Why Rome Is at the Top of My List (and What Could Still Knock It Out)

Rome was the first city I ever visited in Europe. That was more than 15 years ago, and I’ve been going back ever since.

I know that’s not a reason to buy an apartment. But after years of looking at cities in Italy, Portugal and France, Rome keeps doing something the others don’t. It feels like mine.

I can’t fully explain it. I know my way around. My favorite restaurant anywhere is there. I’m more comfortable walking around Rome than in cities that looked better on paper. And on a practical level, it has everything you need.

What I’d actually buy

Nothing fancy. A one- or two-bedroom, roughly 60 to 85 square meters, about 650 to 900 square feet. Two bedrooms would be ideal, one for guests and one as an office. But I’d take a great one-bedroom over a compromised two.

Ideally an older building with some character, or a renovation done right. Natural light. Air conditioning, because Rome in July is not a suggestion. An elevator if it’s on a high floor, though I’ve made my peace with stairs in historic buildings.

The neighborhoods I keep coming back to are Prati, Flaminio and Della Vittoria. Residential, walkable, close to the center without being in it. Places where people actually live, not where they take selfies.

What it’s for

This is where my real estate brain and my personal brain have to agree.

I’m still based in LA, so the apartment would be rented out while I’m not there, with a local property manager running it. Short-term, medium-term or long-term depends on the rules and the real numbers, not on what looks good in a spreadsheet.

And I want to use it myself when I’m in Europe.

I’m not looking for a vacation home that only makes emotional sense. I’m also not looking for an investment I’d never want to sleep in. I want both. It doesn’t have to make money every month, but I want to know exactly what it costs me before I sign anything.

What could still knock Rome out

Two things.

The beach. I grew up near Atlantic City. Rome technically has a coast, but nobody moves to Rome for Ostia. If I want the sea, I’m getting on a train.

And the rest of Europe. Part of the point of a European base is getting everywhere else easily. Rome sits farther south than a lot of the places I’d want to reach. Milan or Nice would put me closer to almost everything.

Neither is a dealbreaker yet. But they’re the two questions I keep asking.

Where it stands

I’ve looked at listings. I’ve talked to agents. I have a budget, and an Italian mortgage will likely be part of it. It’s not a daydream anymore. It’s a search.

Rome is leading. It’s not decided.

— Joe

What’s the city you keep going back to, even when another one looks better on paper? Hit reply. I read every one.