Ciak Cinema is a small venue in the north part of Rome; it used to be just one room where you can go see the movie. But eventually they expanded and added another tiny room. I do not mind the tiny room, but if you are claustrophobic I do not recommend it; I like it because it is cozy and in an odd way it reminds me of how an airplane is built -the way the seats are positioned.

I like going here because it is close to home and I do not need to fight the traffic in center, plus I can walk or take a bus which has the stop right in front of it. Both rooms do not get overly crowded, which is nice and if you go on Wednesday during their matinee you only pay 4.50 Euros, and it is even less crowded.

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Ciak Cinema | Cinemas | Ticket € 7.00
Via Cassia, 692 | Cassia & Montemario | +390633251607
Tue – Sat 10:30 – 22:15, Sun 12:00 – 16:00

Peccati di Gola is a cute little store tucked away in the middle of the must have aperitivo place in Ponte Milvio. It’s located between a jewelry store and a bread store. The first time I came about this place, I was just strolling down the street after having a hot chocolate at Mondi’s (check the Mondi article)

The place immediately caught my eye because I found it very interesting that they served different cuts of meats and any type of cheese, and at the same time you can have an aperitivo with a glass of wine. The place itself is small with three small tables inside and two outside if you want to do some people watching.

I like to hang out here with a friend of two and catch up while eating some of the great tasting cheeses and sipping wine, and when I brought one of my friends for the first time, she did not even know it existed even though she lives in the Ponte Milvio area! The good news is that she loved it so every so often we meet there to catch up.

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Peccati di Gola | Bars | 1 kilo of truffle salami € 29.00
Via Flaminia 454 | Cassia & Montemario | +390633225331
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 13:00 & 16:00 – 23:00

Talco is one of my favorite stores in my neighborhood, I like it because I can walk there from my house but also because it is a small boutique and you tend to get more of a unique and good service which is different from the big and crowded stores of the downtown area of the city, as you can talk to the retail associate and make small talk as you decide what to buy or just to window shop.

The stores prices have a wide range but sometimes they do have nice discounts, last year I bought one of my favorite items in my wardrobe and it is a black vinyl raincoat with a hood and big pockets that I used a lot and still do during those rainy days and it still looks new. For summer I usually buy some of their tops which are classic and trendy at the same time and look great when going out.

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Talco | Shopping | Raincoat € 100
Via di Grottarossa 181 B | Cassia & Montemario | +390633264662
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 13:00 & 16:00 – 20:00

This is just another coffee bar at the next corner, but the modern design makes the experience of tasting their coffee worth it.

This coffee spot continues to re-invent itself and in fact the last few evenings that I went there I swapped my coffee for a glass of red wine! Now they are also a wine bar.

People that that live or work in the area, go and have their breakfast here with a cup of coffee and maybe a freshly baked croissant before heading off to work.

I like to go there at mid-morning and chat around with a friend sipping a cappuccino and indulge in a chocolate or cream filled croissant. And now they expanded with a small patio outdoors with tables with umbrellas to protect you from the hot sun, but it is so refreshing to have a mid-afternoon cold iced tea!

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Caffe’ 901 | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Caffe macchiato € 1.00
901 Via Cassia | Cassia & Montemario | +390633260000
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 20:00

This is a pizzeria/restaurant located in North Rome, and it is a popular place for the younger crowd but you will also see families. I like to come here because it is close to my house and because the environment is really laid-back and fun, and if I decide to have dinner their Roman style pizzas are pretty good.

This is a modernly big restaurant an in fact it was established in only 2004, where you can either eat inside or outside in their enormous patio. You can start out with some appetizers such as “bruschette” or “crostini”, and then go with a pizza and beer.

On Sundays they have a special event (“Sunset time”) at 18;00 where you pay € 5.00 for the buffet and a drink.

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Sport Café | Restaurants (Pizza) | Spritz Drink € 7.00
Via Cassia 999 | Cassia & Montemario | +390630315041
Mon – Sat 20:00 – 01:00, Sun 18:00 – 00:00

Bar Ambassador when looked at from the outside is just another corner bar. But it is always packed because of the office building next to it. One of the baristas is very creative with what he whips up.

