the answer to your question is - in a way - a paradox. Italy has (for western not-italian people, of course) a bunch of good stuff about daily life, i don't need to mention.
well: Milan has all that stuff, but at same time has a global excellence perspective in many branches. i don't like to mention fashion (i'm just fed up with those horrible people), but consider 7 universities (two of them worldly recognized); a strong name in design; not so marginal in finance... and i just stop here.
all things crammed in a milion size city you can cross east-west or north south in less than 45 mins.
well, i've been living here in the last 25 yrs; i never fell completely a "local" and i get to know nowadays still new things about this city. in a way i have become one "milanese", even more than a "native" one 
it's a place where you BECOME a native; you're not born.