BeneMilano

Hi
Thinking of moving to Genova or surrounds (Savona etc)
Anyone living there that can tell me what it's like - people, climate etc - places to live, zones to avoid?

Thanks

Emma bianchi

Hi there, I live in Genova.
It depends upon what you are looking for. Do you already live in Italy?
I moved out here 17 yrs ago when I was single. The position is great, near France, not too far from the mountains, on the coast etc. the city in itself is ok, I've seen worse. Genova and its surrounding areas have some lovely sea views. Savona is small and the beaches there are nice.
Of course it has its advantages but now on a more negative side.
As a mother now of three young children I find Genova (I'm central) dirty. People in general are rude, extremely selfish and not very friendly. There s a lack of professionalism in general and no altruism at all. Dog dirt lines the pavements and if it s not that it's the strong smell of urine, in the summer months it can be unbearable. Parking is tough and if you do find it,it will often cost €2.50 an hour.
There is little to do with kids. The port boasts a good library and the cita dei bambini which is a museum for kids. It s good but once you've been a few times it can become boring.
There are quite a few museums but some of which are not so well kept.
The summer months can be tough if you are strapped for cash. The nice pools on the sea front or in albaro (nice area not too far from centre) are expensive and again you must add pay parking unless you are a resident in that exact area.
If you need something strange (I needed a small block of polystyrene last week for an activity with kids) you will go crazy thinking where to buy it.
I have weeks where I hate it here and the people then I have weeks where I'm almost content.... As beautiful as it is to live near the sea (i live centre, not suitable really for swimming as it s too near city) I miss the green!!! Country, parks etc.
It all depends upon what you want out of a place. To be honest I feel desperately unhappy when I take my kids to nursery every morning and have to tell them to watch their step because of dog dirt, n o little than 4 or 5 times...our walk takes aprox 5 mins.
I would avoid Genova. There are some much nicer places.

Isakat

Emma, the negative points you write about ( dirt, dog poo, general rudeness and selfishness )can be relevant to other parts of Italy, mainly big cities.
I like yourself have bad days here, but when I feel quite demoralized and down, someone unexpectedely will do something nice for me and my spirit lifts. And I found, if you smile at people, they smile back.
Without a lot of money to spend, Italy is a tough place to live.

Pinco Pallino

Nearly 6 weeks to get the first reply!

It's many (many) years since I lived in Genova – and although I worked there for about six months I quickly moved to a charming village down the coast (that turned out to be completely dead in the winter).

Although the Genovese have the (stereotypical) reputation of being tightfisted – (a bit like the Scots stereotypically had in England) – I found most people to be much the same as you'd find anywhere else in Italy: i.e. generally charming but rather difficult to get very close to in view of the general reliance on tight family ties in Italian society.

As an ex-pat you would usually be regarded as a curiosity; and being a British ex-pat it will automatically be assumed that you're 'per bene' and related to the Queen or know Kate Middleton. (I guess that Emma bianchi is not subject to this phenomenon and unfortunately for her is having a really hard time of it.)

Apart from the dog mess, Genova is a nightmare if you drive. There is so little land on the flat, that the population are crammed into a very thin strip along the coast – and car parking is nigh on impossible wherever you go. It's generally ok along the coast out of season, but in July and August forget it! (A lot of people from Milan and Turin have holiday homes there.)

The Riviera di Levante is stunning, and really expensive; and the Riviera di Ponente is also rather costly. You could consider living in the 'entroterra', but would need to research the idea thoroughly before making the commitment.

With pesto, olive oil, focaccia a formaggio, wonderful fresh fish and a glass of Pigato or two, it'd be very hard to live in the Genova area without eating very well indeed. And the climate is one of the best in northern Italy: Much milder in the winter and generally 'ventilato' in the summer.

I'm not sure if it's still true, but at one point Liguria reputedly had the lowest birth rate in the developed world. It certainly has an ageing population – so maybe that's why Emma bianchi finds them a bit grumpy – and maybe all those oldies have stiff backs and can't bend down to pick up the dog poo.

Why don't you stay in the area for a few weeks at different times of year before deciding whether to move there or not?

Good luck.