I have been a guest in the Pilastri apartment twice, staying three months on my second visit, and it was an ideal “home away from home” for me. The apartment is outfitted with a complete kitchen (important to me), and I hosted dinner parties for up to eight people there with everything I needed to prepare and serve a fine meal. With both a full-sized oven and a dishwasher, entertaining there is a breeze. The location is close to the Sant’Ambrogio marketplace, where I shopped regularly for meats, cheeses, and produce, and also is within easy walking distance to supermarkets near both Piazza Salvemini and Piazza Beccaria. The daybed in the living room is perfect for a guest, with a second full bathroom off the dining room, and curtains for privacy. I chose this apartment, after several years of staying elsewhere in Florence on my regular extended visits, for the upgrades of wireless internet access and the washing machine, both significant time-savers for me from the times I have had to sit in internet services and coin laundries on previous stays. The central historic district of Florence is minutes away on foot, as are the Arno River, Piazza Santa Croce, the antiques vendors of Piazza Ciompi, and dozens of fine restaurants and shops. I cannot say enough positive comments about owner and his family, ideal resources for ideas of what to do in Florence, and quick to provide assistance when needed. I found the Pilastri apartment on the internet and took a chance that I would be happy there, and didn’t hesitate to return for a second extended stay.