Thoughts on (living in) Barcelona?

[vivabarca]

Anyone here that lives in/has lived in Barcelona? Do you have any suggestions or advice? Would you recommend living there? If yes/no, why?

DP (not married, lived together 10 years) recently left for a new job in Barcelona. I will follow in a few months once Spain opens up to non-nationals and Ive sorted some loose ends here. We are both EU citizens and Spanish speakers so thats no issue. My concern is I dont want the big city life. We are both fed up of London and the lousy weather, lack of quality of life and well, Brexit, so do want to leave the UK. I want nature not traffic and hustle bustle, and sun not cold/rain. I love being active outside and with Barca being sunny practically all year and in between mountains and the beach I can actually do things I enjoy like windsurfing, go for hikes or the beach, get a dog etc on a random Tuesday instead of waiting for the one yearly holiday. It would def allow a better work/life balance and DP has family there that he misses, but Barca is still a big city full of people and traffic and its expensive (relative to salaries). Im really not keen on living in a tiny overpriced apartment cramped up with thousands of neighbours and full on noise as soon as you step out from your front door (Barca has big issues with sound pollution). Our actual dream is a ranch full of fruit and green, in tropical climate, lots of dogs running around, have chickens maybe other animals and no neighbours in sight in our home country (south america). Ive been to Barca on holidays and do like it, it was our dream years back, but we are over Europe and big cities and want something else. Unfortunately that requires a lot of savings which we dont have. DP is willing to do long distance for me but its not like I want to go anywhere else in Europe and SA is too far, I want country side living not flying back and forth. His idea is better life/work balance to enjoy ourselves more, as we are both miserable here even pre-covid, but still be able to save up so we can get the dream in a few years. Neither has worked since covid began and with unemployment rising/brexit that dream seems harder if we stay. So with his job offer and albeit not my ideal dream still a step up from London, it makes sense and Ive agreed to try. But it worries me that Im not excited at all. After a year in lockdown and the dark winter months, Im so “down” that I dont even want to get out of my pyjamas, I dont even cook just snack, and I cant seem to motivate myself for the move. We dont have kids and very little “stuff” so its an easy enough move. Anyway I digress, I guess Im just hoping that someone may be able to recommend nice areas to live in and tell me that its not the horrible, loud, busy, dirty city that Im scared it is? Its different going for a 1 week holiday in my 20s and living there when Im 35 and want other things. I had a look at flats online and felt claustrophobic and stressed by the traffic already Any recommendations of what areas to live in, places/things to see/do that may change my mind would be much appreciated!!!

Have a look at places like Gava and Castelldefels. These are a few miles out of the city and on the beach!

I’m actually from BCN. Look at the towns that are on the train lines along the coast if you want cheaper and less noisy living (I’d avoid El Prat though). The city itself is all quite heavily built and rentals are expensive but if you have a good train lines you can get to central Barcelona very easily and cheaply.
I personally can’t deal with the humid heat and work conditions but it’s a very lovely city as a tourist :)

Have a look at places like Gava and Castelldefels. These are a few miles out of the city and on the beach!

Oh brilliant Ive never heard of those - will have a look thanks !

@prettyconfused
Thanks, I love humidity and heat - the more the better
Whats your thoughts on Badalona? Seems like its nicely positioned between the beach and mountains/forest. Have you been to consorci del parc de la serralada de marina?

@stillamummy just checking out Castelldefels now and loving what I see! Cant believe how close both beach and forest is. Thanks so much for the suggestion this has made me really excited :)

I’m afraid I haven’t lived there in a decade and Badalona is on the other side of the city from my parents. But I remember it being mostly working class flats (very tall buildings) and no houses. I had a brief stint working there and it was perfectly fine in terms of transport as well.

But I’d still choose Gavá or Castelldefels personally. Even Garraf though I don’t know if that’s commutable :)

Avoid Badalona, it is a very low district. You don't move to Barcelona to live there. The highway goes through it, so what I have seen is from the car.
I second Gava and Castelldefels. There are very close to BCN and really nice,
We lived in the centre and 6 years later, I still miss Barcelona so much and I am in Sydney now. Very happy place, gorgeous city.

