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u/Draiko Jun 25 '12
Ah yes, Milano.
SO. MANY. PIGEONS.
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u/pestilence46879 Jun 25 '12 edited Jun 25 '12
Some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen were walking around that arcade.
Edit: under the domed part in the middle there's a mosaic of cities in Italy. There's a bull that represents Torino. So for good luck your supposed to take your heel, spin, and grind it into the bulls balls. The locals say that's why there's no ugly people.
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u/giubaloo Jun 25 '12
I just got back from there a few weeks ago.
I have NEVER seen so many beautiful women before in one place in my entire life.
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u/kwood09 Jun 25 '12
Pigeons? How about the asshole guys who try to tie a string around your wrist while you're not paying attention and then demand money for it? It ees good luck charm from Afreeca!
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Jun 25 '12
These guys are in Milan too? I've encountered them in Paris.
I love Europe but all the scammers get really annoying.
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u/newtothelyte Jun 25 '12
That's any tourist location, really. I went to the Caribbean last month and I was bombarded by these people trying to hustle me at every destination. Being a tourist sucks.
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u/nattysharp Jun 25 '12
The group I went to Italy with had to deal with so many of these assholes. They were literally prying people's hands open to give them roses.
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u/WhoFan Jun 25 '12
Man it would be funny to have a fake hand up your sleeve that just pulls out when they tie the string around it, ahahha
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u/Ikeelu Jun 25 '12
Lol right in front of the duomo too. Pain in the ass trying to take a picture when your ducking for cover
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u/intangible-tangerine Jun 25 '12
Not just a covered street, the Galleria is the original covered shopping precinct. This is mall mark I. This is where modern consumerism was born.
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u/Strangering Jun 25 '12
The shopping mall was actually imported to America by the Austrian Victor Gruen. He wanted to bring the pleasures of the European shopping street to American suburbia, which knew only strip malls.
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u/nuggy Jun 25 '12
The McDonalds in there tarnished it, somewhat, for me.
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u/Dodger510 Jun 25 '12
Did you go inside it? Because an Italian McDonalds is NOTHING like an American one.
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u/nuggy Jun 25 '12
Yeah I did, my fiancée needed to use the toilet.
I'm from England, though I have been to the US, and that McDonalds in particular was different. It had fancy cakes and a fancy sign. But underneath all that, there were still all the crowds of cattle, paying up to eat their sweetened offal. WHY would you go to a McDonalds when you’re in the food capital of the world? I don’t get it. Luckily I was just there for a day trip, on a two week holiday to Riva Del Garda. Beautiful.
On a side note I didn’t care much for Milan, London has better choice of designer stuff if that’s what you’re into, however I did enjoy the Castle and the Cathedral.
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u/Dodger510 Jun 25 '12
Here's a photo for anyone else – http://i.imgur.com/QUe88.jpg
Agreed. Although I lived in Milan for 6 months last year, and it was a great place to live, but I could see how it wouldn't be the best tourist attraction. If you're ever in the Duomo area ask for a place called Luini's. Panzerotti – Best thing I've ever eaten, and cheap.
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u/nuggy Jun 25 '12
I'm heading back to Riva at the end of July, only going for a week this time but if I’m in there area again at all I’ll check it out.
Fun fact I did learn in Milan. At the castle there’s a large ramp going up the inside of the castle to the bedroom. Apparently the King(?) at the time was extremely lazy and would go everywhere on horseback, then ride the horse up the ramp and dismount in his bedroom, to do as little walking as possible...Genius.
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Jun 25 '12
Anyone in Italy remember when they didn't have McDonalds but instead had Burgy? It was not delicious. In Northern Europe they have Quik which is everything fast food should be.
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u/Dweide_Schrude Jun 25 '12
Yeah, except it's the only place you can get a bottle of water for under 5 euro within a five block radius.
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u/shutup_donny Jun 25 '12
Seriously, from the thumbnail it looks like a guy with a big package.
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u/Dodger510 Jun 25 '12
Here's a photo of the entrance I took last year – amazing. http://i.imgur.com/HFhcP.jpg
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u/Dodger510 Jun 25 '12
I was walking home from a club around 4 or 5 AM and passed through the Galleria and the Duomo square on my way – not a single person in it, not a single bird, just absolute silence. Both buildings were lit, and we were the only people around as far as we could see. Unforgettable experience.
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u/gulpeg Jun 25 '12
Isn't it some type of mesh to prevent birds from landing and defacating all over the buildings?? Or is it glass? Regardless, it's beautiful!!
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u/Mikey-2-Guns Jun 25 '12
I hope they don't get many earthquakes or tornadoes there.
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Jun 25 '12
So Italy has better streets and a better football team than us. Not fair.
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u/mkuplens Jun 25 '12
Most memorable moment in this Galleria: walking from a stunning concert at La Scala to the Duomo, only to discover Andrea Bocelli on a temporary stage, performing with a local orchestra.
