Gemma and I are beginning the process of looking for a new house. Our awesome little flat in Cerdanyola del Vallès was perfect as a starting point for our life together here but 7 years on, it’s not getting any bigger. We’re looking in Cerdanyola, because we like the area where we live. But we’re also going to look at places in other parts of the metropolitan zone. This thebadPoll is really very simple: where would you choose to live in BCN if you could choose right now? Do you like the narrow streets of the Gòtic, or do you prefer the seaside charm of Vilanova i la Geltrù?
The list of options is not exhaustive, so feel free to recommend a place if you really think it needs a special mention.
As usual, you can vote on the right >> … but it’s your comments I’m hungry for.
We live in the Collserola area, just 15′ by FGC train to Plaça Catalunya and already a different world (garden, wild life, forest, you actually get to know all of your neighbours!!) … Plus in the summer is not so humid and one can actually sleep with a summer duvet on! Such a luxury …No other place does it for me!
Hi Tom,
Montgat (Northern part of it) is a great place. It is still in the 1st communication zone, it has Renfe and bus connections, all the services, and it feels like living in the Spa resort (which it was some time ago). Silence, nature, beach without too many people.
If you like run/walk on the neighbourhood, it has both mountain area, and walking path across the seee from Badalona to Premia de Mar.
Did I mention that it is much cheaper than Barcelona Les Corts, when I lived before?
Hey Tom!
Thanks for your comment!!! i added you on my blogroll along with some other picks from your list! 😉 Did you check out my stolen article on “where to live in barcelona?” i think you’d find some useful info in there! Anyway don’t forget to share your poll results with me! I might follow you soon!;) Good luck with your flathunt! (p.s. so far i read great reviews on Gracia and Born)
Tom,
don’t settle for anything less than the Passeig de Gracia 😉
I only know the two places where my girlfriend lived, that’s Cerdanyola and Sant Cugat. I liked them both a lot. Sant Cugat is great but expensive.
By the way, we have just moved into a flat in Paris (3 weeks ago) and last week, our landlady started showing people around our flat. We asked her why and she kindly informed us that she is trying to sell it. She probably didn’t want to worry us about this little detail before we mmoved in 😉
Good luck with the hunting,
Jim
We moved to poblenou at the beginning of the year and thoroughly enjoy it. the people tend to be friendlier and less stressed than in the city center, the beach is a five minute walk, everyday there seems to be a new boutique store or restaurant and the city’s just ten minutes on the metro or thirty by bus
Hi Tom,
As you might know from my blog, I love the Penedès area, where we live – the “big small town” of Vilanova i la Geltrú, the cultural centre of Vilafranca and the posh international atmosphere of Sitges.
If you’re planning to have children, then this is a great place to live. Vice versa, if Barcelona’s night life is important to you, then you’ll be highly disappointed with public transport if you move here.
By the way: the pro-Palestine movement is very active here. This summer a group of ‘vilanovins’ -“Bastoners per a Palestina” – went down there to show their support through stick dance performances. Something for you? 😉
//Erik
Hey,
I just popped by to say thank you for the comment a while ago. Sorry for the delay I was so tied up in moving and then not really having access to the internet! Thanks for adding me to your blog roll. I will do the same once I work out how to do it! 🙂
Hope you find a great place to live!
Jen
Hi!
My hubby and I are moving to Spain in January. Right now he is staying in a flat in Cerdanyola del Valles. While I liked the small-town quietness of Cerdanyola I absolutely fell in love with Sant Cugat del Valles. In Barcelona I really like the El Born area of town. Such a hard decision to make! Good luck!
Lots of places have their attractions, I think it’s all down to taste… With one special exception – Sarria. That place blows, and should be avoided at all costs.
I recommend you choose somewhere where you can have quiet and you can be noisy.
This isn’t necessarily an easy thing to achieve. Good luck.
Hard to say which place is the best to live, if I had to pick one it’d be Barrio Gotico. Anyone not familiar with some of these places should check out http://www.bornliving.com/.
Funnily enough, Gòtic would be the last place I’d choose.