Milan is a city waiting to be discovered. Each of its districts carries with it a history that binds it to its popular past and an innovative imprint that propels it into the cosmopolitan future, embodied by the city itself.

Certainly, the capital of Lombardy is an interesting destination in which to choose to live even if only to study, do Erasmus or look for work. It is a city that offers many opportunities between artistic and cultural attractions, as well as the many opportunities for entertainment in Milan's famous movida.

If you are still hesitant about where to look for your flat, perhaps sharing with roommates, today we are going to discover the Città Studi and Lambrate neighbourhoods. Bordering each other, they are located in the northeast of Milan and are one of the main hubs where young people meet. This is due to the presence of the headquarters of the Milan Polytechnic (PoliMi) and the scientific departments of the Milan State University, as well as the numerous clubs.

Moreover, both Città Studi and Lambrate are located on the M2 line of the underground, the green line. This means that they are directly connected to the Sant'Ambrogio stop, where the Università Cattolica is located, and the southern areas of Romolo and Famagosta, where IULM, NABA and various IT and digital agencies are based.

What the Città Studi-Lambrate area in Milan is like

The Lambrate district began as an industrial and working-class area, which has made it a crowded and very active area. It was home to large factories, including the Innocenti metalworking company and that of the famous Lambretta scooters.

Therefore, families who found work in the factories lived here and, consequently, even the premises that opened in the area were spaces dedicated to after-work workers or to welcoming families.

Over time and with the urban expansion of the city, the big factories were decommissioned, and their premises were gradually transformed and re-adapted. For example, some have become the research poles linked to the Polytechnic University of Engineering and Architecture, which has its main premises between Lambrate and Città Studi, the landmark being Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci, known amicably as Piazza Leo. Further along the streets of Città Studi are the Statale (UniMi) branches of veterinary medicine, motor sciences, agricultural sciences and pharmacy. On the other hand, the newer departments belonging to PoliMI are in the Bovisa area, and here in particular are those of Design, Energy, Industrial, Management and Mechanical Engineering, and Aerospace Science and Technology.

Returning to Città Studi-Lambrate, it was the University that revitalised these neighbourhoods, bringing a large number of students, both Italian and foreign, in search of places to meet but also accommodation for the study period.

Nowadays, the Lambrate-Città Studi area has a nice mix of historical places, redeveloped spaces, innovative buildings embedded in a network of clubs, restaurants and meeting and social points.

Getting around by public transport

To better understand how to get around, let us see more precisely with which other areas the Lambrate-Città Studi area borders. To the northwest with Via Padova and Viale Monza, where Piazzale Loreto and the new area of NoLo (North of Loreto) are located. The latter is a district with imaginary boundaries created to give identity and a popular dimension to the areas north of the square. It is full of both Italian and ethnic venues. Its characteristic is the melting pot of various cultures that are giving rise to interesting experiences. It is regarded as the hub of new city trends in art, cinema, culture, food and drinks. To the south-west is Corso Buenos Aires, the shopping street that ends at Porta Venezia.

The reference metro line is the green M2 with stops at Piola - Politecnico and Università degli Studi and Lambrate FS, which are one after the other. The metro lines cover almost the entire city area, so whichever line you are on, you will be able to get anywhere in about thirty or forty minutes. Lambrate is also home to the railway station of the same name, which offers a hub for commuters, students and travellers. The trains that pass through here are both short- and long-distance and make it possible to travel just outside the city or even to the rest of the region and then the country. Furthermore, in front of the station you can admire the famous Anthropoceano mural by artist Iena Cruz, which not only colours and brightens up the street, but was made with a special smog-catching paint.

A series of buses and trams also pass between Lambrate and Città Studi, providing an immediate connection to all other areas of Milan, and the proximity to the Milan-Linate airport should also be considered. In addition, it is easy to get around on foot or by bicycle from here; there are several new pedestrian and bicycle zones that have sprung up in the district.

What to see and do in the Città Studi-Lambrate district

A great way to start familiarising yourself with the neighbourhood between Lambrate and Città Studi is to wander around the streets and admire the buildings with their colourful façades, such as the famous headquarters of Toiletpaper, the picture-only magazine born in 2010 from the creative mind of Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari. Or an Art Deco palace, nicknamed the Kremlin because of its domes and its style reminiscent of the Soviet era. It is actually the Giuliana Ronzoni Chemical and Biochemical Research Institute, a private foundation.

South of Lambrate is the Quartiere Ortica, so called because in the past it was an area of fields where nettles grew easily. Today it is famous mainly for two things: the cooperative clubs that recall proletarian history, today many have been renovated and are frequented by young people, and the street art works that decorate the walls and give a lively atmosphere to the whole area.

Another interesting destination is the Orto Botanico Città Studi, in Via Golgi, where there are many species of Lombard plants, as well as three greenhouses used for research by the university's scientific staff.

Speaking of green spaces, Lambrate is also famous for the presence of the Lambro Park, one of the largest in Milan where you can go for walks or bike rides, picnics, jogging and sports activities, or simply relax in the sun. In addition, there is an area dedicated to skateboarders, known as Lambrooklyn, access is free for all.

Another symbol of the neighbourhood is the Martinitt Theatre, a historic location that still offers a programme of comedy and arthouse theatre performances. A famous street in the neighbourhood is via Conte Rosso where you can find old shops, bars and restaurants. There is also via Ventura, which has become famous especially for the Spazio Ventura that during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, or rather for the Fuori Salone, the concomitant event held around the city, hosts architecture and design works and events. It is precisely Lambrate, in fact, that every year becomes one of Milan's Design Districts, i.e. one of the hubs where a series of activities related to design, fashion, art and culture are organised.

But the cultural and artistic spaces do not end there. Between Città Studi and Lambrate are some of the city's most renowned art galleries: Galleria Massimo De Carlo, Casa Corbellini-Wassermann, Futurdome, Ncontemporary, spaces where exhibitions and events are organised.

Places to drink and eat

In these neighbourhoods there is no shortage of restaurants, clubs and pubs offering various solutions from breakfast to brunch, from lunch to dinner, from aperitifs to after-dinner drinks.

Let's start right away with a local institution, the Birrificio Lambrate, award-winning for its craft products and a must for those who live, study or work in the area, but frequented in general by all beer lovers. Right in the square in front of the Polytechnic there are a number of kiosks where you can have a drink and a bite to eat, as well as various venues in the neighbouring streets such as the historic Matricola Pub, Harp Pub Guinness or the MOBA specialising in cocktails. Not far away are also the Twain, a lounge bar, the Union Club, very colourful and easy-going, the Moscow Mule in Lambrate, or even the Joy Bar, an alternative space with culinary, wine, beer and cocktail proposals but also concerts and comedy shows.

If you fancy a pizza, you have to try La Cappelleta in Lambrate, the location is typical and down-to-earth, the pizza is by the slice high and full of mozzarella. Not far from the station is Osteria Milano, which offers varied menus and entertainment shows.

Another venue popular with young people in recent years is the Balera dell'Ortica, located in the district of the same name. It is a location that offers a bar, bowling alley, restaurant where you can enjoy homemade dishes, and a formidable dance floor. It was indeed a former folk-dance hall, but today it presents itself as a vintage, retro-style venue where various events are organised, but where people also meet for an aperitif and get together.

There are actually many other venues, but it would take a dedicated guide to be able to tell you about them all. Here you have had a taste of the Lambrate-Città Studi district, now you just have to experience it for yourself!