# Advice - where to live in Rome with 2 children



## Emmis

Hi!

We are moving to Rome in the summer with our two young children. We have lived in Italy before, in Pisa, for 2.5 years with both our children and know Rome quite well, but have never actually lived there.

We are looking for advice on good areas to live in with the children. We really like Celio and Trastevere but would like opinions and further advice on whether these are really areas we should look into. 

We'd also like to have some expat contact. We both speak Italian but having travelled around a lot we've both learnt to appreciate how nice it is to have some contact with fellow "stranieri"! Where would most expats live near the centre of Rome? 

Our budget is €2000/month and we'd like to get a 3 bedroom apartment (around 130mq).

We would prefer not to drive so would like to be as close to the centre as possible. We love Trieste/Africano but it's a bit far out and, until the metro is in place, not that well connected with public transport. 

Our children are 6.5 and 3.5 years of age so will need to be enrolled in both Scuola Elementare and Materna. We're aware that we've missed the cut off dates for enrolment but want to get as much feedback as possible on areas before contacting the municipio to get more information on late iscrizioni!

Any advice, recommendations etc would be hugely appreciated!

Hope to hear back soon!


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## henriette87

Emmis said:


> Hi!
> 
> We are moving to Rome in the summer with our two young children. We have lived in Italy before, in Pisa, for 2.5 years with both our children and know Rome quite well, but have never actually lived there.
> 
> We are looking for advice on good areas to live in with the children. We really like Celio and Trastevere but would like opinions and further advice on whether these are really areas we should look into.
> 
> We'd also like to have some expat contact. We both speak Italian but having travelled around a lot we've both learnt to appreciate how nice it is to have some contact with fellow "stranieri"! Where would most expats live near the centre of Rome?
> 
> Our budget is €2000/month and we'd like to get a 3 bedroom apartment (around 130mq).
> 
> We would prefer not to drive so would like to be as close to the centre as possible. We love Trieste/Africano but it's a bit far out and, until the metro is in place, not that well connected with public transport.
> 
> Our children are 6.5 and 3.5 years of age so will need to be enrolled in both Scuola Elementare and Materna. We're aware that we've missed the cut off dates for enrolment but want to get as much feedback as possible on areas before contacting the municipio to get more information on late iscrizioni!
> 
> Any advice, recommendations etc would be hugely appreciated!
> 
> Hope to hear back soon!


Hi! 

I think that a nice area where to live with to children is Prati/San Pietro ...is near the center ,u can get wherever on foot,the metro is near.. there are tourists, strangers who live and work in Rome and italians!The cost of life is not too high , there are supermarkets for locals ,coffe bar, but it is also a touristic area because is near the vatican, so u have to find where to go and where not to go if u don't want to pay a cappuccino 3 euro!!

Trastevere is nice too,it is full of young americans)) because there is the American University J.Cabot and they take the apartments near the uni. But if u have two children i wouldn't recommend it to you because there is an animated night life ..not the best for a family!

Trieste and Africano are elegant areas but also mixed with all the students who are living there (because there is the university near ) and i would recommend it to you the most, but it's true ,they are pretty far and there is always a lot of traffic there! But it's quite connected with the center , because u can take buses number 60-90-90d -36-84 in via nomentana (u have to walk then minutes to reach the bus stop) and buses n. 80-88- in corso trieste.

I really don't advice you Parioli area -not al all connected with the center, there is always a lot of traffic, and there the things cost too much only because you live there , and not so many people live there, it's more a place where people work. (in fact there are a lot of offices !

But, on the other side, In this last two areas there are the english and the american primary schools and early childhood (Marymount in via Nomentana and the english primary school in via panama -parioli ( i don't remember the name) , so your children can go there.

I hope to have been useful to you , and sorry for my english i hope its all clear!

ps: the other areas i didn't mention because they are far, or anyways not what u were asking for..but if u have any question i'll answer u!

bye bye 
Enrica


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## henriette87

ah i forgot one thing, with ur budget u can afford (for a 130mq apartament) Africano, Parioli , Trieste , but i don't think Prati ..maybe smaller there and Trastevere i don't think there are houses so big because is a popular? area of the old rome...so houses where little,with little windows, little doors...very very tipical !!
Instead in Trieste area houses are almost all big because the aristocracy used to live there in the 1930's,,,

Ah another thing...u can look for "ghetto ebraico" many famous people live there such as actors, and jounalists...but i've been there only one time so i can't give u more info !
bye bye


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## Emmis

henriette87 said:


> ah i forgot one thing, with ur budget u can afford (for a 130mq apartament) Africano, Parioli , Trieste , but i don't think Prati ..maybe smaller there and Trastevere i don't think there are houses so big because is a popular? area of the old rome...so houses where little,with little windows, little doors...very very tipical !!
> Instead in Trieste area houses are almost all big because the aristocracy used to live there in the 1930's,,,
> 
> Ah another thing...u can look for "ghetto ebraico" many famous people live there such as actors, and jounalists...but i've been there only one time so i can't give u more info !
> bye bye


Enrica

Mi dispiace! Sorry for not writing back! HUGELY appreciate your advice. We're kind of settled on the idea of the Trieste/Africano areas. I like the size of the houses, the vicinity of Villa Ada and the fact there's a nice mix of students too! Sounds right up my street!

