Living in San Siro, Milan
Affitto stanza singola tra privati Living in San Siro, Milan - senza agenzia - Milan
The district in western Milan of the Giuseppe Meazza stadium and the racecourse. Behind the great icons, an extensive working-class, multi-ethnic neighbourhood.
San Siro is two things at once. On one side the famous sports complex: the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - commonly "San Siro" -, home of Milan and Inter, the largest stadium in Italy with around 75,800 seats, nicknamed "La Scala del calcio" (the Scala of football); and the Ippodromo di San Siro, the racecourse that gives the district its name and hosts the monumental Cavallo di Leonardo (Leonardo's Horse), a large bronze equestrian sculpture made by Nina Akamu and inaugurated in 1999. On the other side, to the west, stretches one of the largest public-housing neighbourhoods in the city, built mostly between the 1930s and 1940s around the so-called "Quadrilatero di San Siro" (the Piazzale Selinunte area).
Who lives here
The residential neighbourhood is markedly multi-ethnic and increasingly young, with a mix of long-standing residents and communities of foreign origin. The public-housing core coexists with a few higher-end buildings near the stadium.
By day
Residential and neighbourhood-like, with the stadium and the racecourse as major landmarks. The racecourse is also a green and sporting space, and is home to Leonardo's Horse.
By night
Quiet on normal days. On match or concert days, however, the area around the stadium fills with vast crowds and completely changes its rhythm.
Getting around
The M5 lilac line directly serves the area's icons: San Siro Stadio (terminus) and San Siro Ippodromo. Lotto is an interchange between the M1 red line and the M5 lilac line, convenient for reaching the stadium on foot. On the surface the tram 16 runs all the way to the stadium. On event days dedicated shuttles operate from Lotto and traffic around the venue is intense.
Eating and shopping
A residential-neighbourhood offering - bars, snack bars and shops for residents, with multi-ethnic options - to which are added the venues and street food around the stadium on event days.
When NOT to choose it
Match and concert days bring crowds, traffic and parking difficulties around the stadium. In addition, parts of the public-housing core have documented housing and social problems: it is a district with more fragile areas, to be assessed for what it is, without generalisations.
San Siro works for fans, for those looking for affordable rents and excellent connections towards the west, and for those who don't mind event days. Those who want the new and high-end find the adjacent CityLife; those looking for quiet and a more polished setting should look elsewhere.