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Areas of Madrid - My Personal Opinion |
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After 15 years in Madrid we think we have a right to have a personal opinion on areas and “barrios” of Madrid. We are open to comments for or against our personal opinions detailed below. This is not meant to be a definitive description and analysis of Madrid and its areas, it’s just meant to be one of many points of view. It’s even possible that there might be other viewpoints more valid than ours ... although it’s very unlikely!:
In general terms we can say that, for the Northern half of Madrid, property prices and luxury are proportional to their proximity to the Castellana and the centre, the closer you are to both the more expensive the property. In the Southern half of Madrid prices and quality, are generally based on their distance from the Centre.
Let’s analyse the different areas of Madrid:
CENTRO
The centre of Madrid is extremely clean, compared to most other capital city centres. It is also very safe; muggings and violent crime are virtually unheard of. However, it is plagued by pickpockets; Madrid has the third highest incidence of this sort of crime in the world.
Without a shadow of a doubt the centre of Madrid is the place to live if you want to savour the true Madrileñian lifestyle. It is a bustling city centre that never sleeps. It is full of shops, bars, restaurants and clubs and the only thing it doesn’t offer is the chance to get bored! The centre is rife with history on every corner, there are better and worse parts, noisier and quieter areas but these are always interesting and exciting and the Centre caters to all tastes and needs. With a wide variety of accomodation for short or long therm lets this area is highly recommended as a base for your home in Madrid.
CHAMBERI
Just to the North of the Centre, but only a ten minute Metro ride from the very centre of Madrid, is Chamberí. This is an essentially residential and quiet part of the City and it's an interesting choice for many people. It is the second most luxurious area of Madrid, extremely safe and with an extremely low crime rate. Chamberí has abundant “cervecerias” and cafeterias that are ideal for relaxing alone or with friends. The Plaza Olavide deserves a special mention with its numerous terrace bars, restaurants, fountains and generally laid-back atmosphere.
Calle Fuencarral with its multiple cinemas and shops is great for Saturdays. Chamberí is popular with a wide variety of our clients as it is close to the centre, and the Moncloa bus station that most University students need to use. It has a major Cercanias (suburban rail network) and Metro station, Nuevos Ministérios, which makes it very convenient for professionals and students who work or study on the outskirts of Madrid and is also near the financial heart of Madrid. Whether you are looking for your own apartment or a room in a shared flat the Chamberí área will definitely not disappoint you.
MONCLOA
This is as far West as you can be housed in Madrid City. This area comprises three very different barrios. There is the traditional Moncloa area to the West of Chamberí and above the Centre of Madrid, where virtually all students want to be housed, near the Moncloa Bus and Metro Station. Then, below this, there is the area of Moncloa to the West of the Centre of Madrid below Calle Princesa and above the Rosales Park which used to be a very elite area of Madrid and, therefore, has numerous large, refurbished four bedroom apartments and smaller luxurious flats where large rich families in Madrid used to live. Finally there is the Paseo De La Florida / Aravaca area, which is much more modern and really quite removed from the city centre, not recommended for your stay here. Moncloa is close to the majority of Universities in Madrid; they are either within walking distance or a short bus trip from Moncloa Bus Station. In September and February the demand in this area is enormous and it is virtually impossible to find apartments or rooms to rent here so we would highly recommend that, if you want to live in Moncloa, you should reserve your flat or room in advance.
SALAMANCA
Traditionally the most luxurious area in Madrid and, therefore, the most expensive and safest. Salamanca is to the East of Chamberí and above the Retiro Park. The part of Salamanca between Velazquez and the Castellana is extremely exclusive and has an abundance of 19th Century apartments and flats of which the majority have been professionally and tastefully refurbished. This area includes the Calle Serrano, the most expensive street in Madrid with the Cartier, Gucci, Loewe shops and many, many more. The area between Calle Velazquez and Calle Francisco Silvela is more reasonably priced and still in the heart of Salamanca, the actual Plaza Marqués De Salamanca from which the area derives its name is here.
