Milan neighbourhoods
Isola
The working-class quarter behind Garibaldi, now hemmed in by skyscrapers.
- Market
- Tue · Sat see below ↓
- Transport
- M2 / M5 Isola, M3 / M5 Zara; trams 2, 4, 7, 33
- District
- 9
What it's like
Isola sits behind Porta Garibaldi station, and for a century it was literally an island: the railway tracks cut it off from the rest of the city, reachable only through an underpass.
It was the quarter of tenement houses, dance halls and jazz, working-class and slightly out of the way.
The pedestrian footbridge and the Porta Nuova district, with the Bosco Verticale and the Biblioteca degli Alberi park, stitched it back to the centre in the 2010s.
Today Isola is one of the most sought-after and most expensive areas in Milan, but beneath the towers via Borsieri, via Thaon di Revel and piazzale Archinto still have small shops, courtyards and a neighbourhood market.
It is a small place, walkable end to end in fifteen minutes, with a lively scene of bars and bookshops in the evenings and at weekends.
Green space and the outdoors
Dog areas
- via De Castillia · 704 m²
- parco biblioteca degli alberi · 1304 m²
- giardino Bruno Munari · 1037 m²
- vie Cusio - Toce - Boltraffio · 571 m²
- piazza Einaudi - viale della Liberazione · 847 m²
- giardino Aldo Protti e Gregor Mendel · 943 m²
Playgrounds
- via Pastrengo n. 30 · 294 m²
- vie Confalonieri - De Castillia · 520 m²
- vie Sturzo - Ferrari · 510 m²
- via Quadrio n. 10 · 130 m²
- giardino Catella · 315 m²
- parco biblioteca degli alberi · 1791 m²
Where to eat and drink
In the evening Isola is one of the densest parts of Milan for eating and drinking: Ratanà, Milanese cooking in a former railway lodge at the foot of the Biblioteca degli Alberi, is the best-known name; Frida, with its large courtyard on via Pollaiuolo, is the quarter's long-standing aperitivo spot.
For food shopping there is the via Garigliano market on Tuesday and Saturday, and several small shops around piazzale Archinto.
Getting there
Isola is served by two metro stations (Isola on M2 and M5, Zara on M3 and M5) and by Porta Garibaldi station just next door, with regional and suburban trains.
The neighbourhood is small and flat: from the footbridge you reach piazza Gae Aulenti and Porta Nuova in a five-minute walk.
M2 / M5 Isola, M3 / M5 Zara; trams 2, 4, 7, 33
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Isola district in Milan?
Isola is in District 9, just north of Porta Garibaldi station and west of viale Zara. It borders the Porta Nuova district and Maggiolina.
Is there a market in Isola?
Yes, the via Garigliano street market runs on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. It is a small, local market with fruit and vegetables, fish, cheese and a few clothing stalls.
Nearby neighbourhoods
Data: City of Milan — weekly open-air markets (DS291), CC-BY. Reviewed .