First photo: fried appetizers and focaccia for two offered by a bakery/deli Milan, in Porta Venezia. Receipt for 43 euros. Second Shot: Broccoli in Turmeric Tempura, sold at the same location. The label shows 38 euros per kilo. Both pictures were posted by on social networks Jonathan Bazi in the last days. Two starting points from which the author criticizes the expensive Milanese prices.
In August last year he denounced the city’s “unsustainable rent standards”. Issue picked up by students protesting in tents in front of universities in recent days. Now the conversation continues.
“I shared two episodes I experienced first-hand on social media. I was in Porta Venezia, I stopped at some kind of gastronomy / cold table. Mind you, no asterisk. We got two scones, two stuffed zucchini flowers, two rolls, two breaded mozzarella and a sofficino. So a total of 43 euros ».
Not an isolated case.
«In the same neighborhood there are other clubs or pizzerias that seem “accessible” but charge 26 euros for a pizza, 12 for a dessert and 4 euros just for the cover. Something similar happens with what happens with houses. They are often ugly, old, very small, but in Milan you can afford to charge high prices. Demand is constant and standards adapt or deform very quickly».
It is important to remember that the cost of living affects not only clients but also venue managers. For example, when renting out commercial space.
“I see a speculative dynamic above all. It is clear that the restaurateur has to make money, but selling a so-called “chickpea tartare” with zucchini for 38 euros per kilo in a non-luxury context seems excessive to me. There is a problematic relationship between image and reality, a dark degeneration affecting people’s lives and mental health».
A big marketing campaign?
«Milan is dependent on fewer and fewer people who can really afford to adapt this image of the city to reality, while the majority cannot. The price? frustration and shortness of breath. The feeling of never being where you should be. Milan has become like a large social network: the dynamics of conditioning and competition are similar».
A problem only in Milan? Inflation affects all of Italy.
«It also happens in other realities, but more here. The culture of the image has gained a stronger foothold».
In the post, he also disputes the idea of veganism as a choice “for the few.”
“Vegetarianism and veganism are within everyone’s reach. Wandering around Milan, one gets the thought that it’s something reserved for an elite, with expensive offerings. Fortunately, there are positive exceptions. Being vegan means not only eating tofu or avocado, but also reviving traditional Mediterranean dishes».
How is the vicious circle broken?
«The decision not to feed the business. Don’t eat, for example, in clubs that play on speculation”
Among the commentators on your critical postings about Milan, there are those who suggest changing the city. Is it the ultimate solution?
«Staying in Milan is not always a choice. My partner, for example, couldn’t live anywhere else because of his work.”