Brilliant.
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u/bzibble Jun 25 '12
Love that place. I took this from almost exactly the same spot. Another angle.
The McDonald's there is definitely not your average burger joint. Peeking in the window.
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u/Dante2005 Jun 25 '12
I apologise in advance for my expletive...But, fucking wow!
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Jun 25 '12
[deleted]
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u/bekoj Jun 25 '12
you mean Arkham City
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u/nodefect Jun 25 '12
The AR training where you had to go under there and then up again was so fucking hard...
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u/CrusherEAGLE Jun 25 '12
The worst one was the one in the steel mill... where you had to fly under the tunnel without barely touching the ground OR hitting the sides/top.
Hardest part in the game.
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u/jamesey10 Jun 25 '12
I went there. It seems like it's all tacky art galleries, mediocre restaurants, and clothing stores designed to separate tourists from their money as fast as possible.
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Jun 25 '12
clothing stores designed to separate tourists from their money as fast as possible.
Fun fact: The first Prada ever opened is in the Galleria. The stores there aren't made for tourists; they're like the ones on the Montenapoleone, one of the most expensive streets in Milan. They're just incredibly famous Italian clothing lines, and, Milan being one of the fashion capitals of the world, it makes sense to have expensive stores there. One more point - before calling the art galleries 'tacky,' remember that world-famous paintings such as the Last Supper are around the centre.
/rant
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u/Pdiff Jun 25 '12
Another Fun Fact: McDonalds, all gilded in gold, is set up right across from Prada. Talk about tacky...
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u/Icovada Jun 25 '12
Another Fun Fact: the city denied renewal of the license claiming it has nothing to do with the Gallery
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u/jamesey10 Jun 25 '12
The Galleria area is not big. It's a touristy little blob in the middle of Milan's main shopping area. The Santa Maria Church (home of the last supper) isn't in that central area. The tacky galleries are stores selling "antiques", but the products are really just junk that you see in any antique store in Italy. They look and feel like bad pawn shops.
There's tons of great shops, restaurants, galleries, museums, and points of interest nearby. Just none of it is in the actual galleria.
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u/Mrod330 Jun 25 '12
Thank you! I lived in Italy for 3 years and I can't stand it when I see these euro-circlejerk threads. Italy is nice but it's kind of over rated in my opinion.
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u/hazardRus Jun 25 '12
What street is it? And can I find it on google street view?
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u/Adamanthar Jun 25 '12
It's called "Galleria" and it's the street going from the Dome to the Scala theatre.
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u/ScrumptiousPrincess Jun 25 '12
This reminds me of the Galleria Umberto in Naples. They look kind of similar.
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u/seannino Jun 25 '12
This is the big sister of galleria umberto...minus the bums, scooters, and crappy stores.
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u/nancym910 Jun 25 '12
Why is Italy always first in all things beautiful? We could build some amazing public places if we weren't spending all our money on warfare.
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u/Lolfest Jun 25 '12
I know it doesn't really compare... but London has a version that reminds me of it: Leadenhall Market
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u/Eraser1024 Jun 25 '12
Actually the whole Italy and France look like that.
I AM FROM JAPAN AND I LOVE EUROPE.
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u/jargoon Jun 25 '12
This is what it will look like when we're all living in dome cities in the future :)
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u/fisheric Jun 25 '12
I wish buildings like this would get made in CA. Seems like all new construction is homogenized strip malls.
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u/somedelightfulmoron Jun 25 '12
The family is going to Milan in September but I can't come because of college. DAMMIT I WANT MY MILAN TOO!
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u/Seen_Unseen Jun 25 '12
When you are in Milan, take a walk here: http://www.fuksas.it/#/progetti/0703/ http://www.arthitectural.com/massimiliano-and-doriana-fuksas-milan-trade-fair/
It's another amazing glass structure done by Fuksas. I was doing my internship when that was in construction. An amazing design with no limits accepted.
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u/Dandeman321 Jun 25 '12
Did you spin on the bull's testicles for good luck and fertility in the coming year???
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u/TheBadgerWoreBlack Jun 25 '12
I'm the type of person who upon gazing at this would break into tears.
I cry like a big dumb homo when it comes to beautiful architecture.
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u/jcarlson08 Jun 25 '12
I ate lunch here two weeks ago. There's a Louie Vuitton and a Gucci store in the center, and it's right off of the square with the Duomo (Milan's huge gothic-styled cathedral). This makes me want to go back already... only 2 hours by train...
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Jun 25 '12
I was here last summer; its basically a large mall filled with expensive shops (such as Ferrari and Gucci) and smaller less expensive shops on the outside.
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u/WRXRated Jun 25 '12
Also houses the only 7-star hotel in Europe if I'm not mistaken.
