Are you looking for an apartment in Barcelona, but still can’t decide which area is the best to stay?
Well, let us list you our top 5 areas to search for your long-term accommodation in the city.
Although each neighbourhood of the city has its own good and bad sides, there are some that are just better when it comes to available nearby facilities, serives, green areas, etc.
In fact, there are many different aspects to consider when looking for your new home away from home.
Once you have chosen where to look for your apartment, don’t forget to make sure you rent it safely following a couple of simple steps.
Rad how to safely rent an apartment in Barcelona
Table of Contents
1. L’Eixample
Without a doubt, the area of Eixample is one of the best to live in Barcelona.
It is located in the heart of the city and offers not just the best location, transport connection, and services and shopping offers, but also a unique atmosphere and vibe, that you won’t find anywhere else in the whole city.
It is where the modern Barcelona was born: with its wide streets and sidewalks, beautiful buildings and green areas. It is the easiest when it comes to moving around, because there are multiple metro, bus and train lines available that connect the district with the rest of the city.
Eixample is where you can find the famous Gaudí’s buildings: Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. The district offers a long list of sports and leisure facilities, as well as cultural places and many university campuses too.
Do you want to know more about the most famous Gaudi's buildings?
Living in the area you will not have to spend a lot of time looking for a big grocery store.
Eixample is inhabited by locals and foreigners alike, and, in general, the district is very diverse and international.
You will not have any problem finding a place to call home, as the area is very residential, and there are apartments of all kinds available for rent.
A big plus of the apartments of Eixample is that the accommodation options are generally bigger, better distributed, more modern when it comes to design, and that the buildings usually have elevators.
Also, there are many luxurious apartments you can rent in the area, as well as very economic options.
Why we recommend living here:
- You can witness everything that’s going on in the city and get to know its true personality, while living in a very good-quality conditions;
- Everything is reachable by foot.
2. Zona Alta: Pedralbes, Sarria and Sant Gervasi
Zona Alta literally means “Uptown”, which is due to its location in the north of Barcelona.
This area is mostly inhabited and loved by the locals of Barcelona, and it is for several reasons.
It consists of three main neighborhoods: Pedralbes, Sarria and Sant Gervasi, and is bordered by the Diagonal Avenue. The three of them are considered to have probably the best quality of life in the whole city.
Here, there are many green spaces like parks and charming gardens, great choice of high-quality restaurants.
Moreover, the areas are not touristic at all.
It is where a lot of international private schools and universities place their campuses, so the area is a great choice for students coming to spend some time in Barcelona.
The neighborhood can be reached in only about 15-20 minutes from the city center and is very well connected, but maybe not quite as well as other areas on this list.
Zona Alta has much less traffic then the more central areas, and the buildings are renovated.
In general, if you are looking for a quiet place to live, far from the bustle of the city center and with all the main services like gyms and shops available nearby, the area of Pedralbes and Sarria should be at the top of your list.
Among things to see around there is the Torre Bellesguard and Parc de Pedralbes.
Why we recommend living here:
- Beautiful quiet surroundings;
- Very little tourists and traffic;
- Great choice for families.
Here some of the beautiful architectures of the area:
3. El Poblenou
The neighborhood of Poblenou has been recently gaining popularity among locals and foreigners to choose it as a place to live.
Originally, it is one of those industrial areas that today has transformed into a very multicultural, clean and quiet place to live and a very authentic place to get to know Barcelona.
Poblenou is very well-connected with the rest of the city with multiple metro and bus lines.
A real treasure of the quarter is its Rambla de Poblenou that offers a great variety of places to eat, drink and shop.
If the proximity to the beach is a relevant aspect when choosing a place to live, you will be happy to know that living in Poblenou you will be just a few steps away from some of the best beaches of the Barcelona coastline.
Do you want to know all about Barcelona's Beaches?
The district is a mix of historic and modern buildings. Many modern office buildings have opened in the area in the recent years, as well as many little local businesses. What we are sure about is that the creatives coming to Barcelona will absolutely love Poblenou.
Why we recommend living here:
- Fantastic gastronomic offer, and a lot of vegetarian and vegan places;
- Central, but far from the crowds and noise of the city center;
- Walking distance to the beach.
Here the incredible building of Diagonal, 197 – 199 (David Chipperfield y b720 Arquitectos), El Poblenou, Barcelona – in photo from Victoriano Javier Tornel García:
4. Gracia
Locals absolutely love the neighborhood of Gracia, and in the recent years it has become one of the trendiest areas to live, to go out to eat and drink, and to simply spend some time with friends.
The district is located in the north of the city and is like a little village-like town inside Barcelona.
The popularity of it is not only due to the authenticity of the quarter.
People choose to live there over the central areas more and more because it is much less touristic, while still being a very well-connected and well-developed area with a great number of shops, services and cultural and leisure facilities.
And you will be blown away by the fantastic gastronomic offer of the area.
Gracia is a perfect neighborhood to discover the traditions of Barcelona. It is where the annual festival of Festa Major de Gracia takes place, and where you can still go out for some party and share a drink the older generations in a very “local” environment.
You can reach Gracia in 20 minutes from the city center. But you will want to ride a bike or walk through the streets of Gracia because of how charming they are.
Why we recommend living here:
- A lot of economic but fantastic accommodation offers;
- Alternative shops, restaurants, cultural places.
5. El Born
Let’s face it, we have all fallen in love with the neighborhood of el Born at some point when we were scrolling down the streets of the old center of Barcelona for the first time.
It is truly one of the most beautiful areas in the whole city, with its little squares, local shops and cafes. And who cares about tourists when you live in an aesthetic paradise, right?
Well, if you do care, then it would be probably the biggest disadvantage of the district.
But we just cannot not add el Born on this list because regardless of the big number of tourists, it is still one of the best areas to live in Barcelona.
It is one of the most international neighboorhoods and offers a great number of cultural attractions, shopping options and a very rich nightlife.
Also, the gastronomy of the zone is another strong point – you can find many different places to eat from cheap take-aways to expensive restaurant.
The district is well-connected: you can reach most of the important places of the city on foot and by public transport..
You can find many economic options.
But beware that the buildings of the area are old, so the apartments are generally smaller, but still very charming.
Why we recommend living here:
- Everything reachable by foot;
- Diverse and welcoming;
- Great number of cultural attractions.
Here you can see the famous “Flower Facade”:
So, now you know in which zone we think you should be looking for your future long-term apartment in Barcelona.
If you don’t agree and have other suggestions, let us know!
And good luck looking for your new home away from home.
Comments are closed.