American Couple Moving To Barcelona--What are the best areas to live

Hi OhioCouple,

Welcome to Expat.com!

I hope other members will be able to advise you.

OhioCouple wrote:

My partner and I are moving to Barcelona in the next few months, and are looking for advice on the best areas to live in.  We want to buy versus rent, and are trying to get a handle on where to live.  Several areas so far that have hit our list are:

Eixample
Sitgies
Diagonal Mar

....Our budget is pretty generous, so money isn't really a factor.

Good thing money isn't a factor ... if you buy in Sitges but want to be close to the shops, restaurants, etc of Barcelona you'll have to buy a helicopter ...   (Sitges is a town about 45 minutes down the coast from Barcelona ...)

A pool in the Eixample isn't impossible, but may be tough to find ....

...and if you mean "new construction" when you say "modern finishes" it looks like you've got to look into Diagonal Mar ... probably your best bet.  It's the "new" neigborhood (although not much of a "neigborhood" feel to it yet ...

Public Transportation in Barcelona (I don't know about Sitges) works pretty well no matter where you are.   Walking in Barcelona is not a "stretch" either ... but if you want to walk from Diagonal Mar to the "center" ... you'll probably find yourselves taking advantage of the efficient public transportation network.

I suggest you take a "virtual stroll" through the different neighborhoods with Google Street View if you're not familiar with the city.  More importantly, you should come and feel it out ... visit the city and see the layout ... there's tons of variables  (ex: Diagonal Mar close to sea,new construction/vertical density/open urban spaces/parks/etc.        Eixample is more city center, shops/rests/theater/museums..."authentic" Barcelona....

Hope that helps.

Thank you for the information, we do realize Sitgies is farther from Barcelona, but would like to really be on the beach, but still have dining options, shopping, etc in that town.  We dont mind commuting to Barcelona, as we both work out of the home.

hello ohio-couple,
i think i sent you a message yesterday but as i am new to this forum not sure if it went through,

well there are many options really for you to live,
me and my partner rented an apartment a few times in sitges, but I personally found that july-august-september it was very full, lots of people there and then in winter it was completely empty, you would have to love village-live really, it is 35 minutes by train, there are nice places to live, especially the ones overlooking the sea, which then again in summer are very noisy,
castelldefels is not as gay and glamourous, but the beach is nice, bit closer to barcelona and could get a house not too expensive,

barcelona your best bet would be somewhere eixample, the right side is like more style and old houses, very spanish, high ceilings, wooden floors, very solemn, and the left eixample is more nightlife, a bit more modern, streets are far more busy,
don-t go to the beach like barceloneta, old houses, bad neighborhood, bad reputation,

diagonal is beach, but a bit dead as a neighborhood, if you look for like to see people when you get out of your house, stay in the center,
even though it all depends on the street you live,
i know people who work in real estate, so would be more than happy to help you with any information,
have done lots of classic and modern work here,

it might take you  a while untill you find the right place, and the best thing would be knowing somebody here to help you,
at the end you always get there, but normally things go totally diferent as planed, so it takes time to get used to this mediteranean attitude and way of life,

on the other hand everybody has time for a quick coffee and to meet, people are helpfull,

well just let me know what i can do for you,
kind regards

ruediger