And since I work in the office building next to it, I also take advantage of the fact that they deliver. My favorite breakfast item is the decadent NutellCoffee, which is Nutella at the bottom, coffee, and whipped cream on top sprinkled with powdered cocoa, and even though I am not a fan of whipped cream, once all is stirred I can barely taste the whipped cream and I just enjoy the drink, and with a plain croissant next to it, it makes the work day so much more bearable!

The NutellCoffee is a drink to start the work week or to end it in the sweetest way.

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Bar Ambassador | Bars, Snacks | Nutellcoffee € 2.75
Via Fabbroni 1 | Cassia & Montemario | +39063295884
06:00 – 22:00 daily

The Museo crocetti is the former house of the artist. VenanzoCrocetti is a 20th century artist born in 1913. He came to Rome in 1928, and lived there until his death. The mansion is divided in 3 stories.

Most of the spaces are dedicated to his work as painter and a sculptor. His work is very simple yet elegant, the same way the museum exposes the artwork. His sculptures are famous because they are done in bronze.

Inside the museum you will find about 90 sculptures in bronze and one in marble. They also exhibit other pieces, or paintings of other artists, changing them every month.

What I like about this museum is the crisp and minimalist feel to it. Also, the art is exhibited in a very simple way (you will for example notice the lack of creativity in the title of the pieces), yet the art is amazing and elegant.

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Museo Crocetti | Art & culture | Free
Via Cassia 492 | Cassia & Montemario | +390633711468
Oct – May Thu – Mon 10:00 – 17:00 | Jun – Sep 11:00 – 18:00 daily

Il Papiro is a neat bookstore next to my house in the north area of Rome. I like to come here because they have a vast selection from the new bestsellers to any genre you can find.

I am an avid and fast reader so I like to come and check out the books and I always find something such as thrillers, mystery and real life stories, plus I like the feel I get when I enter the store it has a nice feel to it and very relaxed with bar stools in front of the registrar and in the back a nice little corner for children.

I also was able to buy different books for my ninety four old grandma who loves to read mystery novels and was also satisfied with the readings! The owners, which are brothers, are very friendly and helpful too if you cannot find what you are looking for they will go out of their way to get it.

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Il Papiro | Art & culture, Shopping | Mystery Novel Book € 9.40
Via Cassia 901/G | Cassia & Montemario | +390630316424
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 13:00 & 16:00 – 20:00

The Cicalino, meaning “little grasshopper” is a well- known in North Rome, during the afternoons in fact it is often a place for high-school students to meet and chat while eating a pizza al taglio before deciding where to go.

In the evenings it can be a quiet place to sit out on their red tables and enjoy the pizza or arancini. If you are a sports fan, usually you can watch the games inside on their TV, with a beer to accompany your pizza.

These kind of pizza’s are not as thin as the ones that you will find in the restaurants. They serve square pizzas, with a variety of different toppings. One of my personal favorites is their potato topping pizza that I learned to love when I was one of those high-schoolers chatting away with friends.

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Il Cicalino | Bars, Restaurants (Pizza al taglio) | Piece of pizza € 3.50
Via Cassia 917/A | Cassia & Montemario | +390630362549
Tue – Sat 11:00 – 21:00

Parco Pappacci is a park near my house and it is a nice park to go relax, bring your dog (there is a separate area just for your pets), run or bring your children.

I go mainly to relax and walk around and maybe sit down on a bench and catch up on some reading, I usually do this during the spring time where you can catch some rays of sunshine as well, while I read or do some people watching and take a break from work and home.

In March when spring time is close you can admire the trees blossoming and the daisies which make the park so much prettier. I keep on going during the summer as well because the shades of the trees makes the heat so much more bearable, even though there is less people watching to do.

During the colder months, the parks get more people walking or jogging around than sitting at the park! You can still enjoy the people walking and stop and chat with one of the elderly ladies from the neighborhood, which always have great stories. And if you want to warm up there is nothing like a run or jog in the park to do the trick!

And now they added more events like a pony ride around the park…the children love it, and for the adults there is some evening music, which is a great way to meet the people that live in the neighborhood.

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Parco Pappacci | Music, Relaxing | Free
Via di Grottarossa 124 | Cassia & Montemario
05:00 – 22:00 daily