Trading the Eternal City for Lake Como: Finding a Home in San Siro
Every journey to Lake Como has its own story. Some begin with a holiday, others with a long-standing dream of living in Italy. And sometimes, all it takes is a weekend visit to discover that a place feels just like home.
Emlyn and Joe's story is one of falling in love with Italy, leaving their life in Rome behind and finding their perfect place in the charming village of San Siro. What started as a search for a second home turned into a wonderful renovation project and the beginning of a new chapter on Lake Como.
Joe & Emlyn hiking.
Today, we're delighted to share their story: their love for the lake, the character of its villages, the adventure of renovating an old Italian home and, of course, the soundtrack that accompanies their new life here.
Read their interview below!
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY. WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN LAKE COMO AS A LOCATION FOR BUYING YOUR SECOND HOME IN ITALY? DID YOU KNOW THE AREA BEFORE? HAVE YOU EXPLORED THE REST OF ITALY? WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT LAKE COMO / WHAT WAS YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE LAKE FROM ABROAD?
Emlyn says - Italy had always been a dream. Over the years, we traveled plenty, but no matter where we went, we kept finding ourselves drawn back — another summer, another reason, another corner of the country that we hadn't explored yet. When Joe obtained his Italian citizenship, combined with a case of mid-career restlessness, we decided to stop visiting and actually go. We packed up and moved to Rome.
Joe landed a teaching job, and somewhere in the rhythm of daily Roman life, a new idea took hold: what if we bought a place here? We started exploring casually but in earnest, casting a wide net across the whole country. We made trips to Trento, Naples, and kept an open mind. We learned we were interested in being near water, mountains, and community.
Then Emlyn reconnected with some friends from time in the Peace Corps who were living in Moltrasio. They invited us up for the weekend. We'd been to Varenna and Bellagio before, but always on the eastern shore – we'd never really spent time on the west side of the lake. That weekend really changed everything.
We fell in love with it, and honestly, we never really looked back.
And, after Joe overcame his deep, very deep, love of Rome, we set our sights fully on Lake Como.
WHAT MAKES LAKE COMO SO SPECIAL COMPARED TO OTHER LOCATIONS IN ITALY OR EUROPE?
Search "most beautiful lakes in the world" and Lake Como lands at the top of nearly every list, and honestly, it's not hard to see why. The geography alone is stunning: deep blue water framed by mountains that are snow-capped in winter and lush green in summer. It is, by almost any measure, a magical place.
But what we love about it goes beyond the postcard version. Lake Como has a real texture to it. Yes, there are grand historic villas and manicured gardens, the elegance is undeniable. But there are also still developing villages, abandoned stone homes slowly being reclaimed by moss and time, and a grittiness that keeps it feeling authentic rather than curated. The hiking here is genuinely world class and largely hidden from the tourist crowds. Switzerland is just over the mountains. And the lake sits in this rare middle ground between rustic and urban, you can take a ferry to a small fishing village in the morning and be in Como or Milan by afternoon.
Then there are the things you just can't plan for: the rainbows that appear without warning over the water, the particular quality of afternoon light through the haze, the sound of sailboats drifting by on a calm day, the winds that come through the valley with a kind of rhythm you start to learn over time.
And the winters! which most tourists never see, are something else entirely. Quiet, moody, beautiful in a completely different way than the summer. We love it then, maybe most of all.
YOU END UP BUYING A LOVELY HOUSE IN SAN SIRO, A TRULY CHARACTERFUL PROPERTY THAT MANY HAD NOTICED ON THE MARKET. WHAT MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH IT?
We didn't want to get swept up with the crowds of tourists. We wanted a real village, somewhere with a little breathing room and a sense of place, but still close enough to everything that mattered. We love having neighbors and being part of a community. San Siro sits right in the middle of the lake, which makes slipping down to Como or over to Lugano easy. It's the best of both worlds: the quiet rhythm of a small Italian village, with the whole of Lake Como at your doorstep.
HOW WAS YOUR PROPERTY SEARCH ON LAKE COMO BEFORE FINDING THE ONE?
