There are so many reasons why I love living in Florence. I could probably make a list of 100 things that I love about living here. One of those reasons is because I am a city girl, and Florence is just the perfect sized city. I lived 90% of my life in New York City. I love the pedestrian life. I grew up with it and it is in my blood. I love not having to drive a car, rely on a car, park a car and get gas. Here I don't need a car...everything is within walking or cycling distance. I can ride my road bike out of Florence and be in Chianti country only after a few miles. And now with my city bike I am free within the city.
I love the freedom of walking out my front door even past midnight and immediately entering a world of energy, people walking, strolling, shopping, saying hello, socializing and interacting with each other. It's a way of life that I really missed living the past 5 years in California. Living in Florence has made me realize how much I need the city to keep me feeling vibrant and alive. And the train system out of Florence is so accessible and puts all of Italy within a short distance away. I really love my apartment. It is so peaceful, yet near everything. I can walk out of the door very late at night and there's so much going on. It feels like one gigantic Greenwich Village. For me, it has all the advantages of New York City, none of the disadvantages, and certainly none of the madness.
This is just the perfect place for me.
