Moving to Milan is an exciting adventure and full of opportunities for off-site students who get in touch with a dynamic and vibrant environment like that of the Lombard capital. However, before closing your suitcases and heading to the metropolis, it is good to know a few things that could improve the first impact with the city.
Below we have chosen to summarize the main ones, in the hope that they will be useful to all those who, for study or work, intend to move to Milan.
In Milan everyone is in a hurry
A well-known cliché is that everyone in Milan is in a hurry. But is it really so? In fact, not always. Or rather, not everywhere, and not at all times. However, it is true that the rhythms of Milan are much faster than those that might be encountered in many other parts of Italy, and therefore it would be appropriate to get used to the greater dynamism of this metropolis right away.
Aperitif or aperidinner
At the end of an afternoon or an evening, in most of the country there is the habit of having an aperitif in a trendy place: an alcoholic or non-alcoholic co*cktail, accompanied by a light set of snacks, chips & co. In Milan, the aperidinner is much more fashionable, a sort of “reinforced” aperitif that can be enjoyed in many places in the city at the end of the working day. It is usually served between 6 and 8 pm and, in some cases, it is intended to replace dinner, becoming a moment of pleasant sharing between colleagues and friends.
Life is expensive
Milan is one of the most expensive cities for an off-site student. As we had already mentioned in a previous study on student rentals in Milan, in fact, a simple bed can cost from 450 euros upwards. Adding all the other typical expenses for sustenance, and those for leisure and relaxation, it follows that living in Milan alone costs about 1,300 – 1,500 euros per month for a worker, and about 1,000 euros per month for a student.
Public transport is efficient: goodbye car!
This is a great truth: Milanese transport is among the most efficient in Italy and, also thanks to the restrictions on the viability of the city center, you will probably be able to live and move anywhere in the perimeter of the metropolitan area without needing a car. By the way, if you want to know more, we invite you to read our focus on ATM passes for students in Milan.
There is shared transport
Milan has the largest car sharing service in Italy. Today there are five operators (Enjoy, Leasys, ShareNow, Ubeeqo and E-Vai), both free-flowing and fixed-station. Still in the field of shared mobility, you will also find bike sharing services and other means that will allow you to freely move around all the districts of the city in a practical and economical way.
Milan is the city of fashion
Milan is certainly the capital of Italian fashion. In addition to the rich calendar of events and initiatives that are dedicated to this theme, and which enrich the Lombard capital with opportunities, if you want to breathe high fashion at any time, and every day, it will be enough to immerse yourself in the shopping streets that make up the fashion district: via Montenapoleone, via della Spiga, via Manzoni and via Versace. It is here, a stone’s throw from Piazza del Duomo, that you can find prêt-à-porter clothes, accessories and design objects.
The differences between the neighborhoods
Milan is divided into numerous districts, most of which are constantly evolving. The differences between the various areas of the city are quite marked and, therefore, it is quite easy for an off-site student to feel a bit confused in choosing the area in which to live during their course of study. For example, it does not escape that the historic center is one of the areas that most attract those looking for a home in Milan, considering that living between Piazza Duomo and Parco Sempione, or Brera, is a pleasant solution.
Another area that is often sought after is that of the Arco della Pace, not too far from Parco Sempione. An excellent compromise for those who do not want to get too far from the city center but would still like to contain prices and enjoy green areas. Among the most glamorous districts we have instead that of the Garibaldi – Porta Nuova area: the price of rents here is certainly not among the cheapest, but it is among the best districts if you want to have high-level clubs and events available.
Milan is connected with the world
Another feature that should not be underestimated when talking about Milan is its extraordinary ability to be connected with the world. From the airport to the station, Milan is an extremely important hub, capable of opening the doors to any type of movement with the rest of Europe, and outside the old continent. As far as it can be understood, the connection proposals are also valid for reaching your place of origin, when the off-site student wishes to return home.
Milan is a multicultural city
The last feature that we are pleased to share in these lines is the multicultural character of Milan. The Lombard capital has grown rapidly thanks to the constant additions that have taken place internally, and which have now made it possible to characterize Milan with an international and very open aspect. A good set of opportunities for the growth of the off-site student!
