The Wall Street Journal had already told it, and before it the New York Times, rising attention and appreciation: Milan, apart from being Italy’s economic and financial capital, is also a high profile destinaton for culture and tourism, a super trendy place for fashion, design, cooking, museums, culture and innovation. A perfect destination for lovers of modernity and good life.
The symbols of the tradition are all there obviously and such they remain: Duomo, Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, Sforzesco Castle, Montenapoleone, Brera, Navigli…, but close to these, the city has developed new zones of interest, also thanks to the great success of Expo 2015. New architectures as beautiful as futuristic, avant-garde infrastructures and services, high-level cultural events have grown up here.
And right in this new Milan, with its places, cafes, cool restaurants, its sparkly style of life, we invite you to follow us, dear friends. It will be a very pleasant trip!
We can quietly start from the usual symbols in Milan, Piazza Duomo, with the imposing massive structure of the cathedral, the Madonnina that sparkles on the tallest steeple; the elegant Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, Palazzo Reale and Arengario building with the Nine Hundred Museum. We continue across Brera with its formidable Pinacoteca and Academy of Arts, we have a pleasant walk along Corso Garibaldi and we finally reach Porta Nuova, the beating heart of the new Milan. The Milan 4.0.
Very well served by urban and extra urban transports lines, Porta Nuova has given a new profile to the city, in a few years. A dress made of ultra-modern and elegant buildings, squares flooded of music and light, fountains with games of water, street lights that resemble open flowers, just as those of Gae Aulenti Square, that welcomes us, in an elevated position compared to the road.
An extraordinary place, heart of the new city directional center, from where we can enjoy one of the best skylines of Milan, with the Unicredit Tower, bright and sparkly, the tallest in Italy with its 231 meters; Garibaldi Towers, the Vertical Wood projected by Boeri Studio, declared the most beautiful and innovative skyscraper in the World, whose falls of green witness its famous name; the Building of the Lombardia Region, the Galfa Tower, Manor’s Tower, the Pirelli skyscraper and other residential towers.
Gae Aulenti Square is often a location of advertising spots and photo reportages, musical and social events, art exhibitions and Christmas markets, also thanks to the Unicredit Pavillon, a beautiful multipurpose space that confines with Porta Nuova Gardens.
When the sun light reflects itself on the glass walls of the surrounding skyscrapers, the square becomes a magic place,with original sculpture known as The Voices of the City,a work of Alberto Garutti: 23 aluminium pipes wuth a trumpet shape that connect the different floors of the square. The latest jewel of this area is a new public park called Trees Library – La Biblioteca degli Alberi, a real wonderful puzzle of lawns, design gardens, circular forests, small squares, green labyrinths, cycle traks, relaxing areas and spaces for events and concerts. It is the third largest park in Milan with 135 thousend trees belonging to 100 different species.
Going south, we reach in a few minutes one of the most glamourous and modern places of Milan’s “dolce vita”: Corso Como. A top place in the city, where business, elegance and entertainment meet with many bars, pubs and restaurants, fashion shops and concept stores located here.
In this pedestrian environment, adorned with flower boxes and elegant signboards, it’s not difficult to meet vips, actors, top models and international jet-set people.
Among the many public locals, don’t forget to try Pitbul Cafè, famous for its cocktails; Pixel Cafè, the right place for an happy hour or the elegant Corso Como 10, inside a multipurpose place with art exhibitions and concept stores. Among the restaurants, Alla Cucina delle Langhe offers tipycal regional foods from Piemonte and Lombardia. People who desire to taste all regional foods in Italy can try the big Eataly, in the near XXV Aprile Square, hosted in a disused theatre. During the weekends, all public places in Corso Como are full up till late time as the discos Hollywood and LoolaPaloosa.
Then, we come cross the railroad and reach the near Isola district, another rebirth place in the new Milan. It’s an ex workers district, where roads are inserted like a puzzle, where Liberty style buildings space out modern ones and shops welcome young designers looking for new spaces. Also here, there is a lot of locals and pubs, as Ratanà restaurant,a few minutes from the subway stop Gioia, a unique and original place, hosted in an old deposit of the railroad, with minimal furniture inside created from the ancient iron of the platforms. Here, you can taste typical foods of the territory made with fresh and biological season products. Another pleasant place is Blue Note Jazz Club, in Tahon de Revel street, famous for its jazz sessions and high level concerts.