I'd love to write back in italian but I'm not sure it's allowed on this forum!!

I'll just say tante, tante grazie!

Bacioni xxx


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## Kitoo

*Where to live in Rome*

Hi, I'm a mom of two young children, ages 9 and 3. I'm married to an Italian (who grew up in the Trieste part of Rome that you mentioned). We've been living in Rome for 8 years. My advice is to avoid Trastevere (and Testaccio), it's a zoo of young tourists drinking and up all night. If you have children the noise will be a problem. The charm of that area is wearing off and many Romans don't want anything to do with it. 

Maybe you should check the Monteverde-Gianicolense area adjacent to Trastevere. It's a very beautiful, residential neighborhood with places for the kids to play such as Villa Pamphili. There are two parts of Monteverde - Monteverde Vecchio and Monteverde Nuovo. I prefer Monteverdi Vecchio, it's closer to the center and I consider it more beautiful. Schools should be good, public transporation is frequent and you will be able to find a 3-bedroom in your price range. The feeling is similar to Trieste and you'll find other families/foreigners living there. I know the city well, feel free to ask me about other neighborhoods in question, I'll be glad to offer my opinion. 
[/B][/B]



Emmis said:


> Hi!
> 
> We are moving to Rome in the summer with our two young children. We have lived in Italy before, in Pisa, for 2.5 years with both our children and know Rome quite well, but have never actually lived there.
> 
> We are looking for advice on good areas to live in with the children. We really like Celio and Trastevere but would like opinions and further advice on whether these are really areas we should look into.
> 
> We'd also like to have some expat contact. We both speak Italian but having travelled around a lot we've both learnt to appreciate how nice it is to have some contact with fellow "stranieri"! Where would most expats live near the centre of Rome?
> 
> Our budget is €2000/month and we'd like to get a 3 bedroom apartment (around 130mq).
> 
> We would prefer not to drive so would like to be as close to the centre as possible. We love Trieste/Africano but it's a bit far out and, until the metro is in place, not that well connected with public transport.
> 
> Our children are 6.5 and 3.5 years of age so will need to be enrolled in both Scuola Elementare and Materna. We're aware that we've missed the cut off dates for enrolment but want to get as much feedback as possible on areas before contacting the municipio to get more information on late iscrizioni!
> 
> Any advice, recommendations etc would be hugely appreciated!
> 
> Hope to hear back soon!


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## Emmis

Kitoo said:


> Hi, I'm a mom of two young children, ages 9 and 3. I'm married to an Italian (who grew up in the Trieste part of Rome that you mentioned). We've been living in Rome for 8 years. My advice is to avoid Trastevere (and Testaccio), it's a zoo of young tourists drinking and up all night. If you have children the noise will be a problem. The charm of that area is wearing off and many Romans don't want anything to do with it.
> 
> Maybe you should check the Monteverde-Gianicolense area adjacent to Trastevere. It's a very beautiful, residential neighborhood with places for the kids to play such as Villa Pamphili. There are two parts of Monteverde - Monteverde Vecchio and Monteverde Nuovo. I prefer Monteverdi Vecchio, it's closer to the center and I consider it more beautiful. Schools should be good, public transporation is frequent and you will be able to find a 3-bedroom in your price range. The feeling is similar to Trieste and you'll find other families/foreigners living there. I know the city well, feel free to ask me about other neighborhoods in question, I'll be glad to offer my opinion.
> [/B][/B]


Hi Kitoo,

Thank you for that great piece of advice! We're starting to think Trastevere might not be that realistic. We were looking into Monteverde but heard that it was a bit boring so I kind of put it on the back burner, for more consideration when we get there. However your post has made me start thinking about it again! I like the fact it's not too far from Trastevere as that's where my closest and dearest are!

We love Aventino but it seems a bit upper class and expensive. We're not 'typical' expats in any way and really want to be part of the Roman community as well as have some good English speaking friends which we did miss when we lived in Tuscany (we are definitely NOT like Tuscan expats!!)....

Out of curiosity how would I find out about good yoga classes? I've never done a class in Italian so it might be my one way of keeping in touch with my English roots if there are English speaking classes there (I'm sure I've heard of a great teacher in Trastevere?!)

