Santa Croce and San Polo are neighbourhoods full of bars, restaurants, bridges and squares. This is where you drink coffee among the locals.
If you're looking for the heart of Venice, this is your district. Everything here seems to go on as it always has. Early in the morning, Venetians come to do their shopping at the fish and vegetable market at the foot of the Rialto Bridge. Later, they walk into a bar near the market and have an aperitif at the bar. Further into the neighbourhood, around the San Stae church, are particularly beautiful vistas, and near the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari church is bustling with vintage shops, bars and eateries. At Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio, young families meet in the late afternoon.