The main street in Trastevere (Viale Di Trastevere) is a very busy place. Considering that my apartment is about 1 block away from this main road, I decided that spending some time this summer looking at exactly how this road is used for modern day Romans. I'm not just talking about driving, thats a whole different story. The road is used as a social space for, what seems to be, most Romans. Lining this street are various bars, pubs, restaurants, shops and markets. The most popular places on this street seem to be the bars (coffee bars). They are literally lining this road, with 3-5 every block for the whole 2-3 mile long road. It's truly amazing. They bars don't just stop there, they spill out into the street were the Romans seem to gather on sunny mornings and cool evenings. The sounds of the tram that runs along the road only adds to the uniqueness of this space. Also, it is a main artery into the heart of downtown Rome. The road consists of 3 lanes. The 2 outside lanes are for driving (they drive on the left side, just like the United States) only, although we sometimes do walk in the road as the sidewalks tend to be crowded at certain times. The inside lane, in between the 2 driving lanes is designed for trams and emergency vehicles only, but an occasional taxi driver or moped driver will use it for a convenient, less busy drive to town. Throughout the summer I will be looking at various aspects of this street.
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