Madrid, Spain / Good areas-bad areas (apartment, neighborhoods, college)

[Serina80]

Hi,
I'm planning to move to Madrid and I'm very interested in knowing what are so called good areas near Madrid or in Madrid and what are the areas/neighborhoods I should avoid?

thanks

[Hasdrubal]

Carabanchel is a pretty rough place to live in, you should be careful is you go there.
Vallecas has some bad areas, but it's mostly a working class neighborhood
Around downtown there are some alleys you should avoid, but it's not that bad.

Good areas? The so-called Barrio de Salamanca, the most expensive area in Madrid. Also Moncloa, where most college students live. Generally Madrid is not that bad

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by Serina80

Hi,
I'm planning to move to Madrid and I'm very interested in knowing what are so called good areas near Madrid or in Madrid and what are the areas/neighborhoods I should avoid?

thanks

Good areas:
Chamberí - beautiful neighborhood.. mix of families, professionals, and some students
Chamartín - mostly families
Arturo Soria - mostly families
Salamanca - one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in all of Spain.. mix of families, professionals, and students
Argüelles/Moncloa - fairly young population due to proximity of the Universidad Complutense
La Latina - nice, lively area of cafés, shops, and restaurants.. mix of older residents, young professionals, and students.

...in GENERAL, the nicest areas (not counting the monied suburban neighborhoods like La Moraleja, Las Rozas, Majadahonda, etc.) are located in central Madrid within the M-30 motorway. Madrid has an excellent metro and bus system and it is very easy to navigate the city without a car if you live in a centrally-located neighborhood. If you are a young person who wishes to share an apartment with roommates, I would suggest searching on madrid.loquo.com and campusanuncios.com under "Madrid Centro"

Areas to avoid:
Carabanchel - holds the distinction as one of the worst neighborhoods in Spain
Leganés - far from central Madrid, not very nice
Vallecas - dreary, working-class area
Tetuán/Valdeacederas - dreary, working-class area, but it's really not that bad due to proximity to good areas

Good luck and please let me know if you have any further questions about Madrid... it is a beautiful city and I miss it dearly!

[Serina80]

Thank you very much for ur answers.