Santa Croce is basilica and leather belts, bars and piazzas that stretch late. The basilica holds tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Dante's cenotaph; outside, students and locals share benches and tramezzini. Leather shops line the streets-some touristy, some still craft.
The Scuola del Cuoio hides behind the cloister, and the nearby synagogue rises with Moorish flair. Sant'Ambrogio market sits close, selling produce and lampredotto sandwiches before lunch wine. By night, via de' Benci and surrounding lanes turn into a nightlife strip: cocktails, wine bars, gelato stops between conversations, live music leaking from cellar bars.
It's central but slightly less manic than the Duomo, with the Arno a few steps away for a breather and a fast escape to Lungarni views.