I loved my stay at Albergheria neighborhood in Palermo, with a view to San Benedetto Il Moro mural. The apartment had two balconies overlooking the Il Moro mural and a football playing area where neighbors of all ages come to play in the afternoons and evenings. By 22:30 the sportive chatter outside wears down and the environment became nice and quiet by the time I’d go to sleep. On Saturdays and Sundays a market takes place from morning-time to evening. My favorite thing about staying in this location was to be able to witness some of the city’s routines and activities that aren’t catered to tourists.
I researched the neighborhood (Albergheria) before I booked here to make sure it would be adequate for me, traveling by myself, given some concerns prior guests shared in their reviews. Trash does pile up for days before its collected, often overflowing quite a bit. It’s a residential block, not a commercial one, so it quiets down late at night. But as a lone traveler, I didn’t find the neighborhood to be a dangerous one, just a place to maintain precautions and not be an aloof tourist (which really applies anywhere you travel).
Communication with hosts Maria-Rita and Michele over Airbnb was superb. They are attentive to all your needs and run logistics of arrivals and check-outs with utmost efficiency. I never met them in person, but they put me in contact with Giuseppe over WhatsApp, and it was Giuseppe who welcomed me at the front-door of the building and showed me the apartment and how everything worked. Giuseppe was kind and welcoming. Michele and Maria-Rita always attentive to messages via Airbnb.
Apartment was spacious, I had comfortable closet space to keep my clothes and put away my luggage. Fridge and freezer had a good size and comfortably contained groceries (and bottles of Sicilian wine from an enoteca of natural & bio wines on via Monteleone, 10 that I highly recommend!) Bathroom was spacious, too, with plenty of space to hang dry towels after use. Water pressure and hot water were both constant and reliable. Bed mattress was decent comfy, not too soft not excessively firm, and I piled a few pillows to get the best thickness for my liking (each single pillows were on the slimmer side of the spectrum)
Kitchen had a capsule machine and a moka to make coffee. I did not end up making full meals using stovetop but I did notice there was salt, pepper and olive oil in the cabinet which is always appreciated by guests staying only a few days.
From this apartment I walked everywhere: towards right and back I reached Palazzo del Normanni/Palatine in minutes; to the left walking straight I was at Ballerò market in a matter of a few blocks. Reaching my favorite enoteca was more of a 30-min walk but very enjoyable for me. To/from airport I used Orleans Palermo station. I’d stay here again on my next visit to Palermo, with pleasure!