We were motivated, and we were on a clock. Over a few weeks we walked through eight properties before our hearts settled on San Siro. Our list was practical: meet our budget, be close to the main road, have a parking garage, and an easy stroll down to the water. Honestly, looking back, we probably could have been more patient, the lake has plenty of villages and pockets we never got to explore. But the timeline was real, and we were ready to move. There was also something genuinely appealing about taking on a place and shaping it to our own taste, room by room.
The team at Lakeside was incredibly helpful. Right from our initial meeting with Elisa, they were responsive and supportive. Helping us every step of the way. We definitely could not have found our gem of a house without them.
Joe & Emlyn, enjoying the view from their very own terrace.
DO YOU THINK IT’S EASY TO BUY A PROPERTY AT LAKE COMO OVERALL? DID YOU FIND ANY DIFFICULTY OR CHALLENGE ALONG THE WAY?
Yes, there were challenges. We were familiar with the markets and process in the United States and found that almost none of it applies here. The timeline moves to its own rhythm. The laws and taxes have their quirks. And then there's the Notary, who in Italy isn't someone tucked behind a bank counter but rather a central figure in every real estate transaction, equal parts legal authority and trusted guide.
There's a learning curve, no question. The unknowns can feel a little daunting at first, but they turn out to be far more manageable than they look once you're in motion. It was helpful to have our trusted team. What I find myself telling people most often is just how reasonable, even pleasantly affordable, homes and apartments on Lake Como can actually be.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE RECOMMENDING TO FOREIGN CLIENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THEIR SECOND HOME AT LAKE COMO?
It's absolutely doable. What it really takes is a sense of adventure, a bit of patience, and the kind of flexibility that lets you roll with whatever the day hands you. My honest advice: do your homework on the towns and villages around the lake. Spend real time with them. Each one has its own character and its own pace, and where you land matters, this isn't a place you'll be packing up and leaving in a few years. The other piece of advice, maybe the most important, is finding people that you can trust like the team at Lakeside!
HAVE YOU DONE ANY WORK ON YOUR PROPERTY? HOW OFTEN ARE YOU PLANNING TO LIVE IN THIS HOUSE?
Yes, we pretty much gutted the place. It was a substantial undertaking, over a year and a half of demolition, decisions, dust, and a steady stream of emails about timelines, tile, fixtures, and finishes. We were lucky to find a great group of contractors and specialists, and we could not be more pleased with the workmanship and the end result. The character of the old house is still there, just brought gently into this century. For now, it's our vacation home, the place we slip away to whenever life back in the States gives us a window. The longer plan is to make it home for good when retirement arrives. Lake Como isn't a bad place to grow old.
WE THINK EVERY HOUSE HAS ITS OWN SONG. IS THERE (YET) A SONG YOU LINK TO YOUR LOVELY NEW HOME?
Ok, so, I have always had a secret desire to be a DJ, so this question is a tough one. I managed to stop myself at 6.
"When I Paint My Masterpiece" by Bob Dylan: for obvious reasons. It's literally about Italy, beauty, and the dream of finally getting it right.
"Colors" by Black Pumas: for the warm, golden-afternoon feeling of being on the lake.
"Brokedown Palace" by the Grateful Dead: a love letter to a home you cherish.
"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey: Because at some point during a year-and-a-half renovation in a foreign country, you absolutely need an anthem. No further questions.
"Friday Morning" by Khruangbin: slow, sunlit, the musical equivalent of an espresso on the balcony.
…You know what? I've got it. "Summer Madness" by Kool and the Gang. Final answer. Cue the synth, open the windows, pour the Aperol.
IS THERE ANY OTHER LOCATION OF LAKE COMO YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE, AND IF SO, WHY?
One of my favorite little finds is a small, off-the-beaten-path village at the very top of the lake called Dascio. It sits just off the main road, easy to drive past if you don't know to look for it, but it opens up to one of the most beautiful views on the whole lake. The pace there is unhurried and the quiet is the real kind. It's the sort of place that doesn't try to impress you; it just lets you breathe. A perfect spot for a short stroll and the kind of stillness that's harder to come by further south.