Apt thoughts
 

Thinking about staying here while I'm in Rome...any background info on locations/safety/convenience...etc?

http://www.sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_oorso.html

I was suggested by someone to stay close to Navona...

Thank you.

The person who suggested that you stay near the Piazza Navona gave you good advice.

The location is very good; the area is very safe - there are a number of restaurants and cafes, so there are people on the streets until late in the evening; there are is a convenient small grocery store, a small but good take-out place, a wine shop and a gourmet delicatessen very close by. If you want to go to a real market, it is about 10 minutes walk to Campo de Fiori.

There are many bus stops near by to go to points of interest that are further away, such as the Colosseum or St. Peter's, but if you are an energetic walker, they are also within walking distance.

Nice location, very convenient, but how do you feel about staying on the ground floor?

P.S. The only thing that I would be a bit less happy about is that it is a ground-floor apartment. If you are a man or traveling with a man, it is less of a problem than if you are a woman traveling alone. In any case, I would ask the agency about the security features of the apartment.

thank you guys so much. i'm single female likely traveling alone. i will definitely ask about security of the apt. i was concerned about ground floor initially but i thought if it's a safe neighborhood, then i shouldn't worry so much...is that naive?

sub-question...is campo de fiori a "better" location?!

You probably don't have to worry, although definitely ask. sleepinitaly seems to have a lot of ground-floor apartments. I'm a stair-enthusiast, so I've never rented from them. :)

My issue would be having to keep windows/doors closed all the time. I like being up and looking down on the street.

Enjoy Rome. It's truly magnificent.

Campo de Fiori is not necessarily a better location. Both the Piazza Navona Area and the Campo de Fiori area are lively at night. It seems to me that the people who hang around Navona are a bit older and more quiet than the young people who hang around Campo de Fiori.

As a woman alone, I probably would prefer not to be in a ground-floor apartment. It might be all right if you enter the apartment from an inner courtyard that has a gate that is locked. If there is a window onto a public street, I would probably prefer it if it had bars.

I really don't want to alarm you. I have been going to Rome annually for the last 30 years, and I feel very safe there. I would not want to live in a ground-floor apartment in my own city, which is considered very safe.

My sleepinitaly apartment was on the 5th floor with no lift. I gotta tell you those stairs got old! And I was really humiliated when the 80 something year old women flew past me going up them. :-) Many of the buildings around there have a locking front door to an inner stairwell with locking doors to the individual apartments. I would have felt perfectly safe on the ground floor in my building.

While Catbert getting lapped by 80 year old women is indeed something to think about, aside from safety I just think it might be more cheerful to stay up, up, up. Especially as you'll be alone. Sometimes it's nice to have a bit of a view--even if it's just of your neighbors' laundry.

thanks everyone! i didn't think about having an upper floor so i can see down with windows and so forth, so i'll definitely look into that.

i should probably have another posting for this...but how about going out at night alone?! safe not safe? worth it, not worth it? or just walking around? sounds like Navona is pretty lively until somewhat late so it should be okay for me to stroll alone after dark (if i'm traveling alone).

thanks again.

In that area I felt completely safe walking around after dark alone.

Safe. Practice common sense, of course. But you'd do that anywhere.

<<sub-question...is campo de fiori a "better" location?!>>

It's equally fantastic, IMO. They are a little more than a 5 minute walk from one another. Each with it's own great character. The renaissance architecture is similar in both areas and both have the same look and feel.

As a VERY, VERY rough guideline, the Navonna area has slightly more 40-50 somethings, while the Campo dei Fiori area has more 20-30 somethings. This could be due to prices?