Checking out the Neighborhoods

Since we're going to rent an apartment in Rome, we better learn about the neighborhoods so we'll have a better idea of where we would like to stay.  I have read a few of articles recommending the Monti neighborhood above the Colosseum:

• The Full Monti: Rome's Cool Quarter
• Rome City Guide: A Day in Monti
• In Rome, Monti is a Quiet Treasure

 And then there is Trastevere, the medieval neighborhood across the Tiber on its west "left" bank.   In Rick Steves' radio program with Susanna and Francesca, Susanna says it is her favorite place in Rome:

• A Perfect Day in Trastevere, Rome's Favourite Neighborhood (this is a good one day tour of the area)
• Dennis Callan's Trastevere video on Youtube.  It looks much more "local" than his video on Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps, where the streets are crowded with tourists and it almost looks like Disneyland.  Dennis Callan is a member of the Hawaiian Geographical Society and takes videos of the trips they sponsor.

On the other hand, Rick Steves says he always stays around the Pantheon, to be in the middle of things.   The area up by the Spanish Steps looks nice but is also expensive.

If we wanted to spend all our time in the Vatican, Prati would be a good neighborhood, but I'm not a Catholic.  Supposedly they have the best mercato, Trionfale.

They also say that the area around the Termini train station is seedy, as is the San Lorenzo student district, but interesting to visit.  Hopefully this apartment is far enough away from the train station: Historical Center Apartment, Colosseum.  The street view of Via Napoli looks civilized enough, not too much graffiti.   I used to go cruising along the street views in Google Maps but it is much harder to do with the new version.  Does Google realize that?

If one goes to the website, SuiteDreams.it, one can see a pretty nice satellite view of the area with the buildings, which are all pretty monumental and not very old.  One can actually navigate to other areas of the city and check the layout.  The view is at an angle and better than the view in Google Maps.  Oh wait!  This is the view from the old Google maps (will this link work? -- no it doesn't!  it sends one to the new and awful google map).  Why did they ever change??!!