Vomero

Vomero is the residential hilltop neighborhood with good restaurants and a calm atmosphere. Safe and local, but you'll need the funicular to reach tourist sites.

Vomero is up on the hill overlooking Naples. Taking the funicular up feels like entering a different city - it's where middle-class Neapolitans live in residential apartments. The neighborhood is calm compared to the chaos below. Families walk dogs, elderly people sit on benches in Piazza Vanvitelli, teenagers hang out at the shopping mall. Via Luca Giordano and Via Scarlatti have chain stores and local shops. The restaurants are good - locals eat here when they want quality without the tourist markup. At night there are wine bars and cocktail places like Archivio Storico and Barrio Botanico, but it's not a party scene. Less English than Chiaia since it's residential, but people are generally patient. The views from Castel Sant'Elmo are nice, especially at sunset. Very safe at any hour since it's a family neighborhood. The downside is you're far from the historic sites and need the funicular or metro to get anywhere else.