Anyway, thank you hugely Kitoo and let's stay in touch xxx


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## verdi1997

henriette87 said:


> Hi!
> 
> But, on the other side, In these last two areas there are the english and the american primary schools and early childhood (Marymount in via Nomentana and the english primary school in via panama -parioli ( i don't remember the name) , so your children can go there.
> 
> I hope to have been useful to you , and sorry for my english i hope it's all clear!
> 
> ps: the other areas i didn't mention because they are far, or anyways not what u were asking for..but if u have any question i'll answer u!
> 
> bye bye
> Enrica


Dear Friends,

I have lurked on this forum, finally joined. I hope my story and questions can help the OP as well (I do not mean to hijack the thread).

I too have lived in Italy before, mostly in the Milan area, now in the US, married with a young son, maybe another in future. I am thinking of moving back to Italy, Rome in particular. 

I could possibly apply for Italian citizenship (doing the research now) and in any case I could probably qualify for a visa on a number of criteria. Finally, we live near an Italian consulate in the US. 

I am particularly interested in information on primary schools that teach in English (or at least half the curriculum).

Enrica, you mentioned British and American primary schools in, I believe, the Trieste or Nomentana areas? Can you please clarify?

When will the new metro line serving that area be opened?

In general, does anyone know of a good list of primary schools (public, private, British, American, Montessori method, Christian, whatever) where at least a good part of the curriculum is taught in English?

I have a list from SEAT PagineGialle, but I believe it is only partial. 

Finally, for areas like Trieste/Nomentana or Monteverde-Gianicolense, what would be the budget to rent a 130-180 sq.m. apartment? I know around €2,000 has been mentioned for 130 sq.m. We would be looking for 3 bedrooms. 

If the budget is €3,000 for around the same size, how much closer to the center?

But the most important consideration is school as described above, on the one hand, and good transportation (preferably metro) to center, on the other.

We will be visiting Rome in July. It will be very hot, I know that, but we are used to it.

Thank you.


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## Emmis

verdi1997 said:


> Dear Friends,
> 
> I have lurked on this forum, finally joined. I hope my story and questions can help the OP as well (I do not mean to hijack the thread).
> 
> I too have lived in Italy before, mostly in the Milan area, now in the US, married with a young son, maybe another in future. I am thinking of moving back to Italy, Rome in particular.
> 
> I could possibly apply for Italian citizenship (doing the research now) and in any case I could probably qualify for a visa on a number of criteria. Finally, we live near an Italian consulate in the US.
> 
> I am particularly interested in information on primary schools that teach in English (or at least half the curriculum).
> 
> Enrica, you mentioned British and American primary schools in, I believe, the Trieste or Nomentana areas? Can you please clarify?
> 
> When will the new metro line serving that area be opened?
> 
> In general, does anyone know of a good list of primary schools (public, private, British, American, Montessori method, Christian, whatever) where at least a good part of the curriculum is taught in English?
> 
> I have a list from SEAT PagineGialle, but I believe it is only partial.
> 
> Finally, for areas like Trieste/Nomentana or Monteverde-Gianicolense, what would be the budget to rent a 130-180 sq.m. apartment? I know around €2,000 has been mentioned for 130 sq.m. We would be looking for 3 bedrooms.
> 
> If the budget is €3,000 for around the same size, how much closer to the center?
> 
> But the most important consideration is school as described above, on the one hand, and good transportation (preferably metro) to center, on the other.
> 
> We will be visiting Rome in July. It will be very hot, I know that, but we are used to it.
> 
> Thank you.


I can't help with the school question as my experience of Rome has been not as one living there. Schools in general in Italy are very good at materna and elementare level in the public system. We've been grealy impressed but I suppose it depends what kind of things you're looking education wise. 

As for rents, we're looking at spending $2000 for a 3 bedroom place. I'm sure if your budget is $3000 then you will have even more choice and will be able to get apartments for 150-180mq. Have you checked out immobiliare.it or casa.it?

Sorry I can't be of more help!

When you're there in July get in touch as we arrive end of June! lane:

xxx


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## verdi1997

Emmis said:


> I can't help with the school question as my experience of Rome has been not as one living there. Schools in general in Italy are very good at materna and elementare level in the public system. We've been greatly impressed but I suppose it depends what kind of things you're looking education wise.
> 
> As for rents, we're looking at spending $2000 for a 3 bedroom place. I'm sure if your budget is $3000 then you will have even more choice and will be able to get apartments for 150-180mq. Have you checked out immobiliare.it or casa.it?
> 
> Sorry I can't be of more help!
> 
> When you're there in July get in touch as we arrive end of June! lane:
> 
> xxx


Thanks for these great links. In the meantime, I have found two useful sites listing private schools that teach in English, one for all of Italy, one specialising in Rome. I would share them, but the site does not allow me to post links until I make a few more posts.

If you send your children to public school, are you not concerned about their learning English? 

