Hello,

I think I have only posted a couple of times but have been writing to Redwood quite a bit (thanks buddy!). My partner and I are looking to move to Madrid later this year (TBD), get our CELTAs, and teach English. Looking at the different parts of the city on idealista.com, I was wondering if anyone can share some light on the following neighborhoods and what we can expect in each as far as atmosphere, apt pricing, close to transportation, etc.:

Salamanca
Chamberi
Rios Rosas
Tetuan
Latina (far away from school but looks close to Sol and interesting sites)
Trafalgar

The school we are looking at is on C. de Bravo Murillo. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Gary

Gary,

You already know how I feel about Chamberí and Ríos Rosas.

Schwendy and Mariposita can comment about La Latina, as well as quite a few others.

Becky can talk about Tetuán.

The Nanny can talk about Trafalgar since she lives not too far from that area.

They should be able to help. Remember that people on this board are helpful. I hope that the people mentioned above see this thread and give their living experiences in the neighborhood where they live.

Shawn

Hi Gary,

I no longer live in Tetuán but do have my office there. When you say that the school you are looking at is on Bravo Murillo, do you mean where you plan on getting your CELTA? If so, that must be the BLC, which is practically on Plaza de Castilla. For the sake of this post, I am considering Tetuán the area covered by metro line 1 from Plaza Castilla in the north down to Cuatro Caminos, and the area covered by line 10 from Plaza Castilla south to Nuevos Ministerios. And from Nuevos Ministerios to Cuatro Caminos on line 6 (area between Calle Bravo Murillo, La Castellana and Raimundo Villaverde).

As an English teacher who has done her duty traveling the city to corporate clients on public transport, I always recommend living close to a centrally located line and quick access to one of the "corporate corridors"...in other words, quick access to transportation hubs that will get you to corporate clients along the N-6 (intercambiador in Moncloa), N-1 (intercambiador in Plaza Castilla) or N-2 (intercambiador in Avenida de America).

The center is a great place to "play". But I would rather live "close" to where I work instead of facing a 40 minute metro ride to get to one of the transport hubs to get out to a corporate client (another 45 minute ride) at 7am. Most corporate clients are along the N-1 and N-2. But that is just a personal preference of mine.

Regarding Tetuán, I think it's a great place to live. If you get a flat tucked away in a neighborhood (rather than on Bravo Murillo itself) you will find yourself immersed in Spanish life. It is a very multicultural neighborhood (then again so is most of the center of Madrid) with immigrant groups from Latin America (esp. Ecuador), Morocco and China. I like the variety of ethnic food shops in the neighborhood.

There are also many many longstanding Spanish owned businesses in the area. A great place to get churros is at Casa Aurelio on Bravo Murillo across from the Valeacederas metro stop. There is also a sizeable "polideportivo" (think YMCA) between Valdeacederas and Plaza Castilla and one of the best kept secrets, Plaza de la Remonta which has great terraces in the spring/summer/fall. And a great homemade ice cream shop! Closer to Cuatro Caminos you have "El Mercado de Maravillas" which is one of the larger and older markets in Madrid.

Areas such as those serviced by metro stops Plaza Castilla, Valdeacederas and Estrecho are less "masificado". Metro stops Cuatro Caminos, Alvarado and Tetuán are considered "little Latin America" due to the volume of Latin American immigrants.

Tetuán is a good area serviced by four metro lines (1, 6, 9 & 10). Lines 1 & 10 are good for traveling out the N-1 as they pass through Plaza Castilla. Line 6 will get you to Moncloa and line 6 and 9 will get you to Avenida de America. There are also a countless number of buses that pass through the area.

Prices for a one bedroom apartment will probably run you about 600-700€/month. A bit more in the area around Plaza Castilla and closer to La Castellana.

Bravo Murillo is a very commercial street with a lot of activity. It is closed off from Pza Castilla to Cuatro Caminos a couple of times a year on the weekends for one social activity or another (bike races, el día del niño, etc...).

If you have any other specific questions, just ask. Sorry for the long post... it's the start of a holiday weekend and my students have stood me up!

Good luck!

Thanks, Becky. I knew that I could count on you to pitch in about Tetuán.

Happy Easter,

Shawn

Wow!! Thanks Becky (and Shawn) for the great tour of Tetuán. We are looking at the BLC for the CELTA. How many minutes is BLC from La Latina? Tetuán sounds very exciting! I have been looking at Idealista.com. We are looking for a 1-2 bedroom with 1-2 bathrooms and we have two indoor cats. I'll know a little more about our budget in a couple of weeks. People have recommended high floors to help get used to the street noise coming from a quiet suburban neighborhood.

Again, thanks for the input so far and I hope to learn more.

Gary