You won’t see snowcapped peaks towering above the Eternal City, but its foundation is anything but flat. The highest point in Rome is at the top of Monte Mario, which is Northwest of the center and can be easily reached on foot from Vatican City or by public transit. It’s the perfect place to find some peace and quiet above the city, grab some grub or some grappa, and enjoy the view.

Take a cultural side track into one of Rome's lesser known areas; explore a neighborhood built in the 1940s as a model for the Rome of the future. EUR is an architectural masterpiece built in marble and stone hosting the museum of Roman civilization and brand new aquarium Sea Life opening summer 2013.

Via Veneto’s macabre church, Santa Maria della Concezione dei Capuchins, purposes a lasting meditation on death. Among the city’s ruins, reliquaries, crypts or catacombs, this place may prove to be the most potent momento mori in Rome. Here one finds the bones of over 4,000 Capuchin monks re-assembled as elaborate interior ornaments. In stark contrast to the Veneto’s glamorous reputation as a celebrity playground of smart, spacious cafes, this unforgettable Capuchin church reminds us, rather, to live more with the inevitable in mind.

It’s been a while since Leonardo, Michelangelo and other legendary Ninja Turtles were swinging their brushes in Italy, but the art scene is very much alive and well in Rome. If you’re an art aficionado, shopping for a high-end souvenir, or just cruising for open-bar gallery parties, you’ll need to know where to start.

An amble through the streets surrounding Piazza Navona seeds the imagination with a healthy dose of architectural theater. Forming a rough triangle between Ponte Cavour, Ponte Amedeo and Piazza Navona – I especially recommend our apartments in this area for those new to Rome. Being within the ancient city while also among sumptuous, Baroque palaces stimulates the mind to induce a cinematic feeling of living in a film. Here are some of my favorite alcoves that distinguish this neighborhood of heady grandeur.