Barcelona Neighbourhoods: Poble Sec

The area between the old town neighbourhood of El Raval and Montjüic Mountain is known as Poble Sec. This stretches from the seafront up to Plaça Espanya, and much of the neighbourhood is on a gradient. Poble Sec literally translates as "the dry village" and takes it's name as it was not until 1894 that the immigrant workers were blessed with the neighbourhood's first water fountain - which is still standing in Calle Margarit.



Poble Sec, like smaller neighbourhoods such as Gracia, retains that small town feel, with many local shops and commerces which have been around for years. There is a significant immigrant population in the area, like the majority of Barcelona's neighbourhoods, and the Dominican Republic has a high representation here, bringing colour and life to the area, as well as different eateries and shops catering for a Latin flavour. However, the area also has many Catalan residents who have lived here for generations. Expect a relaxed feel in this neighbourhood. This neighbourhood also celebrates a great local festival in July, when streets are closed and long tables are brought out for meals of traditional Catalan dishes and music.

One advantage of this area is the access to green spaces - none more closer than Montjüic. However, the neighbourhood itself also has two or three parks, and even leafy plaças to relax in. Some streets are on a fairly steep gradient, as mentioned above, which also favours the learner drivers of the city - a heavy presence is a common sight.

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Real Estate Offers in Madrid - Outlet Prices

This week saw a Winter Real Estate conference finish in Madrid, Spain's Capital. The theme this year was Outlet Residential, with incredible prices almost like tht of an auction going for a song. According to sources, the fair closed with a positive attendnce and many expositors were very happy with the results of their efforts over the three day period.

Given the huge amount of new properties literally collecting dust around Spain, the aim of the fair was to offer fantastic discounts on new properties, the great majority being apartments, with discounts of up to 40% on over four thousand individual properties. Accordning to news reports, some expositors were closing up to 15 deals a day, which is an amazing number of operations considering the current climate. Many who were interviewed said that they were begnning to see signs of the recession leaving the sector, although it has to be noted that there is a lo9ng way to go. All in all, good signs for the market, for the sector, and overall for the Spanish public. Let's hope this has a knock on effect around the rest of the country.

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Barcelona Parks And Gardens - Park Güell

This is the start of a series which will look at the parks and gardens in Barcelona, for those people looking to buy or rent near the green spaces the city has to offer. Many people moving to Barcelona will be accustomed to having the luxury of green spaces all around them, and sometimes moving to a metropolis such as Barcelona, can be a shock to the system.



Where better to start that Park Güell. This magnificent park stretches over 17,000 hectares and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Commissioned by Count Eusebi Güell and built between 1900 and 1914, its unique design and charecteristics are work of the famous Catalan architect Antonin Gaudi, who is responsible for many of the city's main attractions and buildings. The original idea of Güell was to recreate the style of English gardens he was so impressed by and for that reason the park retains the English spelling (often misrepresented as "parc" or "parque"). Güell's idea was to create an exclusive neighbourhood within Barcelona for the wealthy away from Sarria. Unfortunately the idea wasn't a roaring success with only a few plots of land sold. The park was opened as a public park in 1922, and is one of the favourite destinations for tourists and Barcelonans alike.

Built slightly on a gradient, the entrance is the most ornate with a central plaça, winding steps and two fairytale houses at its entrance. The rest of the park is a mix of stone and marble pillars, fountans and Gaudi's trademark broken tile mosaic work known as "trencadís". In 2010, the local council plans to introduce an entrance fee to the park, to help cover costs of maintenance, litter collection and graffiti. Local residents will be exepmt from this fee, and details have yet to be finalised, but the plan is definitely in advanced dsicussions.



Living around Park Güell can be a challenge. The local neighbourhoods of Gracia, Carmel and Horta surround the park, and many of the streets immediately adjacent to the park have small housing on fairly steep gradients. Many streets are pedestrian and narrow, and although some streets have outdoor escalators this is not the case for each one. The metro stations are a little walk away from the main park area, but nothing to make living near the park too difficult, with many bus routes, too.

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