Vivere a Firenze

Johann è un ragazzo tedesco che vive a Firenze. Di lavoro scrive per un giornale locale. Quando non lavora legge, vede gli amici e trascorre il fine settimana con Giada, la sua ragazza. A volte Johann e Giada prendono il treno e scendono a Pisa o in qualche altra località per conoscere altre parti dell'Italia. Vivere a Firenze è un'esperienza meravigliosa: ogni giorno Johann ha l'opportunità di scoprire la cultura italiana e di fare amicizia con persone locali.

Johann is a German guy that lives in Florence. For work, he writes for a local newspaper. When he's not working, he reads, sees his friends, and spends the weekend with Giada, his girlfriend. Sometimes Johann and Giada take the train and get off in Pisa or in some other place to get to know other parts of Italy. Living in Florence is a wonderful experience: every day Johann has the opportunity to discover Italian culture and make friends with local people.

ABITARE vs. VIVERE
Since we’ve already translated "to live" as abitare, you might be wondering why vivere is popping up now and if there’s a real difference between the two. While both can mean "to live," they focus on different aspects of life.

Abitare (To Inhabit / Reside)
This verb is strictly about your physical residence. It focuses on the act of inhabiting a specific space, like a house or an apartment. Use it when you are talking about an address or a specific residential area.
E.g.
Abito in un appartamento in centro (I live/reside in a downtown apartment)
Abito in via Roma (I live on Roma Street)

Vivere (To Live / To Be Alive) This is a much broader verb. It covers the general experience of life, being alive, and lifestyle. While it is very commonly used to replace abitare when talking about the city or country you live in, it also describes the quality of your existence.
E.g.
Vivo bene in Italia (I live well in Italy — referring to lifestyle/experience)
Vivo a Firenze (I live in Florence — general location)

You can vivere a happy life, but you cannot abitare one. Think of abitare as "to reside" and vivere as the default verb for your general life experience.