I was lucky enough to find Flavio and Giulia’s apartment available for the entire duration of my stay in Rome (sorry everyone else!), which, lucky for me, is a real home away from home.

Even before my arrival Giulia was incredibly helpful, patient and informative in response to all of my questions about the apartment, its size, location, local transportation, etc. When I arrived, Giulia and Flavio’s father was there to greet me, and gave me a full tour of the apartment that included helpful directions and indications (it has a supermarket, pharmacy, and bank all within 100 meters of the apartment). The apartment itself is very clean, bright, and well decorated. From the second I walked in, I knew I had made the. best. choice.

The apartment is incredibly spacious for one person, enough so that I’d imagine it’s quite comfortable for a couple or few friends. As I’m here for a semester of graduate school it was equally important that my apartment be conveniently located, quiet and comfortable. Flavio and Giulia’s apartment is all of these things! In addition to having a washing machine, dishwasher and fast internet, the apartment faces an enclosed courtyard making it much quieter, during the day and at night. The neighborhood is definitely residential with a few small shops and a birreria on the corner of the block. There are a few restaurants just across the street, and a great café on the corner. There’s a gym just down the street and even a nail place around the corner. I’m not making this up! It’s amazing!

The other thing that’s really convenient is getting to just about any of the best sites in Rome. It’s about a 15-minute walk to the bridge to Testaccio, which has some amazing restaurants and bars (Felice, Remo, Rec23, Oasi della birra, I could go on forever). The apartment is a 15 minute walk or a 7 minute tram ride (there are two 8 tram stops within 50 meters of the apartment!). While I’m singing the praises of the 8 tram, in about 20 minutes it will take you across the river directly to Piazza Venezia, which is right in the center of the must-see’s in Rome – obviously you can’t miss Piazza Venezia itself (really, it’s impossible to miss it, the monument the piazza takes its name from is enormous), the Coliseum, Forum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, etc. The apartment is located on the same side of the river as San Pietro and Castel Sant’Angelo, which has an amazing view of the city.

All this to say, I never wanted to leave!