Hi, I'm considering these 2 large apartments to accomodate my 3-generation family of 8 people traveling to Barcelona in early June for 6 nights. Both are in the Eixample area. Would appreciate your comments regarding the location, convenience, etc. I like a quiet place (light sleeper), don't mind taking the public transportation to get around, walk alot for sightseeing, like markets (like to do own cooking, though not all the time), don't mind being far from where the action is.

The first apt is this(click on the 4th apt, Valencia GRANDE II Apartment).

The second is this.

Thanks so much!

Hi flennie,
Not sure if anyone else has rented thru NegreBCN, the first one, Valencia Grande, yet, but I almost have. I set up my sister, partner and nieces to rent one of the smaller apartments this coming February. I wanted them to stay there because it is only blocks away from where I will be staying with my friend, because the building and furnishings are gorgeous, to my taste.
So far, their dealings with the agency have gone well, they have money down. I asked my friend to go by and check it out and she said it is as beautiful as the pictures on the site. I had planned to report back to this forum after their stay. To be clear, I have no real experience with the agency yet.

As for its location, I am always pulled to stroll this barrio, C/Valencia is lined on both sides with old buildings in the modernismo style, great carved double doors lead into entrances lined with tiles from the era. the doors are often open and you can gaze at the grand stairways and bird cage elevators and porteria boxes. In many you can still see the routed floors where the carriages went on into the central interior patios where the stables used to keep the horses. Out on the street again, many of the buildings have miradores, glassed in balconies, with lots of stained glass. This was a neighborhood of wealthy residents at the turn of the century and it shows.

Also in this barrio is the Mercado de la Concepcion, for fresh produce, fish, meat etc. It is not as big nor colorful as the Boqeria market, but it is the market for the people of the barrio and if you are going to do any food prep in the apartment, well there you will find everything you need. And here is also a big flower market, in case you would want fresh cut flowers in your apartment.

Then the advantage is that from this barrio, in the Eixample, you can pleasently walk down to the Borne, the Park and the barrio gotico, without taxi nor metro because the walk is so delightful. All the street level stores have interesting displays, shoe stores, paper stores,little bakeries, pharmacies, here are still the old colmados, the little stores that sell mainly dry and canned food, cheese, all beautifully arranged.

I looked at the second choice and it also has a decor to die for. The barrio is further out from the center but still reachable.

Well, enough said, you can tell from the above which one I recomend.
kathyk

My sister has reserved Valencia C. I am curious to visit it myself.
You are just a few blocks away from Sagrada Familia.
kathyk

kathyK, thank you so much for the detailed description of the area. It sounds really great. I am waiting to hear from my sisters - I forwarded them your reply. I can't believe how reasonably priced the apartments are in Barcelona, compared to Paris, Rome, or Amsterdam! Valencia C looks gorgeous. I would be very interested in what your sister say about it. It sounds like Barcelona is a very walkable city...

Thanks again!

quote:

Originally posted by kathyk:

I looked at the second choice and it also has a decor to die for. The barrio is further out from the center but still reachable.

I looked at the location of the 2nd apt and it's not in Eixample after all. Is it walkable to the city center? Does the location have less character than where the Valencia apt is? I'm also wondering about the neighborhood (markets, etc). As you pointed out, the decor is great; I like it better than the decor of the Valencia apt. I'm torn between location and the apt.

location, location, location. I'm just sayin'!

hi flennie,
Location: from the map it looks to be on the far end of the Eixample but still technically in it. It is near Sants and there is a big market there and there might even be smaller markets closer than the Sants market. I am not as familiar with that end of Barcelona.

Yes, you could walk to the center but, in my opinion only, the streets that lead you to the center are not as interesting. There is the metro, 4 stops they say. But why be underground Barcelona when you can be up on the streets.
kathyk

I stayed in Valencia C this past summer. It's a very nice apartment - stunning floors! - with the added bonus of access to the roof. The management/orientation was very helpful - there is a copy store on the first floor of the building where you pick up your keys and meet the fellow who orients you. If anyone has any questions, just ask!



The view from the roof.

More photos here.

Thank you all for convincing me to rent the Valencia apartment! I just booked it. My sister was in fact favoring that over the other for its location too. Now, I can move on to search for rentals in France!

Hi AmyW,
I forwarded on your photos to my sister, she will be delighted to hear your compliments on the apartment they will soon inhabit, Feb 13 to 20.

flennie, did you notice on her first photo, the spires (and the cranes) of Sacrada Familia, in the upper background?
kathyk

kathyk -

Thanks for pointing out the spires. So we are that close! Neat!