Is there a direct message system on this forum? How can we get in touch?

Thanks.


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## henriette87

verdi1997 said:


> Dear Friends,
> 
> I am particularly interested in information on primary schools that teach in English (or at least half the curriculum).
> 
> Enrica, you mentioned British and American primary schools in, I believe, the Trieste or Nomentana areas? Can you please clarify?
> 
> When will the new metro line serving that area be opened?
> 
> In general, does anyone know of a good list of primary schools (public, private, British, American, Montessori method, Christian, whatever) where at least a good part of the curriculum is taught in English?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you.


Hi! i can help you the schools because many of my friends went there.

Marymount school is a catholic american school - is bilingual so the subjects are tought in both in italian and english.
It is located on via nomentana,not so far from the center (like 20 minutes (4-5 km)with the buses and it's well linked with the center).

It's very good , a collegue of my grandma taught there for many years . But, in the last years italians have begun to inscribe their children in this school just beacuse it's "cool" and they have money to spend , not for a real reason without being connected with any anglo-saxon environment. ( i don't know if this phrase is correct )In fact, u could met sons of politicians, actors, etc etc but also normal people. 

It has only one negative thing(that personally makes me crazy): THE TRAFFIC. On nomentana areas there is a lot of traffic, especially in the morning. Plus , mothers want to bring their children inside the school and they leave the car everywhere ..and it's crazy.
Luckly,if u go by bus u won't suffer this problem so much because there is a preferencial line for the buses.
Better if u go on foot if u live around 
Here is the web site so u can get all the info u need : Welcome to Marymount

There is another school in Parioli area , situated in Via panama 20 - it is a British school , here is the web site St. George's School
I don't know much about this school, i only see the children when i pass there beacuse it's next to my university .
The area is not well connected , because if u live inside Parioli u are kind of isolated . 

I know another american school (really international , with people from all over the world ) but it is located in Via Cassia 810 , and it's far from the center .There are only too buses that bring u out the area and then u have to take another one to get to center. And there is always a lot of traffic. ( lol i'm obssessed with the traffic , i hate it!!!!)

However,my best friend and her brother went there(they used to live in south africa so they were looking for a really internationl school) and it's really a good school, and the mood is very american!The classes are tought both in english and italian but the most are in english.
The website is AOSR School Web.

Anyways, if i could advice u one of these schools i'd tell u MaryMount.
Moreover, i think the best area where to live is Trieste-Africano.
It's quite near to the center,is green (there a lot of parks..villa ada, villa torlonia ) it's well connected , there are many students, but also many families from abroad (because in the nomentana area there are a lot of ambassades ).

I hope to have been useful to you!

Bye bye 

let's keep in touch

Enrica


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## verdi1997

henriette87 said:


> Moreover, I think the best area where to live is Trieste-Africano.
> It's quite near to the center, is green (there are a lot of parks..villa ada, villa torlonia ), it's well connected, there are many students, but also many families from abroad (because in the nomentana area there are a lot of embassies ).
> 
> I hope to have been useful to you!
> 
> Bye bye
> 
> let's keep in touch
> 
> Enrica


Dear Enrica,

Thanks for all that information. As mentioned, I have in the meantime found a couple of sites that list all, it seems, of the private English-speaking schools in Italy and Rome in particular, including Marymount and the others you mentioned.

I am intrigued by your enthusiasm for the Trieste-Africano area, I will definitely check it out in July. 

Do you know when the metro line being built in that area will be in service?

Thanks again.


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## henriette87

verdi1997 said:


> Do you know when the metro line being built in that area will be in service?
> 
> Thanks again.



The administration has said that the metro b1(that will cover Trieste-Africano areas) will be ready (and working) on december 2012.
Currently, the nearest metro station is Bologna , then u have to take a bus to get to Trieste.(or walking like 20-30 minutes and little more for Africano .)

Bye bye,

Enrica


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## Kitoo

*Prati*

I disagree with henriette87 about Prati (but agree about Parioli). Yes Prati is a beautiful neighborhood close to everything. My brother-in-law lives there, but he is single with no kids. It's very hard to park if you have a car and things cost more because they are catering to businessmen and tourists. Besides that, you are into Yoga and this crowd is not. It's full of guys in suits by day and no one is on the streets at night. I think you may find it yourself isolated there, based on your description. Stick to Roma Nord - Trieste area..it's a more intellectual crowd of people interested in things like yoga, art and culture. Also, a more gentile place to raise your kids. My husband loved growing up there and it's certainly one of the most prestigious neighborhoods of Rome. 

