Of course everybody has his or her own idea of “fun”, but the following are the most interesting and trendy neighborhoods of Milan. Whether you are into fashion or design, dining, drinking or dancing, the city has something for everyone.
Fun neighbourhoods Milan
Navigli district
The Navigli district lies to the west of Milan’s historic centre. This picturesque district was once characterized by a network of canals, of which, however, only three remain.
Quadrilatero d’Oro
The Quadrilatero d’Oro is the name of Milan’s fashion district. All major Italian fashion brands have a shop here, so the (rich) people-watching there is as much fun as the window-shopping itself.
Zona Tortona
Named after its main street, the Zona Tortona is famous for its fashion, but especially for its design. Many of its ateliers and workshops are housed in former factories. Before there were factories, this are used to be countryside.
Isola
Isola, which means “island”, used to be a crime ridden part of the city. Until the beginning of the 21st century, artists and other trendy people used to live in Navigli and Brera. When these neighborhoods became too expensive, the hipster crowd invaded Isola and completely changed the outlook of this district.
Brera
The hipsters could not afford Brera anymore, and the business people moved in, which is the way tend to go in big cities. It is still a beautiful area, but it is not trendy anymore, and definitely not cheap.
NoLo
NoLo is called NoLo, because it is the neighborhood “North of Loreto”, like New York’s SoHo is “South of Houston”. It used to be one of the poorer parts of the city, but is now seen as an immigrant and worker’s district. With lots of ethnic restaurants, it is also a good visit if you are tired of pasta. Gentrification will probably hit soon, so enjoy it while you still can.