How to survive August in Milan

Mosquitos, very interestingly smelling subway wagons, body parts that stick to leather couches, wandering around the apartment following the movements of the fan... Milan in August can become pretty rough. Despite a few objective 'cons', though, the city has also a number of 'pros'. In the last few years Milan, also thanks to EXPO 2015, has progressively become the capital city of design, fashion, art, and architecture (the new incredible skyline is proof), and maintains its spirit even during the summer. Summer is the perfect moment to discover never seen before places of the city or to finally try that restaurant your friends has been rambling about, all without endless queues and the nerve-wracking search for a spot to park the car. 

Swimpools, outdoor cinemas, Negroni Sbagliato and poke: nss magazine has prepared the ultimate guide to enjoy to the fullest August in Milan. Discover it here. 

During the day  

The heat can become really unbearable but Milan has great solutions to this problem. Bagni Misteriosi, former Caimi seaside resort, are currently Milan's favourite swimpools: next to Franco Parenti theatre, after a long renovation, the structure features today a garden and a library, and hosts events and aperitifs by the pool. If you want to chill in the classic Milanese pool you need to see Il Lido, sports center founded in 1932, that includes an irregularly shaped pool, tennis courts, football pitches and beach volley camps. You'll feel at the beach. For those who rather discover spots of the city never seen before, the choice must be the Cimitero Monumentale. Built in 1864, besides being a magnificent mix of byzantine, gothic and roman style, the cemetery is the resting place of some of the most important figures of Italian history, like Alessandro Manzoni and Salvatore Quasimodo. (If you get a bit peckish during the visit, you can stop by Mimì Gourmet, kiosk that provides excellent raw fish for a equally excellent price.) Architecture and art lovers won't be disappointed with Villa Necchi Campiglio, '30s architecture gem immersed in a wide garden with private pool and tennis courts. 

Exhibitions and galleries

If the temperature isn't over 40 degrees and walking around the city is manageable, there are a lot of exhibitions and galleries to visit in Milan. Fondazione Prada is worth a visit even just to admire its building and taste a slice of cake at the amazing Bar Luce designed by Wes Anderson, but is actually plans avantguard and innovative contemporary art exhibitions. Up till September 24 German artist John Bock transforms the Podium into a space set up with everyday life objects, waste material, forniture and other elements, set to create crazy and illogical worlds. After a coffee in the inner courtyard and passing through designer clothes at 10 Corso Como, going upstairs you come across the shining Galleria Carla Sozzani. Space devoted to art, photography, design and architecture, this summer the exhibition revolves around the relationship between Salvador Dalì and Swiss photographer Jean Clemmer. Near Parco Sempione, in a historic 19th century building, is based the Galleria Kaufmann Repetto, whose stand out element is the Project Room dedicated to the artworks and experiments of young emerging talents, for an immersive art experience. If you want to remain in the area, at Parco Sempione is located the super famous Torre Branca designed by Gio Ponti, architectural masterpiece 108 metres high from which to enjoy an amazing overview on the city. Not for who's afraid of heights. 

Aperitif

After having taken off the swimsuit and having posted a super likable photo on Instagram, it's time to enjoy a fresh drink before dinner. Stepping inside Bar Basso means traveling back in time: since 1947 this bar has been making freshly shaken cocktails and has invented the iconic Negroni Sbagliato, to sip sitting at the tables outside. Inside Villa Reale, where GAM is located, there's also the LùBar bistro: food and drinks in a fancy and refined location, between white sofas and an inner jungle. At Rotonda della Besana you can enjoy vintage drinks like the Famedio, while relaxing in the garden. The Doping Club, located in the Yard Hotel in Darsena, is an elegant and dashing club, halfway between the set of a movie and a dandy club, which made mixology its strength. To drink a glass of white wine in a glycine courtyard drop by Circolo Combattenti e Reduci, a simple bar, almost nostalgic, dating back to the old Milan. 

Food

Milan seems to be weirdly obsessed with abandoned factories turned into trendy restaurants. Good food, live concerts, big tables to make new friends. This is the philosophy of Spirit de Milan restaurant, which in the frame of a renovated factory offers typical Milanese dishes, cooked with selected ingredients. Cascina Cuccagna, a few steps from Porta Romana, is a project that within a farmhouse from the 1700s proposes as a place of encounter and aggregation. The kitchen of his restaurant Un Posto a Milano believes strongly in the "kilometer zero" philosophy, selecting raw materials and ingredients from little and medium farms of the zone, revisiting traditional Italian dishes. The restaurant Hoppy Fish wants to change the conception of the fish as a meal to eat only on special occasions and dinners. The kitchen is inspired by the Nordic and Anglosaxon street seafood, which is adapted and combined with Mediterranean taste, to eat along special beers, in an unusual but perfect mix. The latest food trend in Milan is definitely poke, which you can try in three different I Love Poke restaurants, between Duomo, Tortona and Central Station. This trend arrives directly from Hawaii: chops of fresh raw fish are mixed with salad or rice seasoned with soya or other ingredients like exotic fruits, a new and fresh combination. And to continue with this healthy wave there's Oasi del Fresco in Piazza Po, a kiosk-greengrocer owned by Franco, which for more than 20 years has been refreshing his customers with huge slices of watermelon, to eat under a gazebo town festival like. 

Rooftop

The contemporary and elegant skyline of the city deserves to be admired from the right perspective: rooftops and terraces are the perfect places to spend a hot night while sipping a fresh drink. Ceresio 7 Pools&Restaurant is the most exclusive and sophisticated rooftop of Milan: a big pool is located in the middle of the terrace, decorated with a modern design taste, in front of the new profile of Porta Nuova. The recently inaugurated building of Fondazione Prada, the Torre houses in his sixth and seventh floor a restaurant and, above all, an outside deck looking out on the city. The perfect combination of art, design and Milanese spirit. A few steps from Piazza San Babila, on the top floor of the Brian&Barry building, you can find Terrazza12, an international lounge bar that provides an all-around view on the city, from the Madonnina to the newest skyscrapers. On the seventh floor of Excelsior Hotel Gallia Milano, from the Terrazza Gallia, the view is spectacular: the classic architecture of Central Station is in contrast, but at the same time in harmony, with the glasshouses of the business center of the city. An image that perfectly gives the pure essence of the city, characterized by a rich and glorious past and faced towards a futuristic tomorrow. 

By Night

As every other weekend of the year, you'll receive the fatal Whatsapp message saying "Any plans for tonight?" and once again you'll have to say goodbye to your dear Netflix and get out of the apartment. But you might actually end up having fun this time. If you feel like catching an old movie in a special and very Milanese frame, a perfect place to bring a date, by the way, there's the Highline Galleria, located on the rooftops of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. To experience a new type of outdoor cinema. La Balera dell'Ortica is the perfect remedy to the summer boredom and an interesting alternative to the classic disco: on a dancefloor brightened by dozens of little lights, you can dance liscio and boogie-woogie. Forget about trap music. Techno, '90s, hip-hop music, concerts (Chet Faker, Ghemon) nights with watermelon and spritz: Circolo Magnolia will quickly become your favorite summer destination. At the Ansaldo Base there's a new summer place to go to: every night of the week a different event, between slam poetry, dj sets, horror movies, book presentations and indie karaoke. There's a little something for everyone. Bar Picchio in via Melzo, finally, is the typical Milanese bar (ceramic floor, pool, public telephone, neons of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes decorate it) which offers super cheap drinks, besides the encounter with very interesting bar figures who will tell you amazing stories. The binge watching will have to wait.