As for Monteverde, which I mention again. The American Academy is located there. I've had friends staying at the Academy for long periods of time. They all loved it and enjoyed walking to Trastevere for dinner or a night out. It's a convenient location if you already have friends in Trastevere. I still would keep it at the top of your list.



henriette87 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I think that a nice area where to live with to children is Prati/San Pietro ...is near the center ,u can get wherever on foot,the metro is near.. there are tourists, strangers who live and work in Rome and italians!The cost of life is not too high , there are supermarkets for locals ,coffe bar, but it is also a touristic area because is near the vatican, so u have to find where to go and where not to go if u don't want to pay a cappuccino 3 euro!!
> 
> Trastevere is nice too,it is full of young americans)) because there is the American University J.Cabot and they take the apartments near the uni. But if u have two children i wouldn't recommend it to you because there is an animated night life ..not the best for a family!
> 
> Trieste and Africano are elegant areas but also mixed with all the students who are living there (because there is the university near ) and i would recommend it to you the most, but it's true ,they are pretty far and there is always a lot of traffic there! But it's quite connected with the center , because u can take buses number 60-90-90d -36-84 in via nomentana (u have to walk then minutes to reach the bus stop) and buses n. 80-88- in corso trieste.
> 
> I really don't advice you Parioli area -not al all connected with the center, there is always a lot of traffic, and there the things cost too much only because you live there , and not so many people live there, it's more a place where people work. (in fact there are a lot of offices !
> 
> But, on the other side, In this last two areas there are the english and the american primary schools and early childhood (Marymount in via Nomentana and the english primary school in via panama -parioli ( i don't remember the name) , so your children can go there.
> 
> I hope to have been useful to you , and sorry for my english i hope its all clear!
> 
> ps: the other areas i didn't mention because they are far, or anyways not what u were asking for..but if u have any question i'll answer u!
> 
> bye bye
> Enrica


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## Emmis

verdi1997 said:


> Thanks for these great links. In the meantime, I have found two useful sites listing private schools that teach in English, one for all of Italy, one specialising in Rome. I would share them, but the site does not allow me to post links until I make a few more posts.
> 
> If you send your children to public school, are you not concerned about their learning English?
> 
> Is there a direct message system on this forum? How can we get in touch?
> 
> Thanks.


Hi,

Am I concerned about them learning English? I'm not sure I understand the question! We speak English at home with them if that's what you mean! When we lived in Pisa they went to the local school and my British friend there also sent her children there. She had a 19 year old stepson who had been educated through the Italian system and was completely bilingual, just because they only spoke English at home! He even had a slight Mancunian (Manchester) accent!

As for private schools we aren't in a financial situation to really consider the international schools. Maybe a private Catholic Italian school but not the International ones.

Also, we have travelled a lot with the children and I just prefer them to be part of the local community. It's just a personal choice. They're Italian citizens and I want them to feel Italian. Like the old phrase, "When in Rome...!"

Anyway, my email is emmaiacono at hotmail.com!

Hopefully we'll get to meet up in July! Would be great!

Love xxx


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## Emmis

Kitoo said:


> I disagree with henriette87 about Prati (but agree about Parioli). Yes Prati is a beautiful neighborhood close to everything. My brother-in-law lives there, but he is single with no kids. It's very hard to park if you have a car and things cost more because they are catering to businessmen and tourists. Besides that, you are into Yoga and this crowd is not. It's full of guys in suits by day and no one is on the streets at night. I think you may find it yourself isolated there, based on your description. Stick to Roma Nord - Trieste area..it's a more intellectual crowd of people interested in things like yoga, art and culture. Also, a more gentile place to raise your kids. My husband loved growing up there and it's certainly one of the most prestigious neighborhoods of Rome.
> 
> As for Monteverde, which I mention again. The American Academy is located there. I've had friends staying at the Academy for long periods of time. They all loved it and enjoyed walking to Trastevere for dinner or a night out. It's a convenient location if you already have friends in Trastevere. I still would keep it at the top of your list.


Thank you so much for that! Trieste definitely sounds up our street. We're more rive gauche than suits so it sounds perfect. Also, I've had a look online at casa.it and Monteverde Vecchio is starting to look very tempting!! Decisions, decisions! I'm so glad we've given ourselves 3 months in a holiday let!

Out of curiosity, do you know anything about schools (public) in either of those areas? Elementare and Materna for the time being!

I'm so curious to know more about how and why you ended up in Rome! Very intriguing. We can't wait!

