In my other Palermo journal, I described the road Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which goes from the Palazzo dei Normanni down to the marina. This journal describes some of the highlights of the two main thoroughfares that intersect that road, running parallel to each other.
The Via Roma is mostly a commercial street, the best street for more up-market clothes shops. It’s probably also the widest and tidiest road in Palermo and home to most of the big banks; including some highly visible, and hence safe, hole-in-the wall cash machines. So if you need to draw some money, head this way. There are some good coffee and ice cream shops here too, and it leads directly to the highly impressive main post office and, next to that, the Museo Archeologico. The more interesting diversions, though, are to be had by following the side streets off to the left (as you head towards the Museo Archeologico). On any day, except Sunday (naturally), these streets incorporate a wide variety of market stalls. The ones closest to the Via Roma sell mostly clothes and gadgets, while the ones nearer to the Cattedrale and the Teatro Massimo sell fruit and vegetables, meat or fish. As you might expect, these are vibrant and colourful affairs. It’s easy to feel like you are getting lost as you follow the rows of stalls in and out of the side streets, but you'll either end up at the very grand Teatro Massimo or near the Cattedrale somewhere.
The Teatro Massimo is a very grand affair and plays host to all the major cultural events, ballets, theatrical productions, and the like, and is at one end of the Via Marqueda, the other main thoroughfare crossing the Via Roma at Quatro Canti. Head away from the Teatro Massimo down the Via Marqueda, and you'll eventually end up at the Statione Centrale, the main train station. The road leading to the station houses quite a few of the better-priced hotels and also some reasonably priced restaurants. As you approach the station, you'll also notice that a higher proportion of immigrant communities are centered here, bringing with them the rarities of a Chinese and an Indian Restaurant.
Just off the Via Marqueda, near the Piazza Bellini (home to the open-on-a-Sunday Pizzeria Bellini) is the Piazza Pretoria with its impressive large fountain occupied by a host of white statues in various poses and stages of undress.
This route is a good walk, centered on the two main thoroughfares, but incorporating the side-streets and markets. There are plenty of coffee and ice cream shops here too, and there's even a supermarket on the Via Marqueda at the end nearest the train station. Incidentally, if you happen to buy a train ticket from one of the machines and it decides to give you a credit instead of change (I don't know why sometimes its one, sometimes the other), you can only redeem the credit inside the Statione Centrale, which is a great pain. I happen to be sitting on a 5.50 Euro credit right now.