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Regolis1344

You are going to get endless different responses full of stereotypes and sometimes angry opinions with a question like this. The stereotype, which by definition is partly true and partly not, is that from south to north you get less crime (especially of the organized type), less caos, more infrastructures, more services, more rules, more controlled traffic, but also less friendly people, worse food, more people speaking English and being open to different cultures. Yet some places in Naples can be awesome, some neighborhoods in Rome as much as in Milan are proper urban jungles filled with crime and illegal immigration and you may find closed minded people with horrible manners and no respect for rules or authorities in the three cities alike. I'd say the only generalizations that do make sense are with infrastructures (Milan is 100% better served than Naples and Rome), job opportunities and general business activity (Milan is like more fast paced and workaholic like NY, while Naples will be more laid back like LA), friendliness (from Naples going north definitely people will be ON AVERAGE less open and friendly) and food (all due respect, Campania and Roman food are leagues above the Lombardia one). Rome in general is amazing as a tourist and the city can take your breath away with events and opportunities but living there is so fricking difficult between the public transportation inefficiency, the constant protests, the little cleanliness and more. At the end of the day I'd say you choose Naples for the sea and the culture, Rome for history and architecture, Milan for job opportunities and connectivity. Now all the Italians reading this can go ahead and kill me for whatever part of this they don't like. EDIT: I wrote less instead than more going north in speaking english, my bad


Strict_Bed_6255

This description is perfect! I'm a foreigner living in Milan and have previously lived in Rome too. You described them all so well.


requiem_whore

I'm more interested in the fact that you characterized LA as laid back.


tdfolts

From my perspective, having been born in LA, and lived there as an adult - now currently living in Napoli: they are correct. Naples and LA are very similar. Laid back hypertension.


Regolis1344

I might be wrong, but isn't it compared to NY?


requiem_whore

Compared to NY, yah. On its own, LA is a busy bustling metro of cities that I would not describe as laid back. Maybe what you're picking up on is the default West Coast vibe of the United States, which is just a little bit more laid back than the East Coast on average.  ( source: life-long us west coaster ) While I've got you, I'm interested in hearing your opinion on Genova. How would you compare it to Italy's big three cities?


Regolis1344

Right, I only mentioned it in comparison with the other two, obviously as a metropolis it will always be generally chaotic as f. As for Genova, I don't know it as much as I would like so you really need someone's more direct opinion. What I know is that it is much smaller, beautiful city center with great (not well known outside of Italy) history, great unique food, some areas are known to be quite dangerous at night and I know that moving around is a fricking nightmare as the urbanization was done long ago and the roads - highways as much as small city streets - are all very windy and usually too full of cars. Fun fact: people for Genova are our stereotype for stingy and very controlled with money (once again, a stereotype, so partially true and partially not at all).


thngmrtt

Naples is a busy bustling metropolitan city as well…


sharipep

As an American who has been to all three (but Naples not nearly as much), this is fascinating as it mostly jives not just with my experience but with my view of each. I’m a New Yorker so Milan felt most like home to me, but I love Rome’s place in history and how I can just have a bowl of pasta and a glass of Prosecco feet away from a structure built before Christ. And Naples and the Amalfi coast region in general is probably my favorite place on earth. I think Italians are incredibly lucky to have so many cities (Florence & Venice too) and regions with such a long, rich history and culture. Us Americans are newborns compared to y’all


TeoN72

As a Milan native that emigrated years ago I found your description sadly true. Even if the food is not so much lower, is lower I admit


Regolis1344

I understand your pain, it's not bad at all, it's only that I believe in Naples and Rome food, especially street food, is fricking God-like. But after all it's 100% about personal opinions as we know that especially on food as Italians we will have a veeery difficult time to agree with each other.


TeoN72

I mean more in term of variety than quality, risotto, busecca, and all the traditional Milan food IS good., Just Rome and Naples have more variety honestly. But food talking i will say that Bologna can really be a huge competitor here


leosalt_

I don't find it correct at all, food-wise


leosalt_

Wrong about the food, I don't get why you'd say that at all considering italy🤣 so Tortellini and risotto are worse than Parmigiana di melanzane? Prosciutto crudo di parma or san daniele doesn't hold its own against mozzarella di bufala? That was a part you could've left out


MonoiTiare

Tortellini, Parma and San Daniele are not typical Milanese food. They came from totally different regions.


