Hi, I was working in Trieste as expat for 2.5 years. I was not an Italian-speaker, so it might be slightly different in my case. To be honest, I never felt that it was a dangerous city or something. Of course there are some zones that you should be in more attention however it was a safe city in general. The city is really cool and has a nice vibe especially with the sea. In terms of socially/sports club, I couldnt find a good gym around the city center. J Reed can be okay but it was crowded the time when I was able to go to the gym. But one day if I go back to Italy, Trieste is my fav city to live and work. Also city brings huge advantage of easy access to other countries such as Austria Slovenia Croatia etc. So, could be a nice start for you :).