Moving to Milan

Hi Everyone!

I am preparing to move to Milan to study for a year of study and am looking for any suggestions if you can help. I am a 26 year old American woman changing careers and studying at SDA Bocconi (to give you an idea of the area I would like to live near), and I plan to take lots of weekend trips to other countries while I'm in Europe. Outside of travel to get to know different places, I will be focusing a lot of my time on learning about food traditions, especially cheese and beer, around Europe. I've lived abroad before but have had more help getting set up (I'm totally on my own this time) and have been traveling a lot this year in Mexico and South America, but my last trips to Europe were before the introduction of the Euro, so I'm pretty out of date with how things work!

If anyone has experience with:

Choosing a neighborhood to live in - I've never been in Milan, (only in the south of Italy), so this will be a new adventure for me!

Swimming pools and gyms - I plan to join a club with an indoor pool - Do you know of a good one?

Renting apartments - I would like to rent a furnished room in an apartment with other people sharing the common rooms. I've heard that there is a complicated system for contracts and deposits (involving the post office, a tobacco shop, and the police station) - How does it work?

Setting up bank accounts - Do I need to do this? Are there banks that are easier to use when
traveling in other parts of Europe?

Finding cell phone services - Are there special requirements for foreigners? What companies are commonly used and have inexpensive options for travel to other countries in Europe?

Purchasing subway passes - Should I buy a year pass right away?

Any other suggestions for me?! I would also be happy to meet anyone living there or traveling though!

Thank you!!!
-Anna Reply to this