Well, here I am! Sitting right in the center of the ‘must-see’ city: Milan, Italy. That’s interesting because people seldom talk about Milan when lining up their itinerary when coming to Italy. It’s always Rome, Florence, Venice, Positano and other places. But Milan has always had its qualities. In fact, years ago, TIME Magazine had a cover story on Milan. Why not? This is the fashion epicenter of the world, an art center second only to Florence, a business center second only to London, a sports center second only to Madrid, and more.
Milan is actually smaller than many realize. It never reached 2,000,000 inhabitants and even dropped to about 1,000,000 about a decade ago, as people moved out to the ‘hinterland.’ But buildings and hotels are sprouting like mushrooms now, though rental costs are sky high. Milan’s public transportation system, perhaps the best in Europe, keeps improving. Renovation is everywhere and they are talking of two new soccer football stadiums for the city. The old Pala Lido basketball arena has been razed and Pala Armani will take its place … if they ever get it finished.
Like any major city, Milan has its problems. I’ve lived here since 1978 and, often, I’ve been tempted to go to City Hall and raise the roof about something. The secret of this new oxygen being pumped into Milan’s lungs is the building boom. They tore down an ugly games and rides park to put up buildings that have a New York City look to them. That’s going on all over the city and it’s attracting families and businesses. The article above gives a lot of credit to Expo 2015. I’m holding my judgment and my breath on that; let’s see how it comes off. All for now, D
