"Petra House" Downtown Loft

Catania lives outdoors and at street level: the fish market in the morning, the bars around Piazza Teatro Massimo and Via Santa Filomena at night, Via Etnea running straight at the volcano. A loft in the middle of it suits a couple who want to be in the noise rather than beside it. One bedroom, two guests, with a terrace, parking, air conditioning, a washer and a dedicated workspace — the open-plan layout is the distinguishing feature in a city whose rentals are mostly subdivided apartments. At $186 it is priced above Catania’s average, and the space and the design account for the difference.