Barcelona Neighborhoods/Areas

We stayed in an AirBnB that wasn't too far from the Sants train station and a block from the Metro. We bought a 10 trip T-casual card to take buses and metro to our destinations. Pretty easy to navigate to sites we wanted to see (except Park Guell, it's quite a hike from the Metro station). Reasonably quiet neighborhood and very safe. If you are flying out of Barcelona, the local train Rodales has the R2 line that runs from Sants station to terminal 2 at Barcelona Prat--was able to use the T casual card for the airport trip. Strangely enough, if one took the Metro from the sants station to the Airport, the T casual card won't work and the fare is more!

We have stayed twice now in Gracia just near Diagonal metro station. Loved the area. Quiet at night, lots of local restaurants but still very close to everything.

We also stayed in a hotel directly opposite the Palau de la Música Catalana. It was very handy for a morning walk around the Gothic Quarter but the area was busy and noisy, and I wouldn't stay in that part of Barcelona again.

We stayed in Eixample (Hotel Praktik Rambla). It is a great location within easy walking distance to most sights as well as public transportation.

Gracia is probably the nicest area to live in Barcelona.
But we really liked the convenience of the Eixample neighborhood where Gaudi’s La Pedrera and Casa Battlo are located along with the Metro and Rodalies underground train transit center called “PASSEIG DE GRACIA.” It’s really great for getting around town on the Metro and getting to and from the airport, and taking daytrips out of town on the Rodalies commuter trains. The Rodalies trains are less expensive than Renfe trains and you don’t have to go to the gigantic Barcelona Sants train station to board them— you can just go to Passeig de Gracia.
Rick Steves recommended “BacHome Gallery B&B “ which was a great place to stay just 3 blocks from the
Block of Discord where La Pedrera and Casa Batllo are located, and the Passeig de Gracia transit center.

I've stayed in Gracia several times. More in the area further up the hill served by Fontana metro station. I used to rent apartments on trust from forums like this, pre AirBnB and pre-Facebook. I used AirBnB a couple of times more recently too.

I spent a lot of time in Gracia, anyone who knows it will know Placa del Sol. I've passed many an evening there. Gentrified, but it still should have some of that Villa de Gracia character that sets it apart from Barcelona proper. It's about 25 or 30 minutes walk from Fontana to Placa de Catalunya, more on the way back as it's slightly uphill. Not far on the metro.

I've stayed in El Born years ago and it was gentrifying HARD at that time. I'd guess that's where the upscale apartment rentals are now. At that time there was an influx of wealthy locals.

I wouldn't look to stay in El Raval or Barri Gotic. Too rough.

Catalan speakers feel free to correct my spelling.

Hey, check out my take on Barcelona as if I were a tourist, but with a local insight of having been born'n'bred in this city. I've used a traffic light system on this map: green for areas I love for accommodation, yellow for average spots, and red for places I'd skip if possible. Red zones aren't necessarily unsafe; some like Barri Gòtic are must-sees, while others are just not special or touristy or are too far from the typical touristy spots in the centre. Only the red zone near the airport is really iffy, especially at night. Some would also include the Raval neighbourhood, left from La Rambla, downtown, as being a tad iffy, especially at night... well, it can be intimidating, but it's not unsafe per se.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1EcPhyV_jglGGKW_ZElQ3Y90woagegTw&ll=41.38488782600973%2C2.1850993735550706&z=12

I value comfort and quiet, but your preferences might differ. The green areas away from the centre are well communicated by metro and bus and it should take 20-30' max to travel from them to the heart of the city.

This is my personal preference, no other reason. Some people might rightfully disagree with my assessment or might have a different scale in terms of what they value in a location.

Keep in mind, there are hidden gems everywhere, but even in the "green" spots, you might find a noisy street, a less-than-perfect neighbour, a steep street...

Enjoy

PS: Note, I do NOT work in tourism, I'm simply a Barcelonan in love with his city who knows the city inside out.

I think, knowing what I know now about the history, I'd be looking to stay in L'Eixample if I wasn't in Gracia. An apartment with some period features on one of the nicest streets, off and away from the traffic on Diagonal or one of the other main drags. Enric, where would be your favourite streets in L'Eixample?

Enric, how is El Born these days? Is that somewhere you'd recommend to the visitor?

@enric That map would have been very helpful when we were choosing a neighborhood to stay when we visited Barcelona. Nice to see that we were in a yellow zone, very safe, relatively bland neighborhood, not an incredibly large amount of charm--that probably kept the room rates reasonable. It was extremely convenient to a Metro stop and the Sants rail station, and as we discovered the afternoon before we came home, not far from a busy street with multiple bus lines.