:clap2:


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## Kitoo

*Schools in Trieste area*



Emmis said:


> Thank you so much for that! Trieste definitely sounds up our street. We're more rive gauche than suits so it sounds perfect. Also, I've had a look online at casa.it and Monteverde Vecchio is starting to look very tempting!! Decisions, decisions! I'm so glad we've given ourselves 3 months in a holiday let!
> 
> Out of curiosity, do you know anything about schools (public) in either of those areas? Elementare and Materna for the time being!
> 
> I'm so curious to know more about how and why you ended up in Rome! Very intriguing. We can't wait!
> 
> :clap2:


Hi Emmis, 
Our first apartment in Rome was in Piazza Vescovio (Trieste area), when we were looking into school for our son we visited Scuola Statale Primaria e dell'Infanzia "Contardo Ferrini". Via di Villa Chigi n.20/22 - tel.: 06.86212470 fax: 06.86212838. I understand it's a very reputable school from other parents. We ended up moving and so our son was never enrolled there. As for Monteverde I don't know any schools but I can ask around. I don't think you can go wrong in either neighborhood regarding good schools though.

We now live in Grottaferrata, in the Castelli Romani part of Rome. It's another beautiful area, but is probably not what you are looking for. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the center. It's still quite urban but has a great number of parks, a splendid view of Rome and the sea, but requires having a car. It was once a resort for Roman aristocratic families and many of their villa's are now open to the public as museums or parks. The pope has his sumer residence here in Castel Gandolfo which is located above Lago Albano, once the mouth of a volcano. It's a place I recommend visiting once you get settled in. Here you should stop by a Fraschetteria for some local wine and porchetta - it's famous!

We've had a great experience with school. There are several international schools in the area but with very expensive tuition fees. Our oldest son goes to a private catholic school walking distance from our house. We pay about €2,000 a year plus any extra-curricular classes. Our situation with him is diverse. He's a boy who was born profoundly deaf and with the help of a cochlear implant he now hears. Initially we didn't raise him bilingual, due to the suggestion of the professionals following him - it was thought to be too confusing (now, I disagree and am teaching him english). He also learns english at school and we found it more advanced than the public system. His younger brother age 3 is bilingual. Choosing a school, speech therapist and having his specialist nearby was a very important decision for us and we chose our location for a number of related reasons.

You asked why I ended up in Italy and that's a big question! We encountered one obstacle after the next with the healthcare of our son and in the end we felt he would have a better life here. My husband is Italian (lived in the US for 15 yrs) so residency wasn't a problem for us. I can only describe it as jumping with a bungie cord attached- but we made the right decision. With the move, we changed careers to some extent and opened a bookshop-cafe near the center. It's been a journey!

I wish you and your family all the best and please feel free to stay in touch!


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## Emmis

Kitoo said:


> Hi Emmis,
> Our first apartment in Rome was in Piazza Vescovio (Trieste area), when we were looking into school for our son we visited Scuola Statale Primaria e dell'Infanzia "Contardo Ferrini". Via di Villa Chigi n.20/22 - tel.: 06.86212470 fax: 06.86212838. I understand it's a very reputable school from other parents. We ended up moving and so our son was never enrolled there. As for Monteverde I don't know any schools but I can ask around. I don't think you can go wrong in either neighborhood regarding good schools though.
> 
> We now live in Grottaferrata, in the Castelli Romani part of Rome. It's another beautiful area, but is probably not what you are looking for. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the center. It's still quite urban but has a great number of parks, a splendid view of Rome and the sea, but requires having a car. It was once a resort for Roman aristocratic families and many of their villa's are now open to the public as museums or parks. The pope has his sumer residence here in Castel Gandolfo which is located above Lago Albano, once the mouth of a volcano. It's a place I recommend visiting once you get settled in. Here you should stop by a Fraschetteria for some local wine and porchetta - it's famous!
> 
> We've had a great experience with school. There are several international schools in the area but with very expensive tuition fees. Our oldest son goes to a private catholic school walking distance from our house. We pay about €2,000 a year plus any extra-curricular classes. Our situation with him is diverse. He's a boy who was born profoundly deaf and with the help of a cochlear implant he now hears. Initially we didn't raise him bilingual, due to the suggestion of the professionals following him - it was thought to be too confusing (now, I disagree and am teaching him english). He also learns english at school and we found it more advanced than the public system. His younger brother age 3 is bilingual. Choosing a school, speech therapist and having his specialist nearby was a very important decision for us and we chose our location for a number of related reasons.
> 
> You asked why I ended up in Italy and that's a big question! We encountered one obstacle after the next with the healthcare of our son and in the end we felt he would have a better life here. My husband is Italian (lived in the US for 15 yrs) so residency wasn't a problem for us. I can only describe it as jumping with a bungie cord attached- but we made the right decision. With the move, we changed careers to some extent and opened a bookshop-cafe near the center. It's been a journey!
> 
> I wish you and your family all the best and please feel free to stay in touch!


Once again, huge thanks for the information!

By the way, we love the Castelli area! In fact we did seriously think about Frascati but we decided initially we'd like to be in the city for the first few years, just while we find our feet. 

I love your replies by the way! They are so helpful and so positive! You must tell us where your bookshop is and we'll pop in and see you when we arrive (if you don't mind, that is!!).

Looking forward to it and I'll keep the details of that school close to me at all times!!!