The only BIG negative are the pickpockets. When we were living there, we were members at the club de natacio in the barceloneta. www.cnab.cat Its was very cheap and it meant we would have a locker to leave bag, and the pools, and access tot he beach in all safety.
Once you know about the pickpockets, and you know you have to leave your bags on lap in cafe and not on floor or back of chair, crossbody bags when walking around , not leaving a bag on the beach when you go for a swim, .....you adapt your behaviour and it is fine.

We first were living at the top of Rambla de Catalunya (different from Las Ramblas, other side) and I loved how vibrant, elegant it was. We would walk to Gracia for ice cream, everything was there. We moved to Vil-la Amelia to be closer to the kids' school (French Lycée) but I so much more preferred the city centre.

You do know about Catalan , right? Many will refuse to speak Spanish to you, even if you are a polite foreigner making an effort. My paediatrician was one of those, and our encounters were ridiculous, I would speak in Spanish, she would reply in Catalan and so on. A couple of librarians, and other people here and there in the public administration when you needed some random paper.

I did both Spanish and Catalan courses at this school www.eoibd.cat/ca/ the city official school. You don't need Spanish obviously, but doing a Catalan course will help you connect with more people.

If you are feeling "flat", Barcelona will recharge you in a second.
It is beautiful, happy, chiringuitos on the beach, happy faces around you. When we were living there and would visit family in France, my youngest would ask me " why is everybody so angry" when walking in the city centre,.

Nobody would say " bonjour mon trésor" when you enter a bakery, but the " Hola cariño" is so nice to hear.

Work situation is however dreadful but you could maybe give English classes,

Thanks ladies. Look like Casteldefels/Gava for the win. Does seem like quite expensive area though as so many expats there. Will have to see if I can get work first. Not sure I could teach English. Im not a native speaker and with all the Brits around Im guessing there's plenty of far more qualified English teachers already

@Cormoran thank you thats very helpful. Actually spot on that your youngest asked why people look angry in France, my partners nephews from Barca did exactly the same when visiting us in London, asking us why everyone looks so miserable and no one smiles. Says a lot doesn't it! Feeling flat is a good way to describe it. The last few years feels like something gradually sucked the life out of me so its reassuring that Barca may recharge me. I feel more excited now looking at pics from the beach and imagining what daily life could be like now that my concerns re "busy city life" has been put to rest. My concern has shifted now to being scared I wont make friends or find work. Did you find it easy to make friends there? Im 35 soon 36. I dont actually have any friends in London, its very lonely and dont want the same to happen there

Also re catalan I had heard they could be fussy about speaking spanish but didnt realise it was so bad that even paediatricians would refuse, sounds rather ridiculous to me. I cant imagine refusing to speak English to a non-local if I were back home just because its a spanish speaking country. I would think you try to accommodate whatever way you can. My friend who previously lived in Barca told me all his mates were other foreigners as catalans weren't too friendly to him when he lived there, but maybe thats just his experience . It would be interesting to hear your POV on this @Prettyconfused as a local ?

As much as Gava and close by locations on the beach are nice and lovely, I think they are also lonely. I think in the evenings - but also in the day during winter months - they are dead. Many commuters live there and in the summer you have day-visitors.

In your shoes, I would have. a serious look at Gracia and the streets in the EIxample that border Gracia.

Gracia is like a village inside the city. Lots of small pedestrian streets, so many squares with cafés, kids playing football at midnight on school days! Small shops, so convivial. And the beach is easy to reach with the metro.
You will have a variety of flat options, but always make sure to visit the address at night because you might be living on top of a café.
Eixample has the biggest choice of apartments. You will discover that many ads mention either "interior" or "exterior". An interior flat could be facing a court so enough light or facing a wall you could touch when opening the window. Ideally look for exterior flats.

If you have friends/family there they will advice you better.