From the Calle Francisco Silvela over to the M30 ring road is also considered to be Salamanca although the purists don’t see it that way. This is an area built over the last fifty or sixty years a bit removed from the city centre and cheaper than the rest of Salamanca. Due to its traditional reputation of being the most luxurious part of Madrid, Salamanca has a constant demand all year round for rental of all types of accomodation from rooms in shared flats through to studios and apartments.
RETIRO
To the South of Salamanca and East of the Retiro Park we find the Retiro area. Please do not confuse this with the Retiro Metro Station which is in Salamanca just above the park. The focal point of the Retiro area is, obviously, the park with its various lakes, gardens, statues and buskers. It is always a good option any day of the week although it really surpasses itself on Sundays.
The part of the Retiro area which is close to the park and above Sainz De Barranda is what we would recommend, there is a strong demand for rental of rooms in shared flats and whole apartments in this area during the summer months due to the multitude of terrace bars and restaurants in the area.. Any further away from the park or lower down normally results in cheaper prices but a significantly less secure and appealing area.
ARGANZUELA
Below the centre of Madrid, occupying the Southern extreme of the city we find Arganzuela. Rented accommodation in the parts of Arganzuela on the border with the centre of Madrid are good value for money as this area is cheaper than the centre but extremely close and well connected. Further removed from here in the Southern extremes of Arganzuela we find an area much further away from the city centre and much newer to the Madrid skyline.
To encourage people to go to these newer areas, and compensate for the distance to the centre, the majority of these apartments have air conditioning, swimming pools, gyms, saunas and many other amenities. Many people are housed in Arganzuela because of its cheap rent prices and the fact that the Atocha train station is there, which makes commuting to the suburbs easier and quicker. Arganzuela is the cheapest area in central Madrid and is, therefore, less secure but, by no stretch of the imagination, could you ever consider it to be dangerous.
TETUÁN
Tetuán, just above Chamberí, is split down the middle by the Calle Bravo Murillo. To the east of Bravo Murillo we have the City area of Madrid with an array of multinational companies, sky scrapers and modern buildings. The West of Bravo Murillo is cheaper and reknowned for having a large South American community, flats here are a little bigger than average and sometimes have lovely balconies or terraces. There has been a lot of building development to the North and West of Tetuán resulting in very new studio flats and apartments available to rent there. The east side of Bravo Murillo consists, mainly, of apartments built around 20 years ago. Tetuán is a considerable distance from the centre but is home to several Universities and very close to the Nuevos Ministérios and Plaza Castilla hubs for connection to Madrid´s suburbs, it is therefore relatively cheap but well sought after and a viable option for your stay in Madrid.
CHAMARTIN
Chamartin is an enormous area to the North of Salamanca. The area close to the Avenida America bus and Metro hub is relatively close to the centre and interesting for airline staff as buses go from this station to the airport virtually 24 hours a day. This is a fairly inexpensive area with a high concentration of shops, bars and restaurants. As you go further North the area becomes more residential and there are less shops, bars etc. The Northern part of Chamartin, one of the quietest areas of this capital city, with the possibility to rent large apartments and flats is ideal for families. There are excellent transport connections here, the Chamartin train station with its extensive long distance and suburbian network and the Plaza Castilla bus station (on the border with Tetuán) with a large variety of buses to surrounding areas, villages and towns. Chamartin is a medium priced area quite far from the City centre where you can rent anything from a room in shared flat with bars and restaurants on your doorstep to large apartments in quiet residential streets, worth considering for your time in Madrid.
Tags: Centro, Chamberí, Moncloa, Salamanca, Retiro, Arganzuela, Tetuán, Chamartin |
| 18/05/2008 | 9351 page views |
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[TRANSLATION: ELIANA CALDERON]
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