We had a wonderful stay at Vanda's place (myself and 3 others). She met up with us before and after our stay and she was very friendly and helpful. Having grown up in Palermo she knows all about the local cuisine and culture and gave us great tips on things to eat and sights to see.

The apartment:
The apartment is beautiful and breezy. They've put a lot of love and work into this place and have made it quite nice and comfortable inside. The bedroom up the spiral staircase opens up onto the balcony, where you'll probably spend a good deal of time. They have a table & chairs, as well as a couple lounge chairs out there, so you can enjoy reading a book or having dinner on the terrace.

Location:
The place is literally just steps away from the south western tip of the amazing, extensive Il Capo market, which fills the streets from about 8am-8pm. It's full of fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, as well as shoes, clothes anything else you might want. It's just a short walk (5mins or so) to the Teatro Massimo or the Palermo Cathedral, with plenty to do on the surrounding streets. You can easily explore much of the city on foot from here.

The neighborhood:
The neighborhood seemed friendly and we had no problem walking around day and night. I think, as we did, you'll quickly come to see the charm and presence of culture in the community. At first glance it may seem a little rough, but while you might see a few buildings that are in various states of disrepair, many are newly renovated or in the process of being renovated. It's clearly going through a positive transition. We were fortunate enough to be here during the festival of Santa Rosalia and subsequent neighborhood celebrations and the neighborhood was lively and celebratory.

Places to go nearby:
You must have some seafood just a few steps away at Ristorantino da Spano. We had an incredible dinner there, probably the best we had in Sicily! Polipo, pasta with clams, catch of the day, all excellent.

If you're in the 25-35ish range (physically or mentally) and looking for some hip, chill places to hang out after dark, you've gotta head over to Via San Biagio (about a 5 min walk) where you'll find a youthful collection of local bars with a laid-back vibe. A few nice local music clubs are also just a couple blocks over from there on Via dei Candelai.

All in all we had a great stay here, cooked fresh food from the markets several evenings, took in all the celebrations and fireworks from the balcony, ate at the local restaurants, and enjoyed a few evenings at the local bars. Definitely recommended if you're looking to experience the city like a local.