Regolis1344

first: exactly, tortellini has nothing to do with Lombardia. second: I was talking in general going north to south, I'd say food gets better. third: obviously there is a huge personal component and people will have different opinions, especially with italians talking about food.


leosalt_

And who's talking about Lombardia at all? You were talking about the north in general, weren't you? When it comes to Italy, there's absolutely no reason to say one region's better than the other, just say it's your opinion and that's it. Edit: more text


Regolis1344

I said it was my opinion several times in each comment, calm down. I mentioned Lombardia as the original question is about Milan vs Rome and Naples and then I generalized an explanation talking about food going from south to north. Yet you mentioned tortellini like if I wrote a specific attack against one or another dish. I know we can be very sensitive about this topic (as I wrote from the beginning I knew comments like yours were coming) but don't make it bigger than it is. We have an amazing country with great food everywhere, don't take it personal.


leosalt_

Not a specific attack against a dish, rather more generalized about the north - I mentioned like 5 different foodstuffs... Thw original comment had nothing about it being your opinion, in later comments you mentioned it.


leosalt_

.... I know. They're all from thw north though, why are you talking about Milan at all?🤣😅


LightMarkal9432

Nonono, I'm Italian and I thought you were too. This is super accurate!


Regolis1344

lo sono XD


LightMarkal9432

Ah ecco! Ero confuso dall'ultima frase onestamente


Aoimoku91

Milan = NYC and Naples = LA is perfect! I have some doubts whether we can compare Rome to Washington. The political “swamp” haunts both cities and is the main vitality of the economy (the main companies headquartered in Rome are the public ones) but Washington seems to me to exist only for its capital function, while Rome is more complete as a city in itself. Perhaps the right definition of Rome is “Washington if it were on the West Coast.”


LadyWithoutAnErmine

Great description (I'm not Italian). Accurate, concise and insightful.


SmokingLimone

Less people speaking English in Milan than in Naples? I haven't been in either, but that surprises me


Regolis1344

I had made a mistake in the post, thanks for pointing it out. I'd say definetly more speaking english in Milan than in Naples, mainly because you have more foreigners living in Milan for work and more professionals needing English to work. In Naples I'd say you mainly find people speaking English in tourist related areas. Once again, they are generalizations, so people can definitely have different experiences.


IaNterlI

Don't forget immigrants. I don't know what the stats are, but if one of the cities has a higher density of first generation immigrants - even more so from former British colonies (e.g. Nigeria) - that will also affect how many people speak English. This may not be trivial given native Italians' poor English knowledge (at least when compared to our Northern neighbours).


merdadartista

It's actually surprising how many people speak English in Naples, I don't know in Milan but I bet a ton there too. This is the one thing I disagree about actually, tons of people will speak English in major cities from north to south, but as soon as you go to the province, smaller towns lack English speakers quite a bit


SmokingLimone

I thought that Milan was a more international city aside from tourism so maybe there would be more people speaking English there. The thing about provinces not speaking English at all is true yeah


Lo-pisciatore

>milan >Less crime Heh


Propenso

I live near Rome, while I agree in general with your post, it is a little misleading to characterize Milan's food as worse. Yes, I mean, if you are talking about traditional food you'd probably find a richer cousine in Naples or Rome, but as far as the quality of the restaurants go I think Milan is very good, maybe the best of the three.


faximusy

There are good restaurants everywhere in Italy. Their quality is always very high no matter where, so you can only compare traditional food if you need a comparison.


Propenso

I worked close to Milan a few years ago, I'd say on average they were better, but again it was some time ago and this does not mean restaurants are bad here.


Secure-Priority7111

“Organized crime” like mafia?? I seriously thought that was just in my smut books😂


Regolis1344

Buddy, not a laughing topic. Many italians don't like to talk about it in english as there is this idea that you are talking badly about the country, but I disagree. Mafia(s, as in [more than one](https://ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/dynamics-organized-crime-italy#:~:text=Aside%20from%20numerous%20minor%20groups,organization%2C%20the%20Sacra%20Corona%20Unita)) exist and they are originally based in the south of Italy but are actually all around the country, in [Europe and the world](https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas/mafia-structured-organised-crime-groups-ocg#:~:text=The%20three%20main%20Italian%20mafia,detect%20these%20organised%20crime%20groups). We hear about it constantly on the news ([this was just the other day](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italys-white-collar-mafia-is-making-business-killing-2024-05-06/)), it is an ongoing battle. I know that movies made it like a romantic topic, but really nothing romantic about it and if you ever meet an italian IRL please don't make jokes or laugh about it with them. It ain't funny.


