Amazing apartment and area!
Stefano: A simply perfect host. Communication was instantaneous every time, night or day. Stefano coordinated a very early arrival for us as we were coming in from the US on a redeye. He met us at our cab and showed us the apartment, did the paper work , and gave some recommendations for local meals. Similarly, 5 days later, Stefano met us in the morning as we left and wished us well. He is such a considerate and pleasant person to speak with.
The apartment: VERY clean and better than the pictures. Every amenity is inside and in virtually brand new condition. It easily fit a family of 4. Each bed room has its own Air Conditioning that is plenty to keep the whole apartment cool on the hottest of days. The kitchen has all the amenities to make a full Italian dinner if you so desire. The beds were comfortable. The apartment is very safe: iron shutters, vault door, access door, and courtyard locked gate. I don’t think it’s necessary as Testaccio seemed very safe to us, but extra safety is never a problem!
The neighborhood: While we could still walk to the major tourist spots, we absolutely loved coming home to our authentic Roman neighborhood. Amazing restaurants that are not over priced and easily out do the tourist traps to the North. Local neighborhood squares where one can grab a Gelato(again half the cost and twice as good as touristy spots) and watch families enjoy time together conversing in the square. It’s not to say that tourists aren’t welcome: We saw other tourists for sure, but the businesses are not geared mainly towards tourists, which we loved. Rome’s most tourist areas are littered with “English Only” menu restaurants and ticket peddlers. Loved not having that.
Getting around: While we did quite a bit of walking, it was in the high 90s mid day so we also rode busses and the subway too. Both are just minutes walk from the apartment and easy to follow on google maps.