Living like a Florentine: the most authentic neighbourhoods
Florence is more than museums and monuments. It is a living city, made of narrow streets that smell of coffee and ancient stone, of morning markets, artisan workshops, and squares where children play while grandparents chat on benches. To truly understand this city, you need to step off the tourist trail and immerse yourself in the neighbourhoods where Florentines live every day.
Oltrarno: the artisan soul of Florence
Oltrarno is the neighbourhood that, more than any other, preserves the popular and artisan identity of the city. Here, between Via Maggio and the alleyways around Piazza Santo Spirito, you will still find workshops of restorers, luthiers, picture framers, and goldsmiths. In the morning, the square comes alive with the market, while in the evening it becomes one of the favourite gathering spots for locals. Staying in Oltrarno means experiencing Florence from the inside, away from the crowds of the historic centre..
San Frediano: young, creative, and authentic
Adjacent to Oltrarno, the neighbourhood of San Frediano has become in recent years the heart of Florence’s younger, more creative side. Independent art galleries, neighbourhood bookshops, family-run trattorias, and venues with live music coexist in an informal and welcoming atmosphere..
Santa Croce: history and everyday lifel
The Santa Croce neighbourhood is one of the oldest in Florence. Around the basilica of the same name, where Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are laid to rest, a network of streets unfolds where history lives alongside daily life. The Sant’Ambrogio Market is one of the most frequented food markets among Florentines.
Campo di Marte and Cure: residential Florence
Less known to tourists, the neighbourhoods of Campo di Marte and Cure offer a glimpse of bourgeois, residential Florence. Tree-lined avenues, historic cafés, local shops, and a tranquillity rarely found in the historic centre.
Rifredi: the neighbourhood that surprises
Rifredi is Florence’s working-class neighbourhood par excellence, with a strong identity and a close-knit community. Here you will find some of the city’s best popular restaurants, local markets, and independent cultural spaces.
How to live Florence like a local
The secret to living Florence like a Florentine is choosing the right accommodation. On sweetdreamsinflorence.com you will find apartments selected in the most beautiful and vibrant neighbourhoods of Florence, carefully managed by a local team. Discover your authentic Florence.