Thanks to everybody for commenting. I would like to remark again that this is MY PERSONAL VIEW on the matter, and others might have equally valid reasons to make a different suggestion.

@GerryM: actually no preferences, any street but Aragó, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Passeig de Gràcia and Enric Granados. The first ones are busy with traffic all day long and the last one is full of restaurant terraces which translates into being noisy with people, especially on weekend nights. We're not necessarily talking about shouting and drunkness, but rather a constant murmur of people talking and laughing until the wee hours.

El Born, I would imagine you mean the neighbourhood of La Ribera, right? There has been a persistent misunderstanding, especially among foreigners, both tourists and foreign residents, about using the term "El Born" to refer to the area between the Barri Gòtic and the Parc de la Ciutadella. This is incorrect. El Born is ONLY the name of a museum, formerly a market hall, and a boulevard of barely 300 meters in length located in front of the museum (41.38480522002032, 2.18289679218938). The name "El Born" comes from old Catalan, from the verb "bornejar," which means 'jousting' in English - as in medieval tournaments. The current Passeig del Born, elongated in shape, is the location where these knightly tournaments were held during the Middle Ages, hence the name of the boulevard. The area mistakenly referred to as "El Born" is actually three neighbourhoods: Sant Pere, Santa Caterina, and La Ribera.

To me, that's a beautiful area to wander, go for tapas, dine out, visit one of the many museums, or simply for a stroll. It has the allure of the narrow medieval streets. However, for accommodation I would not stay: it's noisy and rowdy -depending on the area you're staying. It has plenty of bars and late venues which translates into noise in the streets. Also, some streets in Sant Pere are now a tad unsafe at times of the day.

@dkoo77, sorry I didn't publish this before :)) I am glad you enjoyed your stay nonetheless. And what you say is the key: metro and bus lines, then it doesn't really matter whether the area is "that" close to the centre. From say Sarrià -one of the neighbourhoods located in the northern part of the city- to Plaça Catalunya -the heart of the city- it barely takes 20-25' by metro, perhaps 35'-45' by bus, traffic permitting.

In late April, we stayed for 7 days in the Les Corts section of Barcelona -- a bit further away from City Center, but VERY quiet and walkable since it's primarily a residential and business district. Cab rides to Eixample or the waterfront/harbor area were typically about 15-20 minutes and about 12-15 Euros.

We had a rental 1-bedroom apartment on 5th floor of 6 floor building. Full kitchen. Small balcony overlooking the street & other residential/hotel buildings. Very nice bathroom facilities. Decor was modern and slightly upscale. Very good local restaurants/bistros/bodegas in immediate vicinity -- including a "hole-in-the-wall" pizza place that had the BEST pizza I've ever eaten! Definitely would stay here again!

We rented from Fisa Rental Apartments, which has about a half-dozen rental buildings scattered thru the Rambla, Eixample, and other neighborhoods. The rental office manager was very friendly,
efficient and helpful for these first-timers in Barcelona.

Our location had several large supermarkets nearby, including a huge Aldi's. Multiple local small markets for produce and basic staples in the neighborhood, plus some excellent coffee/pastry cafes. This location was only about an 8 block walk to the Avenue Diagonal, where there was a 3-level shopping mall with all major brands represented.

In all, we loved the location for its quiet, local atmosphere. We also loved the weekly rental apartment. Would repeat this experience next time we're in Barcelona.

Enric,

thanks for such a detailed informative reply. I think I could enjoy staying in L'Eixample around one of the streets you mention. I know some of them from walking now I look at Streetview in those locations. Part of my Barcelona routine was always to go buy a carton of cigarettes at a tabac somewhere off C. d'Aragó. Still cheaper than the UK even without buying them at the airport!

As far as chattering until the early hours goes, I can handle that. Sometimes I'd still be in Placa del Sol at 3 or 4am on the weekends, as long as the Estrella Damm, Fortuna and Maroc was holding up.

Thanks for explaining El Born. It is quite commonly used as a geographic term. I stayed around Santa Caterina, a street in the next block or so to the market. It was 12 or 13 years ago and there was a lot of work going on to improve the area. I hope for the residents.

I don't get scared around Barri Gotic or The Raval at night, but it's not necessarily where I'd choose to stay. The Raval cleaned up a lot since I first went out to Barcelona. I used to go for Sonar every year. Some residents of The Raval must have been getting absolutely blasted when Sonar was at MACBA. I saw the banners hanging from some balconies.

If we're talking Barcelona neighbourhoods, the one sound that reminds me of Gracia is the sound of the swifts. From first light the narrow streets are filled with these tiny little birds, flying from balcony to balcony and roof to roof at seemingly impossible speeds.