Our Neighbourhood

Our Neighbourhood – Isola

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Ranked top 10 coolest neighbourhoods 2024 by Time Out Magazine Isola is certainly one of the most vibrant, innovative and alternative areas of the city. Located in the northern area of Milan, it has been redeveloped and enhanced from its previous state of suburbia. The modern revival integrated well with the old Art Nouveau or rationalist style buildings, the public housing and the street art on the walls and store shutters. A must-see is the ancient Sanctuary of Santa Maria alla Fontana, dating back to 1500, in whose underground area one can find a spring with healing properties and the Fonderia Napoleonica Eugenia where bells were made and bronze casting such as that for the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza Duomo was carried out. Now, the building is a historical museum where exhibitions and events take place. In this trendy district you can go shopping in craft stores, thrift stores and boutiques, have an aperitif, have dinner in traditional and ethnic restaurants and end the evening with a jazz concert in one of the many nightclubs. In the last years, unfortunately some of the traditional craft stores have been replaced by restaurants and Isola is losing some of its magic, but it remains a neighbourhood that deserves being explored.

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A typical walk in Isola, would surely include paying a visit to the Bosco Verticale( Vertical Forest), an iconic pair of residential towers. Designed by architect Stefano Boeri, these unique skyscrapers are covered with over 20,000 plants, including trees, shrubs, and perennials, creating a lush, vertical ecosystem. The greenery provides natural insulation, improves air quality, and offers a habitat for birds and insects. This innovative project represents a new approach to urban living, blending architecture and nature in a stunning display of sustainable design. Isola is inhabited by various interesting characters, which any of its inhabitants knows. On the left, a picture of one of the inhabitants, Terry, owner of the bar Opera 33, a historic bar of the neighbourhood. The picture is from a website, postcardsfromisola, that tells the story of our neighbourhood, among others, through a humorous collection of Isola’s most famous inhabitants and a list of the traditional shops and bars of Isola where you can meet them. If you speak Italian it’s definitely worth a visit. If you don’t, maybe after your stay you may want to learn Italian 🙂