There are idiots everywhere. Some people put Catalanism high as a religion and hate anything Spanish. Most people are perfectly pleasant. Personally I’d have changed doctor and put a complaint. But you’ll find loads of paperwork sort of require it. It’s one of the things that makes living there unappealing for me, I’m allergic to nationalisms in general.

On the bright side, you used to be able to go to cheap/freecourses to learn and that would be a way to make friends?

@Prettyconfused if you have been missing for a decade you might have missed the change in mentality I experienced.
When we first arrived, we would received letters with one side in Spanish, the other side in Catalan, and soon enough, all correspondence was in Catalan only.
Parents have tried to sue the city because there are NO Spanish schools. They are illegal. Education, both public and private is done in Catalan (or French, Italian, English, ....) but NOT Spanish . Some schools find a loophole to be pseudo-bilingual in order to have more subjects in Spanish, but Catalan is dominant.

Catalan is becoming more and more a political issue and a pain sometimes when dealing with the pubic admin. If you are enrolled in your district CAP (equivalent to NHS) you can't just change doctor because yours will only speak Catalan . It is her right.

On the everyday basis with people around you, as long as you don't talk about politics and independence, you are fine. But you are wrong if you think it is just a handful of idiots, it is the majority who know is battling for independence and the hate speech against Madrid is very present.

You might not feel it if you only visit the city , but by living there in the recent years, you certainly do.

I’m really sorry that’s your experience. My parents still live there and must have been lucky both with changing doctors and having professional ones. It must depend on the area you live in, where they live most people are Spanish primary speaking.

Still I do not doubt there is no shortage of unprofessional idiots and even worse they got a foreigner suffering the consequences of what’s 100% stupid Spanish politics. As o said, one of the reasons I’m never coming back, I think it’s really rude to use a language your clients can’t speak when Spanish is perfectly legal.

Catalan didn't affect me. I tried to accommodate and talk what I could when someone was making a point. Describing medical symptoms however was easier for me in Spanish.

Barcelona is gorgeous, vibrant, diverse and a happy place.

@cormoran it does sound like the catalan nationalism is more of a problem than I had anticipated, but your love for the city is obvious and has rubbed off on me. Im def more excited and cant wait for Spain to open the borders so I can go join my partner. Have you ever thought of moving back? You make a good point about the beach towns being more dead in winter, hadnt thought about that. Maybe it is good to be more central at least in the beginning when I dont have friends. My friend lived there 10 yrs ago so no one there but partners family but they are very different from us/me and dont get certain things. Think traditional stuck in their ways. Im looking at Idealista for ideas on whats available. (I have to say its quite pricey) I think it may be best to get an airbnb or a room somewhere for a month or 2 and walk around the city and see what we think of each neighbourhood before we sign a longterm lease. Yes def need to get an exterior flat on a smaller back street and not main road to avoid noise and pollution. How is Gracia/Eixample in the nighttime ? Read online that the centre will be full of loud drunks, addicts and tourists in the night and smell of urine etc especially summer nights. Whats your opinion on Gothic area? I liked it on the map because its close to the beach and Montjuic. I would like to be close to the beach obv because I love it but also because Im hoping to work on the beach/ in a park for shade. Im a nutritionist here but also have a PT certificate and love training even though I dont teach it. Used to in my youth though. So I was hoping to combine the 2 and with the good weather train people outside at least most of the year. Running groups in Montjuic, circuit classes on Barceloneta etc

@prettyconfused im allergic to nationalism in general
I feel the same. Thankfully my parents never were and thus never pushed it on me. Free classes of Catalan is a great idea! I wouldnt mind learning and to meet others . Will def google this. If you have any suggestions on where to look for them once im down there let me know

Eixample is huge, and you have the very posh apartments and the very basics. Gracia has a lot of small streets. You want to avoid the squares because that is where most of the café are. A lot of Garcia’s small streets are very quiet but other are very busy. During day time with the iron curtain lowered It is hard to tell what is behind, could be a bookshop or a bar.
I would absolutely NOT go lower than plaça de Catalunya. Avoid las ramblas, gothic, old city and even Barceloneta. Around plaça de espanya you can find good street but not under Montjuïc. It takes nothing to reach the beaches with a bus or metro.
For PT you might have to look at the higher end part of the city who h are higher up Sarria and pedralbes.

