Where to begin? This is an amazing apartment. It had everything we could want- and more. A very well stocked, large kitchen. Alessandro had treats for us when we arrived which we were so grateful for as we were exhausted and hungry. That is an indication of what a great and thoughtful host he is.
We loved the location. We spent 12 days in the apartment, located in the San Giovanni neighbourhood. If you want to experience Rome as the locals do, this is the neighbourhood for that. With all the wonders and warts. The owner of the local Cafe got to know us and remembered what drinks we liked in the evening.
The best dining was in the neighbourhood- we were incredibly disappointed by the restaurants in the medieval part of Rome where are the tourists are. They are rip-offs. Eat locally- Alessandro provided us with a list of everything we needed and we went to almost every place. We got to know the local vegetable store where I got my daily fix of puntarella- had never had that before and we were lucky enough to visit Rome when it was in season. The local pizza place where everyday the owner offered different varieties.
We walked everywhere but the Metro is 10 minutes away. It's about a 50-60 minute lovely walk to the medieval part of Rome but there is so much to see along the way that we didn't mind. It's about 30 minutes to the Pigneto area which we stumbled on when Google maps sent us to the "closest" Wind store that was actually one of the furthest. But a great mistake.
Do not rely on Google maps in Rome. It's often wrong, sends you on complicated bus and Metro routes, misjudges where things are located. You're better off downloading a map of Rome and figuring it out yourself.
For North Americans, be careful with the overhead shower. You will flood the bathroom floor- that was a discovery as we aren't used to hand held showers. We were provided with lovely and thick fluffy towels. The bedding was great and the beds super comfortable as were the pillows. The bedroom could use a reading lamp by the bed but not a serious issue.
Wifi was good- but slow to upload pics and video. So expect that and allow for time. Very bright apartment. Lovely old building with nice old elevator.
If we return to Rome, this is where we would stay again. We felt safe everywhere in Rome and especially in this neighbourhood at any time of day or night.