I wake up and once again there is no sun today. I’ve been living in Milan for years, but I’ve never seen a June so gray; it’s been raining for weeks. For years, Milan has been assigned the thankless task of breaking Italy’s reputation as a sunny country. But that commonplace belief has never actually been true, until now. When I arrived at university years ago, I thought I’d find a dark and gray city, but no belief could have been more wrong. I was welcomed by a warm city, kissed by the sun, whose avenues and squares unfolded under its rays to be explored and lived in.
However, this June has loved to dress up as November, and you have to learn to live with it.
Despite the morning’s gloom, I’ll try to tell you a bit about the main peculiarities of the city: pluralism and dynamism.
If you’re thinking of Italy as the land of monuments, of medieval and Renaissance culture, of the Roman Empire and of churches, you’re thinking of Rome or Florence or Venice.
Milan has just the bare minimum of all that, and it loves to be entirely different. It is a capital of fashion, art, and postmodern and contemporary culture, music, work, and tech. Being a global and dynamic city, today Milan identifies itself as a laboratory of civilization that gathers and catalyzes different currents of growth and development.
Just by taking a walk through its streets with the right guide you’ll notice it. I’ll take you with me.
It’s Friday morning, it’s early and the city has noisily started to wrap things up before the weekend. Near Corso Buenos Aires, an almost two-kilometer-long shopping street, there’s a great hustle and bustle of people and vehicles; it’s better to find shelter in one of the side streets and settle into a café for a nice breakfast. For some time now, French pastries have invaded Milanese breakfast offerings, and frankly I’m okay with that. Sitting at the café table you can easily gain a broader perspective. Students of all ages and men and women in serious attire alternate without any distinction; the speed infects everyone, so much so that sitting and watching the frenetic rhythm of backpacks and briefcases zipping between sidewalks and metro stairs runs the risk of making me feel excluded from the collective dance. But I remember that Milan doesn’t exclude, it stimulates, and I go back to enjoying my croissant.
As soon as I reach Piazza San Babila, I see the incredible flocks of tourists assaulting the regal elegance of Corso Vittorio Emanuele’s arcades and diving into the numerous shop windows that the fashion capital proudly displays. Just a few meters away there is the luxury district, the Quadrilatero della Moda, where major fashion brands house their boutiques and salons, and jewelry stores display their treasures.
Piazza Duomo is a masterpiece. Surrounded by elegant buildings and flanked by the splendid Galleria, the white marble façade of the Gothic temple stands sovereign, and its beauty takes your breath away.
Looking at the Duomo, you get the feeling that Milan has known its destiny for centuries. It has an impressive verticality, dynamic despite its significant grandeur. Who would have thought in the 1400s that the perfect backdrop for this iconic monument would be the numerous skyscrapers that today rise more and more frequently without interruption? Yet, it’s as if the city already vibrated at the same frequency back then.
Giacomo Balla understood this during the last century. You can find his works in the nearby Museo del ‘900, and they are a crystallization of movement, aptly expressing what we could say about Milan. When you look at the city it appears still, but in reality it’s moving, very fast, and you have to try to move at its speed.
Those who live in Milan know that life in the city goes beyond the central areas; it doesn’t revolve around Piazza Duomo and the nearby areas, which are more suited to tourist itineraries. I meet some friends for lunch; we are Italians, after all, and if there’s a guest it’s mandatory to organize a good meal. We meet in Porta Nuova, among the skyscrapers of Piazza Gae Aulenti. Right below the square there’s a recently completed park that offers a breathtaking view of the steel columns towering proudly, tickling the sky.
A walk through the park leads us to another hidden gem of Milan, the Isola district. The contrast with the previous area is evident. Isola is a neighborhood redeveloped a few years ago, consisting of buildings no taller than three or four floors, insignificant next to the giants of Porta Nuova. Its name is due to the fact that before its redevelopment the neighborhood was surrounded by railway tracks, many of them now disused, effectively making it a small island in the city, far paradisiacal, with a poor reputation. Time passes, and things change, and today Isola is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Milan, and deservedly so, given the tranquility of its streets, and, at the same time, the indomitable spirit that attracts thousands of young people, though not only, to fill its streets for the most classic Milanese sport, the aperitivo.
By lunchtime the merchants start to dismantle the stalls from the morning’s street market. There’s a nice little spot where I often come to eat “elephant ear” (don’t worry, it’s just a typical cutlet, no elephants were harmed). Between wine and excellent company, lunch flows merrily. A group of very like-minded people can live in Milan and take different paths, the ones most suited to their passions. I’m surrounded by people, both students and young professionals, all engaged in different fields, yet surprisingly complementary. This can happen because of the opportunities that the city offers.
The heart and soul of Milan are the neighborhoods farther from the center. In these places the community cultivates the essence of life, like sociality and being together, in various forms. Let’s take a tour of NoLo.
The name recalls the New York neighborhood, SoHo, which is named both after the London district of the same name and as an acronym of its location, South of Houston Street. NoLo is also a sort of geographic indication, North of Loreto. NoLo is a community project focused on transforming a lively but neglected area into a vibrant, culturally cutting-edge neighborhood. Many artists and professionals who have moved to Milan have passed through NoLo, which offers an excellent compromise for livability. The community’s efforts have turned the neighborhood into a gathering place, among its squares and bars. It’s the right spot for a less polished and much more urban aperitivo, with craft beers and hip hop DJ sets.
Milan offers a lot, but it asks for a lot in return. I believe I’m suited for this city; I desired to be here for a long time before moving, but not everyone feels the same. Many don’t love the city and its rhythms. Milan is ruthless for those who can’t keep up.
“Do you know how strange it is to feel in love in Milan?” is the refrain of a cult song by a Milanese singer-songwriter, but we could say: “do you know how strange it is to feel in love with Milan?”
After a quick pizza at the local Egyptian pizzeria, cheaper and just as good, it’s time to experience Milan’s nightlife. I’m told that Mimmo, the bouncer, has already been informed that we’re going to the Plastic, a historic night club.
We drink a couple of gin and tonics and head out for the evening with the right energy.
The Plastic is in an area full of clubs, but it remains the most iconic. As an underground Milanese rapper’s verse says, “Warhol and Madonna blossom at Plastic.” The two indeed clubbed here during their stays in Italy, and Freddie Mercury also spent a few nights at the spot. Recently, Dua Lipa came to check out the scene.
The night calls, and we must be ready. It’s time to wrap up now, what happens in certain clubs can’t be told. Ciao!