhythmic Italian has heightened since the city insisted on its native tongue back when it got the games. Regardless of which name
it goes by, the often overshadowed northern city is universally admired now that it’s had a chance to show off its many wonders. One of the greenest big cities in Italy, with vast public parks, the river Po, the hills beyond, and tree-lined boulevards blazed by Napoleon, Turin can in some ways feel more French than Italian in character. Espresso is caffé, the downtown is filled with royal history, and isolated castelli dot the hillsides surrounding the city.
ORIENTATION
Geographically, there are really two Turins. On the left bank of the River Po, there’s a dense Neoclassical city and a street grid with—gasp—right angles at nearly every corner. On the right bank, there’s an Alpine village, with roads winding up the mountainside and castle-like homes clinging to the slopes. Key points in the former include Piazza Castello, the spiritual home of the city, Stazione Porta Nuova, the point of arrival for most travelers, and Piazza Vittorio Veneto, a major nightlife destination by the river.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 136