joycap

I found an apartment on via dell 'Oca right near Piazza del Popolo. This is our third trip to Rome. The first time, we stayed near the Pantheon and became more familiar with that area and enjoyed the night time vibe. The second time we stayed near Barbarini. Although I have been to del Popolo, I can't remember the neighborhood. Could you help me with your impressions? How far of a walk to Navona or Pantheon? Thank you!

PalenQ

It's quite close to the Pantehon and is a more real neighborhood to the north of the plaza - south of the plaza is commercial Rome.

Well-located - walking distance to many things - Vatican, Trevi -Spanish Steps, Pza Navona, etc. Some streets could be noisy - lots of traffic in the vast plaza itself.

NYCFoodSnob

Quite close? Depends on what you're carrying or how tired you are. IMO, Caffe Sant'Eustachio is quite close to the Pantheon.

Google Maps puts Via dell'Oca 1.4km away, a seventeen minute walk. If you take Via Ripetta, the walk is pretty straight, but it's no six-minute walk.

Piazza del Popolo is upscale real estate. Nothing wrong with the neighborhood, but some would consider Via dell'Oca on the outskirts of center.

lewis_rod

Apartment-wise I can highly recommend the Adagio Rome Vatican ( http://www.apartment-hotels-europe.c...-rome-vatican/ )!
Depending on how close you have to be to Piazza del Populo, this hotel will be a great pick! It's around 3 km away from Piazza del Populo..

Hope that helps
Lewis

sandralist

It's certainly within the historic walls of the center, and as far as I'm concered, it's a delicious area of Rome, with lots of good food options for restaurants, gelaterie and, since you have a kitchen, getting prepared food from the excellent shops and delis on the via Cola di Rienzo and I would go to the Trionfale market (even though Campo de'Fiori is a shorter walk. The Trionfale is truly a Roman's market.)

I don't know how much you like to walk, but it's about a 35 minute walk to the Colosseum or even Trastevere from piazza del Popolo, and shorter than that to piazza Navona or the Vatican Museums. The piazza itself is a fairly reliable place to get a taxi, and there is good public transporation from there.

Much of the area was built during the 18th/19th c., so you have many more straight sidewalks (yes, real sidewalks!). It's a lovely area in itself for the great evening passeggiata on the via Babuino and the leafy, art-gallery filled via Margutta.

However, if what appealed to you about the Navona area was the warren of tiny medieval alleys and the ancient atmosphere, that is not much on offer in that part of town.

PalenQ

Yes walkable is a very subjective thing - a few steps is too many for some and others like me think a 35-minute stroll a piece of cake with at least one cappuccino stop en route. I often say the things you pass in between the mega sights are at times as interesting as the mega sights themselves - the real pulse of the city.

bvlenci

I quite like the neighborhood. There are numerous streets with shops and restaurants (via del Corso, Via del Babuino, Via Ripetta) and the charming Via Margutta. If you cross the Tevere on the nearby bridge, you'll find yourself on Via Cola di Rienzo, which they tell me is one of the best shopping streets in Rome. (I'm not a recreational shopper, so I wouldn't know.)

Piazza del Popolo is one of the most beautiful in Rome. The church of Santa Maria del Popolo could qualify as an art museum considering all the great works of art inside. (It doesn't look like much from the outside.) There's also an interesting private museum devoted to the inventions of Leonardo da Vince, with many working models. If you climb the steps behind this museum, you'll come to the Pincian Outlook and the Villa Borghese gardens. The overlook has wonderful views of Rome, facing the setting sun.

I don't know the street itself. Via dell'Oca means "Goose street", and I was amused when I looked on the map to see that it runs into Via della Penna ("Feather" (or "Quill") street. The word "penna", the same in Italian and Latin, is the root of the English word "pen"; it derives from the goose quills that used to be the usual pens.