An interesting article in NY Times on Rome's real world conditions

You won't notice anything like that on the tourist circuit or if you come from an urban setting

As a tourist last fall I wasn't especially struck by the trash, potholes, and such. I don't know whether this is because the city does a better job in the touristed areas, or because I'm used to big old cities. Conditions may be worse in the parts of Rome where Romans live and work and tourists seldom go. It certainly doesn't seem like a place I'd want to live.

Edit: Jazz + Travels said it better, and in way fewer words, than I did.

The tourist areas will get priority, and I can see where a local (city of nearly 3mil) would have issues when certain areas have been neglected. I'm sure it's also an issue of where the priorities are with each mayoral administration and allocation of resources. You'd think things like sanitation/waste disposal, general street maintenance and upkeep would be routine, unfortunately, such basic services also serve as levers to hold a city hostage for increased wages & benefits.

In the 90s Rome employed one thousand gardeners. Today they are less than 200 and most are older than 50. This simple fact would be enough to explain what's happening, but Journalists are paid by line.

bfielder55, that article is being discussed on a different thread:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/so-why-are-us-newspapers-saying-how-terrible-italy-is

Understand that some of the issues mentioned are outside of the tourist areas of Rome. While you may be 'enlightened' as to some of the headaches locals have to put up with, you probably will deal few if any of them.

I dearly love the Eternal City and am overdue for the next visit! Is she perfect? No, but certainly no more imperfect - and much more interesting - than practically any American city (or any other) we've been to. What you can expect? Marveling over the relics of what once was probably the most powerful empire on earth, nearly 2,000 years ago, + more glorious art and architecture than you can get your head around in the few days you'll probably have.

Adjust those expectations and you'll have a wonderful time! :O)

I was in Rome from Dec. 14-21 and also visited in Dec. 2017 and with a Rick Steves' tour in June 2017. There are many different angles for seeing Rome: Roman history, early Christian history, Vatican, neighborhoods such as Trastavere - all of which make it a fascinating place. And, as Rick Steves suggests, it's best to be flexible and "roll with the punches" while in Rome. Example 1 : one of the couples on my Rick Steves' tour planned to travel by train elsewhere in Italy after the tour ended but a train strike was scheduled, so they went by bus instead. Example 2: On Dec. 15, I landed at Rome's airport, rode the Leonardo Express into the Termini train station, then hopped on subway A, thinking, "Oh, this is easy, I'm getting to be a pro at this." I was counting the stops, passed the Barberini stop, was ready to alight at the next stop (Spagna by the Spanish Steps) and the train kept going. So I got off at the next stop and walked back to my hotel. Later that week the Spagna station was open only for exiting passengers. On the day of my departure, assuming Spagna was still closed to boarding passengersI had asked my hotel to reserve a cab to Termini; hotel said there was to be a taxi strike so I said, "That's OK, I'll walk to the Barberini station" only to be told that Spagna station WAS open again. I just laughed and happily walked the short distance to the Spagna station.

I just returned from 2 weeks in Rome, staying in the tourist area near Campo di Fiori. I was concerned about trash buildup as the issue recently had been in the press. We were there over the Christmas holidays so I thought we might be in for a problem. There was no problem visible in that area or in any other usual tourist area (Coloseum, Plaza Venezia, Corso shopping district, etc). There were many trash receptacles on the main streets that were emptied regularly. I did not see anything overflowing, and I also so trash collection trucks out on Christmas Eve AND on Christmas Day.

I just returned from 2 weeks in Rome, staying in the tourist area near
Campo di Fiori.

Suzie, you didn't happen to visit the Forno bakery (owned by the Roscioli family) near Campo de' Fiori while there, did you? Besides their daily little pastries--which were wonderful, especially right before Lent, they have daily special rectangular pizza slices. One day for a 'take-away' lunch I ordered a piece of salsiccia/escarole on a cracker crust, which was unreal, and thought about it all day. Went back the next day expecting to order two of them, and no dice. 'Maybe next week'. Argh!

https://anamericaninrome.com/wp/2015/02/the-golden-hour-in-rome/

I don't usually promote others' blogs unless they truly deserve it. Natalie's 'An American in Rome' does, and it's apropos to much of the recent disinformation/exaggerations about the Eternal City. For myself, this page evokes memories of the late winter afternoon time near the Campo de' Fiori market, when the vendors have all left, the street sweepers are just about finished cleaning the piazza, and the streetlights have come on because it was starting to get dark. We were in our 2nd floor walk-up, windows open because it was in the 50's--warm for us Chicagoans--and I heard an interesting melody coming from below.

I peered out the window and there was a guitarist playing through a tiny battery-powered amp, accompanied by his friend on viola. And the haunting melody, played to perfection with the sound reverberating off the perimeter buildings, was Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'. I literally gasped and thought, it is for this I have come.

That to me, epitomizes the golden hour in Rome...

40 years ago I took a Med cruise that started and ended in Sicily. Wind blown trash was at least a foot deep along the roadsides on the drive to Monreal cathedral. Rome and Athens also had their fair share of trash. It was apparent, but it sure didn't ruin my trip.
Fast forward to now. Perhaps we are more aware of it, but a lot of the world still has a trash problem. That is part of the facts of life. Having some foreknowledge might make it less of a shock, I guess, or you can also consider doing something about it. A lot of that trash is also tourist generated. If you don't like it, then reduce your contribution to it....or heaven forbid....pick it up.

I peered out the window and there was a guitarist playing through a
tiny battery-powered amp, accompanied by his friend on viola. And the
haunting melody, played to perfection with the sound reverberating off
the perimeter buildings, was Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'. I
literally gasped and thought, it is for this I have come. That to me,
epitomizes the golden hour in Rome...

Jay (Chicago), I totally agree. Those guys are great. I first came upon them (two years ago) at Piazza della Rotonda when exiting the Pantheon. The group set up right in front of the fountain with the obelisk.

(If those are the same guys - I've seen them with a few more members playing instruments)

But, yes, the lead singer has a lovely, unusual voice that is quite hypnotizing. He does favor Pink Floyd, The Stones - alot of their top songs, George Michael and even Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven." Wow.

As I've mentioned in other posts, I click on skylinewebcams for the different Piazzas, and sometimes can catch them or hear them playing. "Brings me right back." The memories come alive again.

Jay --
I LOVE the Forno on Campo de' Fiori.

I had some of that pizza al taglio (rectangular), including the Pizza Bianca, which was not at all what I was expecting and infinitely better than that!
I ALSO picked up a torta di ricotta, which might be the best "cheesecake" I've ever had. And if you ask my friends and co-workers, they'd tell you that's quite a statement because they say I MAKE the best cheesecakes THEY'VE ever had.
I had it for breakfast the next few days and have been searching for a recipe I might use to replicate it.
Forno on Campo de' Fiori might be the primary reason I'm looking for an apartment in the area for 2020 so I can share what I "discovered" there with my family when I take them to Rome.

As for the conditions of Rome in general, I have been twice and found it to be safe and relatively clean, meaning not Singapore in it's sparkle, but not trashed and/or trash-strewn by any means. I made these observations in tourist areas, as well as in neighborhoods through which I walked.