Thank you!! 

E xx


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## verdi1997

This has been a greatly informative thread, thanks to everyone. 

Emmis, I will be in touch as I hammer out my plans for July. Thank you.


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## Emmis

verdi1997 said:


> This has been a greatly informative thread, thanks to everyone.
> 
> Emmis, I will be in touch as I hammer out my plans for July. Thank you.


Just to say I second that! :clap2:

I'm so glad I posted on here!!

Thank you so much Kitoo and Enrica for your invaluable opinions and advice.

Verdi, get in touch and we can explore together!

Love E xx


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## henriette87

you're welcome !! "in bocca al lupo" 4 everything! 
ps : tell us where will be ur coffè book shop we are going to visit u!


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## Kitoo

*Thank you*



henriette87 said:


> you're welcome !! "in bocca al lupo" 4 everything!
> ps : tell us where will be ur coffè book shop we are going to visit u!


Thank you, I truly understand how difficult it is to make these decisions. I've been living in Rome exploring every part of the city and feel I understand it like a Roman would. So I am happy share what I've learned while living here. 

I don't think I can post my blog address here (wordpress). But our place is called Hobo Artclub. Australian Gourmet traveller did a nice review on the area's restaurants, bars and nightlife (Pigneto) you may find interesting. If any of you are in the neighborhood, please do stop by and say hello!


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## sharonsmu

Hi, 

I was asking this same question just over a year ago. We arrived 1 year ago to Rome straight from the UK so I do empathise with you. We too have 2 children (aged 7 and 5).
I would say in all honesty, location depends on your lifestyle. If a bustling city centre location and being near to the all thats happening is important then the areas you have named sound fine to me. 
I personally find central Rome too noisy even coming from London. I would consider making your location to live to be near to where you/hubby work, as the traffic situation here in Rome is really bad, so reducing your commute maybe a wise choice. We opted to be a short commute from Fiumicino airport and an English school, as my husbands work involves a lot of travel abroad and we decided to stick with the English school system. There is an active expat community around the area of Casalpalocco with weekly meet ups for mums with babies and toddlers and monthly Mums night out (senza bambini) Your budget would even get you a 3/4 bedroom villa/villeta with a garden here and its only 20/30 minutes to circo massimo or 15 minutes to EUR. The other plus is its 10 minutes to the beach at Ostia for those long hot summer days. You are at a definite advantage to me as you already have mastered the lingo. Once again though it really does come down to your life style, there is another forum on website called pink Italy where there are several bloggers who reside in more central locations than me, so I am sure you would meet people. Also check out wanted in Rome, they list a weekly playgroup called ladybirds in their "Whats on" guide so you would surely make contacts there.

Good luck and drop me a line if you need any more info.


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## RichardMaxNYC

kitoo said:


> hi, i'm a mom of two young children, ages 9 and 3. I'm married to an italian (who grew up in the trieste part of rome that you mentioned). We've been living in rome for 8 years. My advice is to avoid trastevere (and testaccio), it's a zoo of young tourists drinking and up all night. If you have children the noise will be a problem. The charm of that area is wearing off and many romans don't want anything to do with it.
> 
> Maybe you should check the monteverde-gianicolense area adjacent to trastevere. It's a very beautiful, residential neighborhood with places for the kids to play such as villa pamphili. There are two parts of monteverde - monteverde vecchio and monteverde nuovo. I prefer monteverdi vecchio, it's closer to the center and i consider it more beautiful. Schools should be good, public transporation is frequent and you will be able to find a 3-bedroom in your price range. The feeling is similar to trieste and you'll find other families/foreigners living there. I know the city well, feel free to ask me about other neighborhoods in question, i'll be glad to offer my opinion.
> [/b][/b]



my wife and i are considering moving to rome from nyc. We have a 6 and 3 yr old, and are considering the american school. Our plan is to spend one year in rome. Where's the best place to live, assuming we need some open space in which to play soccer and enjoy life in rome? Thank you so much for replying. We really have only spend a little time in rome but are considering it vs. Barcelona and think it might be a better place to have a family adventure for a year.


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## RichardMaxNYC

*Monteverde vecchio and relocation consultant*

One other question- do you know of a relocation consultant that might be able to help us find a place in monteverde vecchio and help with other high end areas? Thanks.


