A home in the city

People who live in the inner city are not spoilt for choice. In the inner city it is mainly apartment block upon apartment block. Most of the buildings are very old and not too appealing. There are others which offer apartments that are big and full of character - such as balconies, rooftop gardens, wooden floors and pressed high ceilings. The older buildings tend to have bigger apartments - as the rooms are more spacious.

Old, with character.

Old, without character

In the newer apartment buildings the rooms are often very small, with less character - balconies, wooden floors and pressed ceilings. The building I live in is one such example. The entire apartment is small and the rooms are small. The kitchen, lounge and bathroom are tiny. The bathroom is the worst. If one sits on the toilet, one's knees have to be pushed up to avoid being pressed against the bath.

Newer but very densely populated (Mont Juic)

Smaller and newer complexes in Mont Juic

There are few houses in the city. Most houses are in areas outside of the city. Up on the Mont Juic hill there are however a few streets with houses. The houses are not that small but they are indeed very old and offer no gardens or outdoor recreation area. Space is at a premium here...

Stand alone houses in Mont Juic

This evening at Spanish, there was a presentation by a local juntamento (municipality) officer. She came to give information about living in Barcelona and which services were available to immigrants or visitors. She stated that that this city has a population of close to 4 million people, of which 17,6 % are immigrants. She mentioned that most of the immigrants live in the Ciutat Vella (old city) district because the buildings were smaller and the rents were cheaper in this area. The living spaces however are not that desirable. A lack of light, a lack of ventilation, lots of noise, overcrowding and many other issues were mentioned.

Old buildings in Ciutat Vella

Any takers for a new abode in the inner city ???

I would prefer a home in the "burbs" but I just don't have that kind of money...

Ultra modern apartments in Hosta Francs (on the edge of the inner of the city)