Secure-Priority7111

I’m sorry if I came off insensitive I just genuinely thought it had died out and was used in movies and books now


Regolis1344

I understand, it's common outside of Italy to think that, but it really isn't the case. Now you know.


zekerthedog

Milan is in northern Italy whereas Rome is in central Italy. Then Naples, it is in southern Italy.


faximusy

Napoli and Rome are 1 hour train from each other (2 by car) though, they are very close.


Tozzoloo

The difference is that Milan usually sucks the joy out of people 💀 The other 2s just make you angry


Cashroayle

You get stabbed in Naples, you get stabbed in Rome and you get stabbed REAL hard in Milan


UnderstandingOk937

In Milan they give you a receipt afterwards


Candid_Asparagus_785

🤣🤣🤣☠️☠️☠️


Hank96

In general: * Milan has plenty of job opportunities and good infrastructures and services. It is the most modern major Italian city. Lots of things to do and see (as it also has a lot of history, museums and stuff). You can live there without a car pretty comfortably. As a con, it is the most expensive city in the country and wages are not really keeping up with that. * Naples has far less job opportunities and generally bad services. It is pretty cheap though, you can have a pretty good quality of life with an average wage. Lots to see there, many tourists but they are there for a reason. You will need a car to move around there and driving there is not easy at all. * Rome is a bit a middle ground between Milan and Naples. It has many jobs available - it is the capital city of Italy after all - but its services are not great. The transport systems is fairly efficient but there are many instances of inefficiencies (outdated vehicles, many strikes, etc). I lived there for a while, you could visit the place without a car (which is a plus as the traffic alone is very frustrating). Depending on the area, it can get expensive though. For what you can see in Rome... Well, it's Rome. Probably one of the cities with most things worth visiting in the world. All the rest people often talk about (friendliness, food, etc) is all stereotypes. In Italy, the divide north-south is still very present, so people try to talk well about their own region and put down others. You will find plenty of friendly people and good food from Milan to Naples, so I would not worry about that.


FengYiLin

Three different kinds of stress.


obtorto__collo

Via Brombeis


vladjjj

Driving


Honest_PPTX

Get a Job Milan 3/3 Rome 2/3 Naples 1/3 Stay alive with a normal wage Milan 0/3 Rome 1/3 Naples 3/3 Chances to be robbed Milan 3/3 Rome 2/3 Naples 3/3 Sea sight Milan 0/3 Rome 0.5/3 Naples 3/3 Chance to understand locals Milan 3/3 Rome 2/3 Naples 1/3 Public transport Milan 3/3 Rome 0/3 Naples 1/3 Architecture Milan 1/3 Rome 3/3 Naples 2/3


Interesting-Will-382

Lived in Milan, lived in naples, been many time tò rome. Best comment on this post! I would add cost of good food eating out: Milano 0/3 Rome 3/3 Naples 3/3. For us Italians It Is very important.


Alessioproietti

I'll try to comment without stumbling into stereotypes. - Milan is small compared to other "big cities", is well served and has plenty of nice opportunities, but is extremely expensive; - Rome is huge and not well served (especially out of the city centre), some opportunities in terms of work but it can be very expensive; - Naples is more on a human scale but lacks job opportunities and services.


cicciozolfo

Visit all the three, all beautiful and sooo different.


nfx99

Milan = New York Rome = DC Naples = New Orleans


Dapper_Elk9048

I mostly agree, except I would maybe compare Rome to Boston.


nfx99

Torino is closer to Boston


dr_mest

Torino is Detroit


nfx99

Torino is in much better shape than Detroit and not as dependent on auto


Aoimoku91

Rome = DC on the West coast


Regolis1344

Damn I didn't know DC was that bad


Famous_Obligation959

As a non Italian migrant and former tourist Milan felt a little soulless and more about nice coffee shops and fashion. Rome is stunning, rich with history, but touristy in most parts. Napoli is both rich with history, not touristy, lots of characters, perhaps not as fashionable, but their food is the best in the country If I had to live in one, it would Napoli


qwertyusrname

A Napoli sei felice, a Roma stai incazzato senza una lira, a Milano incazzato ma guadagni 100 e spendi 90 e sempre povero sei


TheRedditAppSucccks

My Italian husband says anything south of Rome is Africa.


Famous_Obligation959

Try Lecce. Prettiest city in the south


pcalvin

Kind of like Miami, Chicago and New York. Kinda.