Barcelona is a big and tourist city, and yes there are drugs but mostly in the parts of the city i mentioned. Some parts, even in the centre, are very quiet, other not.
You need to consider safety in addition to noise so stay above plaça de Catalunya or no lower than two streets.
Main crime is bag snatching and pickpockets on metro and tourist attractions

I used to live in El Born. Old buildings, stinks of piss and vomit and too many tourists being drunk. Perfectly fine for food and drinks but I’d not live there again. At least until Airbnb is very regulated and your next door flat can’t be rented for drunk parties.
Gracia always felt more classy and it has OV cinemas. Most cinemas otherwise dub films to Spanish. Just take a holiday during the yearly gracia festivals if you don’t like crowds.

Thanks ladies. El born sounds exactly what Im worried about come summer anywhere central/touristy

How come you recommend going higher up to Sarria and Pedralbes for PT? Thing is, I love sun and beach and want to go beach every day. Not just sunbathing but swimming, jogging, sunsets, winter walks etc. Just take my dumbbells go train and put my feet in the sand. This is my lifelong dream and what makes it worth it restarting my business etc. I dont mind a good walk and after commuting for years in London I dont want the hassle of public transport and cost and time spent waiting for buses etc, I hate it. I just want to put on my shoes and go. Not wait for nothing or no one. Thats why Im not keen going higher. Ideally having no more than 30min walking distance from the beach. Barceloneta isnt the nicest beach and I can imagine summers being packed with noisy tourists, thats why I was leaning to BAdalona initially. I dont have to be close to barceloneta specifically, clearly castelldefels, Badalona etc are nicer beaches, Im just trying to balance everything and considering what you said that the "suburbs" might get lonely in winter. It also seems more expensive and family oriented. Once we are settled in we are considering getting a dog so long walks will be my daily thing anyway . Ideally id like to be close to the forest/mountains too but happy to walk a bit further for that as I wont go everyday. This is why I immediately liked the idea of Castelldefels because it has the forest right there too, seems like dream location, and why I was OK with the idea of being central thanks to Montjuic. Ive checked the map but cant really find anywhere else thats walking distance to a beach but in a quiet neighbourhood and still close enough for the action when wanted (thats still in Barcelona!). As I party seldom it makes more sense to get on a bus for occasional time out rather than daily beach time. My ideal day would much rather be meet a friend for hike/ beach and being active than going bars as I dont drink and go bed early . Urgh sorry now Im just rambling and going in circles. So much to consider! Wont know until Im there I guess

Oks if you want to be within walking distance if the beach consider the area around the Icaria cinemas (yelmo icaria). I think it’s the Vila olímpica. Diagonal mar also looks good for that but I think it’s very expensive.

Relatively new built flats, relatively expensive but it has good access to the beach and not 100% touristy. But loads of foreign workers end up there, so probably easy to make do with English.

If you want house living instead of flats, castelldefels and Gavá are more suitable.

If you want beach life, go to a beach village, not Barcelona, which is a metropole that has a beach. Reconsider Gava, and further down, even Sitges, or coastal cities, which are beach destinations for tourism . The fact that you see the sea and some yellow next to it, doesn't mean it is a beach or that the beach is accessible and nice. You can't judge/guess with a map.

You need to go for an exploratory visit walk around and see if it is what you want. Is it reality or a dream? Can you have it all. Quiet, gorgeous, near the beach, but not deserted in winter, and with clients for your PT.

I suggested the Upper part for PT because that'w where you will find the paying clientele . You need to go where the money is. The younger population near the beach either doesn't have weight issue/care about fitness or can't afford it. In Badalona, your chances of being hired are very very very low.