As a couple, Oltrarno / Santo Spirito works.
Cross the river and the tour groups thin out: gilders and restorers in open workshops by day, and a relaxed, young aperitivo scene spilling across Piazza Santo Spirito by night. The catch: the same square gets rowdy and litter-strewn late, and locals have pushed back against the noise. The best place to feel like Florence still belongs to Florentines.