Neighborhoods in the City: Living in Madrid

One of the beauties of living in Madrid is the accessibility to make your way around such a large capital city. Maybe it’s just because I come from the suburbs of Chicago, a midwestern city that requires a car for just about any daily task but one of my favorite parts of Madrid is the ease in making your way around from place to place. This comes in handy when there are so many wonderful parts of the city to see and spend time in. I could go on for pages speaking on each of the 131 barrios there are in the city and the special qualities each one possesses. It’s a disservice not to talk about all of the many beautiful parts of the city and I highly recommend you go out and research and explore what more the city has to offer. Today I am going to touch on one of the barrios most dear to my heart and well known to me: Malasaña.

 Malasaña is situated in the heart of the city, a lively neighborhood right above Gran Via, one of the biggest and most famous streets in the city center. It is well known for its narrow stone streets, ornate balcony decorated buildings, and eccentric atmosphere. Malasaña was named after Manuela Malasaña, a fifteen year old girl who was killed by French troops during the Dos de Mayo uprising that took place in 1808, a moment that marked the beginning of the Spanish War of Independence. Following the end of the Franco Regime, Malasaña became the head of a new budding counter culture that has helped form it into the alternative, expressive space it still is today. 

 With an old and very interesting history, Malasaña is a place that resembles a rich cultural history of Madrid and is now an epicenter of cafe culture, thrift shopping and nightlife in the city.  One of my favorite Saturday morning routines is when I am able to take a stroll down the charming city streets when they have quieted down after a night of drinks and socializing and stop in one of my favorite cafes for a morning coffee.  Some of my honorable mentions are Ambu cafe and Pan y Pepinillos.  If coffee is not your thing, there is no lack of restaurants and spots for you to stop and find yourself a refreshing drink and delicious meal.  The scene for thrift shopping leaves you with countless individual shops with a variety of tailored aesthetics for all types of styles.  Even if you’re not much of a second hand clothing shopper, what Malasaña has to offer might just change your mind.  

It is impossible not to acknowledge one of the current biggest attractors of the neighborhood which is its vibrant nightlife.  The bars lining the streets leave endless possibilities as to where you can find yourself a beer, glass of wine, or una copa. The history dating back to a new progress post-Franco movement can be found is some of the most popular bars then and still now today like La Via Lactea.  Plazas throughout the day have tables almost constantly filled with friends out socializing with a drink and a tapa or two in front of them.  Later at night you can find a variety of bars and both small and largers clubs to go out and meet new people and have fun with your friends.

There is no denying it, and gentrification has reached this part of the city the ambiance has most certainly changed from the the place Malasaña once was in the 80s and certainly even compared to the Malasaña from 10, 5 and 2 years ago.  That being said, it still in many ways is the lively, expressive heart of the city it always has been, growing and ever changing just as Madrid continues to be constantly evolving.