Thanks a lot!.  I have been doing my research and the following neighborhoods jump out.  Can you compare the following neighborhoods for me please if it is not too much of an effort.  The intent is to live there. 

1. Pedralbes
2. Sarria
3. Sant Gervasi
4. El Born
5. La Ribera
6. Gracia

I like a quiet neighborhood so that I can concentrate on my writing, but with close proximity to great restaurants, cafes, greenery, parks etc.  Water views and hill top would be great.  Also if you could rank these neighborhoods also given what I have stated. I love elevation and water views.

Thank you

Explorer - 26 July 2012 12:15 AM

1. Pedralbes
2. Sarria
3. Sant Gervasi
4. El Born
5. La Ribera
6. Gracia

I like a quiet neighborhood so that I can concentrate on my writing, but with close proximity to great restaurants, cafes, greenery, parks etc.  Water views and hill top would be great.  Also if you could rank these neighborhoods also given what I have stated. I love elevation and water views.

Thank you

1. I don’t know Pedralbes well actually, but geographically it could offer you elevation and distant water views.
2. No sea views but nice old town with history. Very upper class.
3. Sant Gervasi can offer distant sea views, not well communicated with transport so you should own a car.
4. El Born - not so quiet anymore but a wonderful neighborhood. Similar to North Beach in SF. Very close to the beaches but hard to get a view because it’s low. Top floor apartments might have one though.
5. La Ribera - similar to El Born.
6. Gracia is my favorite. My old attic apartment had amazing views, fairly easy to access all the best that BCN has to offer. Great restaurants and lots of artists. Can get a bit rowdy at times but is probably the most young and progressive neighborhood with tons of culture.

Your’e going to have to make an extended visit and check out some apartments in these areas, no doubt.

Hola tothom,

Great thread, and interesting to see that it’s still live after 4-5 years!

I moved to Perpignan from Paris last year to be closer to Barcelona yet without the complications of switching all my tax, social security, banks accounts, etc. But after a year here I’ve found that it’s not really close enough to BCN to practically spend much time there, and additionally, the city is quite quiet and doesn’t really offer much of a vibrant lifestyle in-itself.

So, less than a year later, I’ve started the search for apartments in BCN. I just came across this site, and this thread offers some really great insight, so I just wanted to ask a few questions on the off-chance there’s someone who’s willing and able to answer!

I’m a single guy in my late twenties who knows the city center reasonably well to walk around/spend time in, but I’m not very familiar with the different districts to live in. I have a few criteria I want to include with my search, so I would also be interested to see whether you think they’re possible!

In an ideal world, I’d like to live somewhere with a reasonably friendly/vibrant atmosphere, but no so crazy as I work from home (I’m a web designer). I have a car (necessary in Perpignan!) and I love to go snowboarding, so somewhere with easy-ish parking and access to one of the Rondas, though not miles away from the center would be great.

When I come to BCN, I usually park near by Sant Marti, as there’s a decent amount of places to park, and it’s quite practical to get into the center. So I wondered if anyone has any knowledge of this area as it seems a reasonable place to start looking. It also seems that Gracia would be a good option based on the opinions in this thread, though perhaps more expensive?

Price-wise, I’ve seen some pretty good deals on some of the rental search websites, with prices around 10? per 10m2 for unfurnished apartments. I have a 60m2 apartment here in Perpignan, so it would be great if I can find something similar around the 600? mark. It seems possible, as so many apartments are being reduced due to the crisis, but is that being overly optimistic?

Anyway, my apologies for the long post, but any responses would be truly appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Moltes gr?cies!

Hola,

Couple of questions I’m moving to Barcelona in a week.
25 years old, male, 180cm, London, UK

* I want to live in the city centre, preferable near the beach. How “safe” is La Barceloneta? How’s this area as far a noise and crime?
* What are the demographics of Cuitat Vella/ La Barceloneta? Like average % of Catalans/ Spanish, expats, immigrants, middle class/ upper class.
* Average rent for a studio or 1 bedroom apartment?
* Is 1700 Gross salary per month. Is that enough to live on? (no kids, no car, maybe party once a week).
* Spanish or Catalan? Which language is more “useful”, from a foreigners perspective. Do expats tend to learn/ speak Catalan or Spanish?
* How widely is English spoken?

Gracias.

holla and nice to meet you
my name is lee im 23 years old single from Tel aviv israel .
i searching for the best place to live in BCN.
i was in barcelona for two weeks and lived at Cituat Vella .
from my research i understand that the good places to me is Eixample or Gracia .
im searching for good place, central , near Gym , Resutrands and bar and near the “heart’ , where is all the young. i hope i explain my self good .

i have my own bussniess throw internet and my slary is like 1200-1500 euro per month . this will be easy to me to live in BCN? (appartmento 700-800euro i guess, no car and just me)

gracias
lee

My personal top picks of places to live would be

Barceloneta if you’re looking for a typically sun, sea, and sand lifestyle (and don’t mind paying more for it)
Eixample if you’re searching for a well located and connected, central apartment in the city
Gr?cia/Sant Gervasi if you want a typically laidback Barcelonese lifestyle with a strong culture in a quiet area

Living in Barcelona has its perks, and there are many distinct neighbourhoods to choose from when house hunting. On the Mediterranean, just two?three hours from Andorran ski slopes and the French border, Barcelona is famous for its excellent weather, relaxed lifestyle and historic buildings. Constant renewal and renovation over the last 150 years mean the city has a real mix of styles and neighbourhoods, making it easy to find the home that suits you, whether it’s an 18th-century town house or a new-build apartment.

We help to everybody who want to move to Barcelona.
We would be happy to help with any questions you may have.
http://www.bllrelocation.com

Would it be possible though to get some information on surrounding areas that are outside the city of Barcelona itself. Perhaps a short train journey away?