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## Emmis

sharonsmu said:


> Hi,
> 
> I was asking this same question just over a year ago. We arrived 1 year ago to Rome straight from the UK so I do empathise with you. We too have 2 children (aged 7 and 5).
> I would say in all honesty, location depends on your lifestyle. If a bustling city centre location and being near to the all thats happening is important then the areas you have named sound fine to me.
> I personally find central Rome too noisy even coming from London. I would consider making your location to live to be near to where you/hubby work, as the traffic situation here in Rome is really bad, so reducing your commute maybe a wise choice. We opted to be a short commute from Fiumicino airport and an English school, as my husbands work involves a lot of travel abroad and we decided to stick with the English school system. There is an active expat community around the area of Casalpalocco with weekly meet ups for mums with babies and toddlers and monthly Mums night out (senza bambini) Your budget would even get you a 3/4 bedroom villa/villeta with a garden here and its only 20/30 minutes to circo massimo or 15 minutes to EUR. The other plus is its 10 minutes to the beach at Ostia for those long hot summer days. You are at a definite advantage to me as you already have mastered the lingo. Once again though it really does come down to your life style, there is another forum on website called pink Italy where there are several bloggers who reside in more central locations than me, so I am sure you would meet people. Also check out wanted in Rome, they list a weekly playgroup called ladybirds in their "Whats on" guide so you would surely make contacts there.
> 
> Good luck and drop me a line if you need any more info.


Hi!
We lived in Pisa last year. Well actually we lived between Pisa and Lucca in the countryside for 2.5 years. It was lovely for the first 2 weeks and then the isolation and boredom hit me and I was desperate for city life again! We've lived in Melbourne and Amsterdam, in Palma de Mallorca and Den Haag, and now in Sydney... and I really love city life. 

I know Rome is hectic in the centre but I don't want to be too far out. I'm not a suburb type person but I'm not sure if that's what you mean by the area where you live. Being from London I can't imagine you'd want suburbia either! 

I think we're gonna initially try Trieste or Monteverde Vecchio as parklife and vicinity to the city seem to be boxes ticked in both cases! I'd love to meet some fellow foreigners but my hugest fear is to be with moany Brits. It sounds so rude to say but during our 10 years of travelling around I have to say the the most negative people I've ever met were my fellow countrymen. How rude am I?! But it's sad but true!! I now understand why Australians call us whinging Poms!!!

Anyway, I'll definitely get in touch as soon as we get to Rome. It'll be good to get in touch with some English speakers as well as be close to our Roman chums (but they don't have children yet so it'll also be good to bend your ear about kiddy stuff!!)

Love xxx


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## Vas Gov

*Speech Therapy in Rome*

Hi Kitoo

I am planning to migrate to Rome by end of this year.
I read about your son who has a cochlear implant. I work with people with HA and CI and am wondering how did you receive services from a qualified SLP for your son. 

By the way, I am ASHA certified and for the last 3 weeks have been trying hard to look for a suitable job opening. I have two kids and my wife and I are planning to take up jobs if we move to Rome.

What is your take on this? Your advice/comment will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Vas



Kitoo said:


> Hi Emmis,
> Our first apartment in Rome was in Piazza Vescovio (Trieste area), when we were looking into school for our son we visited Scuola Statale Primaria e dell'Infanzia "Contardo Ferrini". Via di Villa Chigi n.20/22 - tel.: 06.86212470 fax: 06.86212838. I understand it's a very reputable school from other parents. We ended up moving and so our son was never enrolled there. As for Monteverde I don't know any schools but I can ask around. I don't think you can go wrong in either neighborhood regarding good schools though.
> 
> We now live in Grottaferrata, in the Castelli Romani part of Rome. It's another beautiful area, but is probably not what you are looking for. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the center. It's still quite urban but has a great number of parks, a splendid view of Rome and the sea, but requires having a car. It was once a resort for Roman aristocratic families and many of their villa's are now open to the public as museums or parks. The pope has his sumer residence here in Castel Gandolfo which is located above Lago Albano, once the mouth of a volcano. It's a place I recommend visiting once you get settled in. Here you should stop by a Fraschetteria for some local wine and porchetta - it's famous!
> 
> We've had a great experience with school. There are several international schools in the area but with very expensive tuition fees. Our oldest son goes to a private catholic school walking distance from our house. We pay about €2,000 a year plus any extra-curricular classes. Our situation with him is diverse. He's a boy who was born profoundly deaf and with the help of a cochlear implant he now hears. Initially we didn't raise him bilingual, due to the suggestion of the professionals following him - it was thought to be too confusing (now, I disagree and am teaching him english). He also learns english at school and we found it more advanced than the public system. His younger brother age 3 is bilingual. Choosing a school, speech therapist and having his specialist nearby was a very important decision for us and we chose our location for a number of related reasons.
> 
> You asked why I ended up in Italy and that's a big question! We encountered one obstacle after the next with the healthcare of our son and in the end we felt he would have a better life here. My husband is Italian (lived in the US for 15 yrs) so residency wasn't a problem for us. I can only describe it as jumping with a bungie cord attached- but we made the right decision. With the move, we changed careers to some extent and opened a bookshop-cafe near the center. It's been a journey!
> 
> I wish you and your family all the best and please feel free to stay in touch!


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