Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Hello,

I wanted to ask if it is safe for a single mother relocating to Catania? What zones of the city would you recommend, as safe zones? My main concern is house robberies. Is it easy to get the 18 months flat contract, contratto transtorio? Living in the city centre, is it nearby supermarkeds? I cant remember every seeing one,in the city centre.
I am EU citizien, so no visa requirments. Do they normally ask references, or is it enough showing a bank statement? I already have Italian ID.
I have been in Catania many times before, but never actually lived there. I think the crime is pretty low, and never had any bad experience, all though I am very careful. Regards jobs, I know there is no job marked, and my intention is not to work, just to live there and look after my child.
Alternatively what other cities would you recommend in Sicily, except Palermo.
Thanks for any advise

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

In Catania there will be few furnished apartments available, as there are alot of students in town. The city centre is the safest zone - avoid the huge sprawling mass of Zisa, San Giorgio , Misterbiancoo, or look to Paternè or Sant'Anastasia. However, Palermo and Catania are the two biggest cities, but there are towns - Siracusa, Messina - smaller and more liveable that you might want to think about.

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Thanks so much for your advise. I looked up Siracusa, looks also interesting, any spesfic zones you would recommend, as I never been. Thanks

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

It depends if you need schools or nurseries near at hand, or whether a calm quiet spot is your preference....

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Yes I would need a nursery/ supermarket nearby as I dont drive a car, so In a central but secure zone. Modicasa, do you run a webpage by the same name? And if so is it possible renting flat through you? Or you only do holiday rentals? Are there a lot of house robberies in general in catania?

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

If you leave your windows open anywhere now, you are likely to be visited. You must do what the locals do and shut up the house when you go out. Most crime is opportunistic - if they see an open window they will try it, there are very few planned break ins like in the north - mainly because people dont keep 100' of thousands in the house and jewellery. The rule is to be sensible ma have good neighbours.
I dont handle rents in Siracusa, but there are some decent agencies around but in ortigia which is the prettist bit there is along holiday season so you wont find a cheap apartment there. Once you get over the bridge into the Umbertino area, you will have more luck, and there are all services there. You can also walk to the bus station and rail station so Id say you should be looking round there.

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Thanks a lot Modicasa. I appreciate it. Its also what I thought, I cant remember sicily beeing filled with crime, like everyone makes it sound like. I suppose its much safer than f ex Barcelona. I will look into the area you told me, however if I decided catania centre, would you be able to help me find a furnished flat? I see a lot of flats are without air conditioning, is it possible survive a summer there without aircon?

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

If you are a tall Blonde you can expect every man in Catania to know about you within 60mins

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Dear Starembe, of course you would have your good reasons for willing to relocate to Catania, but, if you don't have particular reasons for choosing Catania rather than other places, many other places come in my mind that are much better, even in Sycily. Siracusa is one of them, as you mentioned. than there are Taormina, and also Trapani. But, for the quality of life and services, my experience is that Puglia, if you want to stick to the South, is much better.

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Puglis is better than Sicily for quality of life ?? A little subjective surely?

If you are going to look in Catania, the summer is the best time to do it, as the students are gone. Try soloaffitti.it, casa.it and local agencies for rentals. Check on subito.it also, and also on sites like kijiji and vivastreet. However, you will still need to be on the ground. You must tramp round looking for signs and so on. Same applies for Siracusa - there is no way around it really. You need to be on the ground to find a rental.

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Maybe subjective, I have never been living in any of these regions and I have only visited it many times as a tourist or guest of families that I know. But I have lots of friends from both regions, long term friends met 20 years ago at the University and still my friends, I have visited their families, I know their stories. Moreover 48 years of life in Italy, also knowing the social and political situation of Italy, made me do this judgment. Anyway, for quality of life, including schools, public services, organization of public administration, health care, transport and so on, I still prefer the central-north of Italy and trentino.

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

:sneaky:Yep, old Peppino Garibaldi really screwed up when he decided to annex the Kingdom of Napoli e le Due Sicilie.
:rofl:

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Id say that quality of life includes other things than the ones listed. Food, people climate aswell as stress levels. You may not have to scream at people in council offices in the north, but on balance Id take the south any day.

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Oh yes....food in Sicily is the best of course. But the landscape, that was wondrful - and in some parts already is - is ruined by illegal buildings and lack of care...look for example Selinunte or Agrigento. it is a shame. Trapani did a lot, instead, in the last years, and also the area of San Vito lo Capo. last year I have been in Trapani after 10 years and I have seen major restoration of the centre and lots of improvements. I also went back to Selinunte, and I found the same shameful situation. Moreover, also the archeological site could be much better used and promoted...
Puglia, on the whole, at least in Salento - the part I know better, has also great food, great climate and people, but the landscape is much better preserved and people are efficient. Nevertheless some beautiful sites like Taormina, Segesta, Villa armerina, or the Etna, the Eolian Islands, are unique. But in Puglia, despite the lack of great attractions, tourism is growing a lot and mainly is due to the fact that you find better services.
But I think that Italy is something more than good food, great wines and sunshine.

Re: Single mother- is it safe relocating to Catania?
 

Hmmmm You have to remember that Sicily has a huge amount of cultural and archoelogical sites - and it would be impossible to care for them all without a massive investment - (and admittedly the Sicilian government is particularly useless and incapable, if not downright criminal),
I could easily say that Puglia shuts in the winter - have you ever been round the Salento out of season? Have you ever tried to take the private railway service out of season? Is BAri is the centre of efficiency and northern exactitude? Foggia? I culd happily say that the 'north' has unsmiling people, rotten beaches, is expensive and has no Greek ruins - therefore the quality of life is low..... its an argument that has no absolutes. Personally, I wouldnt live north of Rome if you paid me. - some prefer Puglia (and theres no illegal building there?) some prefer Siciily - and some prefer the Trentino - but quality of life is about a lot more than an illegal villetta.. Italian lack of care is everywhere - not just in Pompei, Sicily, and Rome. Look at some of the Palladio villas near Vicenza - they are falling to bits. Urbino, Ferrara etc all have problems. Italy's problem is that there is just too much to look after, and there is neither the public nor private will to do it. If its not Venice or Firenze or the Coliseo you have big problems caring for anything. Italy has to make some hard choices about its culture and history, but the politicians just choose to ignore it all and focus on being 'modern and competitive'...' sorry gone a bit off topic.