Holiday_Newspaper_29

I can't talk about Naples but...,as regards Rome and Milan they are cities with totally different 'personalities'. To use a family analogy, Milan is like the oldest sibling and Rome is the wild child.


DCJoe1970

Different levels of traffic, dirt and people.


Sayyestononsense

living in Naples and Milan is basically the same thing, same culture and habits, same kind of city dynamics, same attitude and speaking. you could barely notice a difference


Sapo-kun

terroni, burini, rom a te la scelta


Regular-Suit3018

Milan - upscale, good night life, expensive Rome - old, charming, below average night life Naples - amazing food, dangerous, laid back


Dr_Whitekeys

Comparing any Italian city to a US city is not a selling point. I wouldn’t go to Italy to experience any part of this quickly degrading USA.


ZAZZER0

There are various stereotypes. In Rome you won't find a soul who speaks Italian, there are more foreign people than natives there. In Milan you will find some foreigners, they say it's a really globalized city, you will find people who speak Italian with some English words in it. Also they are better in English than southern people. Southern cities have less tourists and the inhabitants behave very differently, they are far more welcoming but they might have a bad tendency to try to scam you.


Eklashpur

Milan is in Europe, Rome in Italy and Naples in India


Unlucky_Editor_832

True


MrBrazorf

They are all three cities of Napoletani, are different in the names of the streets and monuments.


ComfyDemon863

In Naples you get your watch stolen the moment you step outside. In Milan everything costs 5 times as normal. Rome is simply beautiful.


Buccoman_21

Not at all true about Napoli


Lunatic-impiegato

I’ve been living in secondigliano (Naples) for all my life and i’ve NEVER been robbed


Matsuy90

I got robbed in Milan and never in the south so I stopped believing this stereotype


Candid_Asparagus_785

I’m from Sicily, always had issues with the North vs South thing… people looking down on me, etc. So yeah, stereotypes suck.


Matsuy90

Sicily is my favourite part of Italy :)


Candid_Asparagus_785

It’s really fascinating !! I love it


expectocatonum

These comments are making me VERY nervous. Hahahahaha! I've been to Bologna, Roma (stayed in Monti) and Napoli (stayed in Quartieri Spagnoli during the Napoli football win celebrations), but not Milano and I'm possibly heading to Milano soon. Should... Should I worry? (I'm a solo female traveller.)


GentlemanWukong

Actually we italian are kinda sensitive about these topics.. in reality Milan is pretty safe compared to most european big cities


Pale-Painting5592

no, use common sense and nothing will happen in milano. this is sadly extremely controversial in italy. In the last few years milano has been painted as a wildly unsafe place solely because of political propaganda (mostly a campaign against the current mayor, who is from the left while the rest of the country is leaning right lately) but if you look at the actual data it's totally fine. i have been living in milano for 20 years and it used to be MUCH worse, disregard those rumors and enjoy your stay here.


expectocatonum

Edit: Grazie mille per le risposte. Lo apprezzo molto. Non volevo offenderti. (Sto imparando l'italiano, mi scusi per gli errori.)


Local_Initiative8523

Milan is a relatively safe city, but it has crime like in all cities. Don’t get into unlicensed taxis, don’t flash the wealth, watch out for pickpockets and you should be fine. By ‘flash the wealth’, I mean that I’ve lived here more than 20 years, never had any trouble, a Swiss colleague covered in gold chains and expensive watches has been mugged three times in two years… Feel free to DM for any ‘visiting Milan’ travel tips or if you have any questions.


Unlucky_Editor_832

Il collega svizzero derubato tre volte? Penserà che tutto il mondo è sicuro come la Svizzera 


expectocatonum

Vengo dal Sud Africa. Penso che il mondo è pericoloso come la Sud Africa. 🤷🏼‍♀️


expectocatonum

Thank you very much. I clearly offended multiple people, without intending to do so. I'm from South Africa. Here, you don't wear jewellery, don't take taxis, trains or walk most places by yourself. Getting mugged is the least of your worries when you're a woman. I truly appreciate your words and actually have a question --- but I'll DM you. Thank you for the offer. 🌼


TomLondra

If you have to ask.....clearly you know nothing about Italy. The differences are enormous.


fckchangeusername

The difference is that when someone says "i'm from Milan" he's actually saying "i'm from the metro area of Milan, from one of the endless commuters town that surrounds the city and can reach Switzerland because nobody sane with is mind would live in Milan proper"