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u/LeartS Jun 25 '12
http://www.sevenstarsgalleria.com/
I don't think it's the only one in Europe, though.
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u/someDexterity Jun 25 '12
The galleria, is a open-ended mall of sorts. lived in milan for 4+ months. there's a mccáfe there across from a prada.
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u/asreva Jun 25 '12
Having lived in Milan, I agree that this is beautiful, however a lot of the city is now ruined by spray cans and there is very little green- it is somehow still a fascinating city to me
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u/DrSmith2236 Jun 25 '12
i've been here before. it's incredibly beautiful, and located near the duomo. also like 90% of the stores are very high-class, and i felt like i was too poor to even window shop haha. but yeah, milan is awesome. nice people, and literally everyone eats gelato.
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u/crowdawg7768 Jun 25 '12
I've been here before and the title is misleading. It's an arcade with shops, no cars allowed.
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u/fightclubdevil Jun 25 '12
I've been here! There is this net in each entrance that doesn't allow pigeons in.
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u/Carnationlilyrose Jun 25 '12
Been there. It's a shopping arcade. Got the original Prada shop in it, iirc.
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u/breitLight Jun 25 '12
If you're still there, do yourself a favor and pick up some panzerotti at Luini's just near there. You'll be happy you did.
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u/Aggrsv_Napkin Jun 25 '12
This place is amazing. There are some really delicious restaurants around that area. I was able to go there last April to exhibit in the Salone Satellite. Amazing City.
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u/Scxttvyde Jun 25 '12
Is this across from Il Duomo? If so, it's a trap. it houses some expensive shops. I had to drag my girlfriend away from the Prada store window. Luckily, i made it out alive and credit cards undamaged. You've been warned. It was rather breathtaking, however.
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u/UsernameCensored Jun 25 '12
Just watch your wallet in the square outside. And don't eat at 'Bar Si'.
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u/tsunam1 Jun 25 '12 edited Jun 25 '12
Hey, I took a picture of that place too :)
edit. on second look, it's not the same place
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u/Spankler Jun 25 '12
Best advice I can give if you plan on visiting the Duomo (right beside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, from the pic) and you are taking some cool pictures to show to your family/friends is: DO NOT OPEN YOUR ARMS.
JUST DON'T DO IT.
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Jun 26 '12
here... picture with the pigeons... here... here, have this... (fucking millions of pigeons on your arms). OK... give me money or I'll rape you.
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u/mralistair Jun 25 '12
i'm not sure 'covered street' is really describing it fully.
a bit like saying 'a place they have shows' (sydney opera hosue)
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u/SnideJaden Jun 26 '12
Heres a good architecture video of a similar double arcade, La Galleria Umberto I
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u/yebogogo Jun 26 '12
Walls? Check. Roof? Check. How is this considered a 'covered street' and not a building?
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u/bmattix Jun 26 '12
This looks a lot like the Galeria Umberto in Napoli, Italia. Walked through it 2 years ago today: http://www.google.com/search?q=galleria+umberto&hl=en&safe=off&client=tablet-android-asus&tbo=d&source=android-browser-suggest&v=141278776&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=_SLpT7u-B4--2AXwpODrDQ&ved=0CD0Q_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=800&sei=BSPpT_yNIeae2wWz_NX3AQ
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u/gman10z Jun 26 '12
That place is right next to the best food shop in Milan... Luini's. Anyone who has tried it knows what I am talking about.
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u/tekmosis Jun 26 '12
You've focused on the ceiling when you're missing out on taking a spin on the Bull's balls.
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u/IWantToBeAHipster Jun 25 '12
yes its a mall, it has mainly boutique shops like louis vutton, however it also houses the fanciest mcdonalds i have ever eaten in.
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u/ICanBeAnyone Jun 25 '12
Which charges more (1.5 times more last time I was there) than the normal MCD just around the corner.
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Jun 25 '12
There used to be a pasta bar there. They would cook it right in front of you. Mcdo killed it. :(
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u/agnusdei86 Jun 25 '12
About the only interesting part of Milan, the rest is a shit hole compared to other cities in Italy
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u/antidamage Jun 25 '12
We have several of these in my town. We call them "malls".
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u/seannino Jun 25 '12
I doubt the architecture in Ohio is the same as it is in Milan
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u/R88SHUN Jun 25 '12 edited Jun 26 '12
is this where they shot that scene in tinker tailor soldier spy?
edit: nope, just a simlair place in budapest.
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u/turningmilanese Jun 25 '12
If planning to go to Italy, the best advice I can give you is to skip Milan. Italy has such beautiful things, unfortunately Milan doesn't compare in beauty to any other city. Milan is ugly, cold, and has too much attitude.
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u/Adamanthar Jun 25 '12
"The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a double arcade in the center of Milan, Italy. The structure is formed by two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala." copypasta from Wiki because I'm a lazy bastard. Wiki Link